[Information] The Rules

[Aethera]

First, here's the schedule, and please take note that we are giving you two weeks to put your application together, and the judging will also have two weeks for the first round's comparatively crazy participation numbers. All dates are in Eastern (New York) Time, but these countdown clocks ought to keep everyone on track.

Round	Begins	Ends	Judging Begins	Judging Ends
0	June 6	June 19	June 20	July 3
1	July 4	July 10	July 11	July 17
2	July 18	July 24	July 25	July 31
3	August 1	August 7	August 8	August 14
4	August 15	August 21	August 22	August 28

This year's Outplay game will span five systems: D&D 3.5e, D&D 5e, and Pathfinder are our usual favorites, now joined by 13th Age and World of Darkness! No 'other' thread, but that's why we did the 'pick your system' poll ahead of time.

Here's the full list of brackets / judges! If you would like to volunteer to fill one of the holes, please let me know!

System	GM	Judge 1	Judge 2	Judge 3
13th Age	Aethera	Aethera	Ion2Atom	GeoAvanti
D&D 3.5e	RonarsCorruption	RonarsCorruption	Ytterbium	Raylorne
D&D 5e	Bhelogan	GinJapan	Quick Ben	Frostburn
Pathfinder	Elfman6	Raylorne	MoonZar	Moozuba
WoD	Legioned	Frostburn	GeoAvanti	ogamodyna

Each round will eliminate half the players - that's 4 for each system the first round, 2 in the second, 1 in the third - and then the finals will begin where we're going to put the finalist from each system in a room together to determine Outplay champion! Whee!

Competition-wide Rules:
Editing
- Game edits are allowed within one hour of making the post (so long as it doesn't put it past the round deadline). Edits made after one hour following the post will disqualify that post; judges are not required to read it. (This rule doesn't apply to applications, see below.)

Dice
- All game dice are to be rolled in your game post, labelled and using inum.

Dice inum example:

1d20

2

(2) The proper format to do that is: [dice=label]inum 1d20[/dice] Any editing of these tags will result in a big red box invalidating your rolls. (This includes editing the label, so make sure you do that first!)

Player vs Player Conflict
- Disagreements are acceptable, but deliberately acting in such a way as to stop another character from surviving/succeeding is grounds for disqualification.


Round Rules:
Round 0 - Applications
We will be judging your applications on three fronts. Are they interesting? Are they well written? Are they mechanically correct?

The editing rule does not apply here, you can edit to your heart's content until the deadline. This applies to your character sheets as well. Take care not to edit anything past the deadline or you will be disqualified.

Not enough applicants in a bracket: If we still don't get at least 8 partial applications in a bracket by THE MORNING OF JUNE 14th, that's when the bracket will be closed. If, of those 8+ partial applications, we don't get at least 8 finalized applications by the deadline, the bracket will be closed anyway.

Too many applicants in a bracket: For those game systems with overwhelming interest (I'm looking at you, 5e and Pathfinder), we are considering running two brackets of these, meaning sixteen people in round one instead of only eight. This would double the workload of the GMs and judges for those systems, but so long as they agree, we will run two brackets' worth of any system which has 24 final applications at the deadline.

New This Year: ANONYMOUS Applications! This year we are going to address some concerns about favoritism by asking everyone to post their applications in secret text, and not put their username anywhere on their character sheet. Step One: Judges will be doing a check of all mechanics and disqualify anyone with errors or rules violations. Any concerns will be registered with your friendly neighborhood Outplay Organizer (also known as Aethera). Step Two: We will be posting voting threads where any site member can place one vote per game system bracket in secret text. (You can see an example of how this is done in Iron DM.) You may not vote for yourself. Step Three: Tallies of votes will determine who progresses into the first round. All ties will be broken by the judges. Any concerns from earlier on will be addressed.

Round 1 - Adventure / Problem-Solving Round
People will be placed in groups, reality-show style; it will be your character with complete strangers presented with the same scenario, and you build off of each others' actions or do your own thing.

There are no special rules for this round.

Round 2 - Social Round
There are no special rules for this round.

Round 3 - Combat Round
There are no special rules for this round. Unlike previous years, there will be no PvP option available. Straight up fight-the-baddies.

Round 4 - Nexus Round
A pure roleplaying cross-system finale!

