Aspen Hollow's Rulebook

ASPEN HOLLOW'S RULEBOOK

This is Aspen Hollow's Rulebook. These rules are necessary to follow to be able to stay in the RP and have a nice, stress free time. I know the long list may seem daunting, but it's really just a lot of details. We aren't very strict, just follow them and we won't have to give you any warnings or kick you out.

If you are curious about how our warning system works, visit THIS thread. It covers the game as well as Discord.

If you find someone, even staff, is breaking a rule or a few of them, our report system is at the bottom of the thread linked above. Don't be afraid to report anyone, it's completely private.

I also included some other rules here just for ease of access, you can ignore them if they don't apply to you (meaning the Discord rules).

NOTE: I went ahead and underlined all important points since most of these are paragraphs with extra details, but please read it all anyway. It's just for ease of access.

1. Be Respectful and Courteous of other people.
This goes for in and out of the RP, treat others with respect and kindness, in other words, just don't be rude. I want to keep Aspen Hollow a nice place to be, so please don't trash talk, belittle, disrespect, or bully anyone inside and outside of the RP.

🐾 ADDED NOTE: Don't trash talk other RPs either, and don't say anyone or any group by name if you need to vent. We are a drama free zone, we don't need it.

2. We 100% support any LGBTQ+ people and characters.
We won't tolerate any homophobia, transphobia or anything of the sort in this roleplay, if you have a problem with that, don't join!

3. Don't talk about sensitive or controversial topics.
This includes r*pe, homophobia, transphobia, politics, religion, suicide, self harm and racism. If I missed anything, don't hesitate on letting me know!!

4. Activity
Aspen Hollow's typical activity recommendation is to be on at least once or twice a week. We're lenient and not too strict but I don't really want the RP to go down from low activity.

Real life is more important than a roleplay by all means, and we aren't strict people. Yet, if you can't get in game, don't forget to post an absence. If you disappear without notice for a long time, we will most likely kick you. You can come back at any time that you're more free so long as you weren't banned for any reason.

It is also important that if you apply and get a high ranking position, you are expected to be more active. Many times people won't be active if many of the high ranks themselves aren't. This especially goes for gatherings. If you're a leader and cannot make multiple gatherings, we'll either ask you if the schedule needs to be changed to accomodate for you to be able attend with the others, or demote you provided it isn't a purposeful character building decision (please let us know if that's the case).

Note that you aren't considered active if:
🐾 You only come on for only a second to 5 minutes before logging off
🐾 You remain active on Discord but not FH without an absence posted
🐾 You stay on FHU only to be silent and AFK most of the time

4. Don't spam, anywhere.
Please don't spam in our chats, the only place for spam is in the #spam channel in our Discord, which is mostly bot commands. 

5. Swearing and Inappropriate Language
Swearing is allowed in moderate amounts, just don't aim it at anyone or go on a swearing spree. There are kids on FH, you know.

6. Character Slots
Please, don't make more characters than you can handle at once. If you have ideas for future characters, we have a Character Hubs board for threads that you can put them in.

For our slot system, we have nine slots:
🐾 5 main clan slots
🐾 3 free slots
🐾 1 adoption required slot, only used when you get a character from an adoption thread. High ranks don't count as this slot.

This ignores any afterlife characters you may have, as those are unlimited.

7. "Literacy" or RP Qualifications
Aspen Hollow is listed as a multi-line to multi-paragraph RP. We aren't very strict on how you roleplay, just try to keep it to minimal grammar and spelling issues as you can, and at the very least hit our minimum post length requirement.

Our minimum post length requirement is at least three sentences, but we'd prefer if you'd try for longer. If you're having trouble making one FH post long, feel free to take a break and continue it later if you need to.

We don't allow wolfspeak.

Please don't format your posts with {text}, "text" (unless around dialogue), *text*, ~text~, -text-, etc.
You can use -, >, < and ~ to indicate continuing or finishing a post, just don't surround your posts with them.

8. Do NOT share the map password with anybody.
It is the job of the staff members to give away the map password to new members, you cannot give the map password to anyone new, outside of the RP or anyone else who wants/needs it. If you need the map password, contact a staff member.

9. Staff are equally responsible of following these rules as everyone else does.
Staff members are no different than regular members, we just have the permissions to keep this place a safe place to RP in, nothing else. You cannot abuse your powers. If you find a staff member, even an admin, is disobeying a rule, report them. Don't make it a talking point to anyone else outside of the RP. One person's mistakes does not make the entire roleplay a bad place to be, we are willing to fix it if there is an issue. sitorskai and Tig are completely open to any feedback and problems, so if a staff member or regular member is causing issues, tell us please.

