Modes of Play
Open Play
After your character is approved for play, you will be granted access to the game in Open Play.
Rules of Open Play are as follows:
No actions may be taken which directly affect or glean information about another PC without OOC consent from the player in question.
Supernatural creatures may not recognize one another (vampires sensing other vampires, etc.) unless both parties give OOC consent.
Resource pools (Willpower, Vitae, Mana, etc.) are locked, and points may not be gained or spent (with the exception of vampires feeding: see the House Rules and Game Mechanics page for more information). Abilities which require these resources may not be used.
Staff members may jump into Open Play whenever they see fit to play NPCs, seed storylines, and generally stir the pot. Whenever a Staff member is present, the above restrictions may be lifted at any time.
Events
When your character becomes involved in a storyline, the Staff will invite you to participate in a closed session under direct Storyteller supervision. These events will be locked to characters who are not involved in the storyline, and will aim to replicate an intimate tabletop experience for the players involved.
Events may be scheduled ahead of time, if certain PCs are integral to the storyline and required to be present, or a Staff member might simply invite whoever is available at the moment.
Sometimes scheduling conflicts might delay events, and that's fine. Real life always comes first. However, it is considered poor form to avoid an Event out of fear of what might happen to your character during it. If the Staff have reason to believe this is the case, do not be surprised if the world moves on without your character. In extreme cases (such as if a player stops playing or disappears for a long while), Staff may take over a PC and play him or her as an NPC. In those situations, the Staff will approximate the absent character's behavior as much as possible.
During these sessions, none of the restrictions of Open Play are present. Whatever the Staff say goes. Have fun!