[Aethera]

Round Zero FAQ Round 0 - Applications Q&A with DMs, GMs, and Judges (from last year and questions sent to Aethera) Secret Text: You can secret your application to yourself or to Aethera (or even to a random string of text), either will work. Don't include the judges! HP: Max first level, then roll the others. (Doesn't apply to 13th Age.) Same as last year. Images and Music: Images are allowed, but I recommend cropping/resizing, or using a spoilerbutton at the very least. Not everyone has amazing internet that can load many big images in the same page. Music links are ok, but if the judges are crunched for time we make no guarantee we're going to listen. Equipment Specifics: Anything that might have a meaningful combat contribution, you need to detail. However, you can of course include generalizations like "50gp - alchemy supplies (calipers, scalpels, mortar, etc)" for non-combat stuff. Applying to Multiple Systems: You must choose one primary application. If you wish to have a backup (for if your bracket does not end up running), feel free to apply to more than one, but clearly specify your primary choice. Reusing Characters: Entirely up to you, as long as they meet the rules and are your character (not someone else's). Scrolls: You are welcome to buy scrolls, limited only by your gold. If your Spellcraft is high enough that taking 10 will succeed in adding them to your spellbook/familiar, then you can assume a pass, otherwise please roll. I am comfortable with rolls in the OOC thread or in a spoilerbutton at the bottom of your app. If it's in OOC, please link the post into your application so we judges can find it later. Starting Gold: Your starting gold can be used to purchase any items you like. Or none. If your character wants to waste all his money on prostitutes and imported wines, well, who am I stand against you? All d20 systems - Leadership: All your extras must be equipped from the same starting money, they don't get their own. Individual sheets, please, linked to the same campaign ID, though low-level NPCs will likely be relegated to the background. All systems - Monstrous HD: You should roll for ALL monstrous HD. Only your first class level gets max HD. All systems - Mounted-focus Characters: Not really a good option. All systems - Multiattack Feat: is a valid choice for anyone with the requisite three natural attacks. All systems - Nonstandard Gear: All gear for Large characters costs 2x as much plus one multiplier for each size above Large (Huge, for example, costs 3x as much) - be it weapons, armor or the like. Gear for non-humanoid shaped characters (bears, horses, etc) costs an additional 2x as much (presuming they don't have the capacity to craft their own gear). Gear for Small and Medium characters cost the listed amount. Gear for Tiny characters costs x1/2 as much. This multiplier applies to all physical gear and material costs. For each size category below Medium, weight is halved. For each size category above, weight is doubled. Likewise, carrying capacity of a container is reduced by 1/4 or quadrupled. Magic items/properties and the masterwork component always cost the listed amount - they aren't a physical material that represents the majority of the price, they're purely the cost of craftsmanship. All systems - Scent: The scent ability is merely usable with the track feat, as a replacement sense for tracking by sight. It does not automatically grant you the track feat. 3.5e - Divine Rank: No characters with divine rank. 3.5e - Unearthed Arcana: Fair game. (Yes, in the SRD it is labeled "not in the SRD", but this is out of date. Your DM says it's allowed.) Pathfinder - Firearms: Emerging firearms. Pathfinder - Hero Points: Hero points are allowed, but the system is OFF by default. However, if you take the Hero's Fortune feat, it is turned on for your character (which means you will have two hero points). Characters without the Hero's Fortune feat do not have access to hero points. Pathfinder - Mythic: The contents of the book are allowed, but no mythic rank is allowed. Pathfinder - Permanency: Stick to the stated spell options. Pathfinder - Traits: As long as the traits are in the PRD, you get the typical two. No campaign traits, so it's your choice. Beware using d20pfsrd.com, as many of their traits are not PRD material. Drawbacks are fair as well, if you choose to go that route. Pathfinder - Unchained: All alternate rules use their feat-opt-in variants. Pathfinder - Wordcasters: They are core material found in the PRD, so yes, they're allowed. However, due to the fast pace of the competition, I would advise against them if you're not totally familiar with the rules. My personal opinion is that they're more complex, and the complexity could foul you up with an otherwise great character. If you were referring to a different system, I'll have to check with the DMs. 5e - Feats: Yes, variant creation rules are allowed. 5e - Magic Ammunition: Non-consumable price, but you will get a full set (quiver of 20 arrows, case of 20 bolts, etc) for the price. 5e - Spells: "Would the cost of getting new spells in one's spellbook be the cost of a scroll plus the cost of copying it into the book?" Yes. 5e - Training (PHB p. 187): You are allowed to spend 250 gp to gain proficiency in a tool or learn a new language as per the Training section, but limited to only one of each. 5e - Villainous class options (DMG p. 96): Yes, they are fine to use.