1. Don't godmod, powerplay or metagame.
This makes it super unfair to other people who are roleplaying with you, which makes them less likely to want to RP with you. If you are unaware of what these words mean...

SPOILER: Click to show

powerplaying - when you control someone else's character, as well as your own, without the other person's permission

godmoding - when one plays a character that can never be destroyed, harmed, etc. The character, however, can hurt and/or kill the other characters without giving the other characters a chance.

God Modding - when someone’s character has the ability to do practically anything without limits or boundaries.

Metagaming - a player's use of real-life knowledge concerning the state of the game to determine their character's actions, when said character has no relevant knowledge or awareness under the circumstances.

Instead, during fights, use words like "try" or "attempt", it gives the opponent the chance to respond to your attack and decide what to do next.

Definite hits or auto-hits should be discussed between the users of the characters fighting before the fight begins. For example, "Snakefang will definitely be making a large gash on Thicketpaw's shoulder." This especially goes for large wounds or maiming a character. All other hits have to be written as an attempt so the other user can decide whether or not they want to use one of their dodges or get hit by the attack. Their character is not yours to control.

With metagaming, considering we have free slots, keep in mind that unless you're playing all of your characters at once in the same area, your other characters don't know what's happening with the others. This goes the same with spectating another RP session, if their characters are talking about something interesting or important, your characters don't know unless they're physically there.

2. Battle Realism
When it comes to fighting, you need to remember that energy consumption is still a real issue, and can make it difficult for your character to get back to camp after a big fight. This can vary on the size and age of the cat, and energy can be used in different ways. Energy can also deplete when you get wounded.

Along with conserving energy, you even have limited dodges, which also depend on the age/rank of your character. Warriors get three dodges, apprentices get two and kits get one.

3. We are pretty free reign, however have some limits on extremes.
RPs are supposed to be fun, and you should be able to show that through your characters personality! We won't limit you on stuff like leaving camp at too early an age or trespassing, but our only permission seeking actions are: having visions from an afterlife (if it's not a plot that allows you to do so w/out permission) and anything that would cause damage to the terrain or clans.

"Permission" can also just be another way of giving notice. You don't necessarily need to ask permission to do something, you can just notify a staff member of a plan you want to do with your character. A staff member can still tell you that maybe it isn't a good idea, or provide suggestions on how it can be toned down a bit (considering it's too much), however just a notice is fine! Again, despite the daunting look of this thread, we are lenient and not very strict about things.

You're not limited to anywhere IC or OOC so long as you're aware of consequences and what happens afterwards.

If you're confused about some things, feel free to read our [About Aspen Hollow] thread!

4. Forbidden Relationships
Forbidden relationships can be a big issue if there are too many. You need to ask the leaders of both clans or at least one staff member for permission before pursuing a forbidden relationship. Adding onto this there is a {thread of slots} for different things like genetics and mutations, but also for forbidden relationships. If those slots are full, you can't have a FR.

Each member involved in a forbidden relationship can only occupy one slot. You cannot have multiple. This goes for both partners.

🐾 TIP: Try to RP more with your clanmates rather than outsiders or other clans. I'm not saying you can't RP with others in that sense, just please try to make more relations with those within your clan rather than out. This usually causes issues with having too many forbidden relationships, and I don't want that to be a big issue. Your clan comes first.

5. Clan Hopping
Don't hop clans excessively, please. Ask a staff member and the leaders of both clans if you can change your character's clan through plot decisions. When you first join, you have a week's buffer to allow you to change your mind if you want to, but after that you need to ask permission. This goes for outsiders too. It's up to the leaders whether or not you're welcome back, though, so make sure you want to do it for sure.

6. The Limits of Member Driven Roleplay
Here in Aspen Hollow we let our members take some portion of the reigns on where the RP goes, however, there's still limitations and rules to it.

>> Don't act out inappropriately just to get attention. This means you can't attack someone without their permission, have your character commit suicide, self harm, over dramaticizing situations, kit/mate/parent begging, force someone to become your characters mate or "do the deed", force other members to have kits with your character and doing something that requires staff or leader permission without asking first.

7. Killing off a Character
When making a new character, you have to wait at least two weeks before you can kill them off. This comes into effect when you've finalized your decision to make them, or after your first RP session with them.

1. Realism
Aspen Hollow is labelled as a Semi-Realistic to Realistic roleplay, which means we won't get strict on you for not being 100% realistic like a cat image you find on Google. You can use more semi-realistic and simpler designs like the ones you find in PMVs, AMVs and MAPs.

However, we do have some limits of what you can and cannot use, purely to reduce confusion in some cases. I won't make a daunting list of strict limits, but there is a list of some things I would most likely be asking you to change.

Lion Manes
Aspen Hollow at the current time does not allow full mane types or the Fluffy mane to make sure we won't be confused with a lion pride. You can express more fluff by using half manes and/or making your weight slider higher.

Eye Types & Colors
There are some eye types that are exclusive to an afterlife spirit, which are:
> Orb, Pupilless and Ring eye types are for Starclan spirits.
> Glow Slit, More Glow and Glow and Shine eye types are for Void spirits.
     > On another note, Void spirits' eye colors are the only exception for using neon colors. We will most likely ask you to change a neon-like color elsewhere.
> Glow Orb, Full Orb and Glow Slit eye types are for Dark Forest spirits.


Another thing with the eye colors - pink eyes are only reserved for albinos.

Species Model
I've seen it a couple times - we won't accept any characters using the canine model! It can get a bit confusing to newcomers. I understand if you like the canine model better, however, canine models are only reserved for predator characters like foxes, coyotes, etc., and not cats.

SIZE LIMITS
For any cats abnormally tall or small you can go just slightly over the limits, but not much. Inform a staff member if this needs to happen.

Kit Minimum


Kit Maximum


Apprentice Minimum


Apprentice Maximum


Warrior Minimum


Warrior Maximum
* Ignore the width slide, it should be the same as the Height and Length. It's an old image.


CHARACTER GENETICS
I was going to put this as another number, but I thought I'd group it in with realism. We have a [thread] specifically for requesting a mutation or rare genetics, though it is not required for more common mutations like polydactylism. However, even if the form is not required, you still need to inform a staff member that you are creating a character with the mutation so we can put you on the list.

2. Character Backstories
Keep your character backstories aligned at least close enough with Aspen Hollow's so it doesn't get confusing. Remember that AH is set on an island currently, so something in your history has to support how they got to the island. Also key note that we have a thread on the history on Aspen Hollow, that will be added onto as more history is revealed.

3. Using Canon Warriors Names
You are allowed to use names used in the books if they're not main character names and they aren't the characters in the books themselves, make 'em your own!

Leaders are the only exceptions, seeing as Bluestar and Firestar in another case could've had a different suffix. You can use leader names so long as they didn't previously have the suffix the book characters have, and aren't a carbon copy of the book characters.

CREATION TIP: Keep your personalities well balanced, and make sure your character isn't a mary sue or anything. Everyone has their faults, and make sure to RP it out. Don't make a cat purely rude or overly nice, give them more depth.

LITTER AUDITION TIP: Try to give only one or two traits to a character, and leave the rest to the player that will be your characters kit, it'll help them feel less like they need to meet exact expectations rather than having fun with it.

1. All OOC Rules apply.
Such as being respectful and not trash talking other people/RPs, especially by name, all OOC rules above apply to the chats in the Discord server.

2. Don't spam unless you're in the #spam channel.
You can post images elsewhere as long as it's not constant spam, but any constant spam should be taken to #spam.

3. All RP related talk goes in #rp-talk, any off topic conversations go into #general-chatter or elsewhere depending on what it is.
Please keep these separate, I want to keep those conversations organized and not so hard to find!

4. Don't advertise other groups in our Discord server or elsewhere in this RP.

5. Please post/talk in the correct channels.
And if someone doesn't, remember to politely remind them rather than attack them for it.

6. Don't spam ping. If you have to ping (apart from pinging someone directly, of course), ask a staff member if you can.
I don't want people to spam ping people, it'd be very annoying. If you need to, ask a staff member. Don't use @mention unless told to either, as that's usually reserved for RP announcements. Just don't ping spam, anywhere.

Congrats! You made it through the whole rules thread. I know it looks like a lot, but again, we're not too strict. Just because we're not strict doesn't mean you can break the rules, though. To receive the map password, please tell a staff member tea and tig are noobs. 

Please, don't be afraid to ask a staff member for help, or even just your fellow members. If something doesn't make sense to you, we're here to help.

Want to make a change in the RP that might benefit the RP for the better? You can tell us your ideas in the Monthly Feedback Survey, #suggestions in Discord, or directly contacting a staff member.