Latest revision as of 00:42, 2 May 2012

Wards are locations where gameplay is focused. Wards are created in-game by completing a quest from the Playbook.

How to create a territory:

1. Go to the location you wish to create.
2. Perform the action described on the quest page.
3. Take pictures!
4. Create a group for that territory.
5. Mark your territory on the Map of the Dreaming. Link to your group from there.
6. Use the group to coordinate activities which take place there.

You may only own two Wards at a time: one hideout and one barony. A hideout cannot be contested by other players. But the owner of a barony can be challenged for its control.

As the owner of a Ward (referred to as a Warden), you have two roles:

• Out-Of-Game Duties: You are responsible for moderating the game, including designating dangerous areas, performing weapon safety checks, and policing rules violations. You may act in this capacity even when you are out of game. Your personal motivation has no bearing on these duties. (You must be fair when performing a safety check, even for your enemies)
• In-Game Duties: You are considered the owner of this part of the Flipside. You feel connected to it, and responsible for maintaining it. In order for it to remain active, you must occasionally spend time there. If you host occasional gatherings there, you gain the ability to vote for a Shaper.

Game Mode

When you create a territory, you may specify that it is "live combat" mode or "turn based" mode.

You may specify also specify parts of it to be "combat ok" or "non combat". If it is non combat, no combat may take place in that area. If it is combat ok, combat is allowed at any time. You may restrict combat to certain times or certain areas as well.

For example, if you Gamescaped your house, you probably wouldn't want people swinging weapons around and destroying everything. You would designate your house as non combat, except for the back yard, which is combat ok. If players hang out in your back yard, they could attack each other at any time.

A corporate park may be a good spot for a fight in the evening, but would fighting during the daytime wouldn't be "keeping it real". Somebody's house can be a ward, but if you are not welcome there, it is still trespassing if you show up uninvented.

This information is included in the description of your Group.

Banishment

If you are the Warden of a territory, it is your job to make sure that the Flipside game rules are enforced. If combat is allowed there, you are responsible for safety checking the weapons. (See this weapon assembly and safety guide. The safety checklist is on the last page.) If someone is fighting unsafely or cheating, you should give them a yellow card. If they continue to cheat or play in an unsafe manner, you give them a red card to banish them from the area.

You do not need to actually present them a card. You may simply inform them, "I am issuing you a yellow card because you've hit Jake in the face three times." When issuing a card, be calm and professional, and don't make a big scene of it.

If you banish a player with a red card, they must leave the Ward for the remainder of the night. After several red card violations, you may choose to banish a problematic players permanently. Please note that this banishment is a penalty for breaking the game rules or endangering other players, not for in-game disputes. You shouldn't use this ability to banish your character's enemies or people you don't like.

Contested Territory

Some Wards can be contested and taken over by other players. You may contest someone else's title by challenging them to a competition.

The competition may take any form that the Warden agrees to. Generally, a challenge is issued a few days before the tournament itself. If the Warden loses the competition, ownership of that territory goes to the victor. The challenger may not dispute the territory again for one month. The Warden may also voluntarily bequeath the territory to someone else.

Common forms of competition include the following:

• chess matches
• foot races
• scavenger hunts
• dueling - you must win 5 of 7 bouts take the territory
• eating or drinking contests
• public vote

Fertility

A territory may be "fertile" or "infertile".

Some Astral Magic may only be cast if the territory is fertile. These spells may create items or resources valuable within the Dreaming.

In order to be Fertile, the territory must have hosted an in-game gathering of at least 2 people on at least 2 of the last 30 days.

Atmosphere

You can use lighting or music to enrich the experience of the people who hang out in your territory. Safe or Dangerous areas are often designated with red or blue lights. Music should be non-intrusive and help build the atmosphere you want to create.

Props and decorations can help set the tone, but also can be a way to artistically augment a section of the real world by creating features which might be found in a dream.

Folklore

You're encouraged to develop the folklore and mythology of your territory.

One method for developing folklore is to invent local traditions. Traditional activities are great reasons for people to gather in-game. You might tell people, "At least once a month, we have to stand on the bridge and drop rocks into the water to scare the river demon." As people ask you questions about the river demon, you can ad-lib answers, developing and nuancing the folklore of your territory.

Your area might have certain superstitions, ("If you sit under this tree at midnight, you'll be inspired.") or inhabitants that are somehow always off-stage ("I've seen these big winged creatures fly overhead some times." or, "There's a dragon sleeping under this bar. You can hear him snoring sometimes.")

Your area might have a particular history. You can write a backstory for your region which gives it a certain role within the Dreaming. For example, a haunted territory may be the site of an ancient battle. A Feast Hall may have had previous owners who taught some secret recipes.

These stories are considered true as long as you are the owner of the territory. If your territory becomes part of a dream country, a Shaper may make your folklore affect the game through use of the word Veritas. In addition to keeping your folklore as an oral tradition, you can post documents or information to your group page.

Folklore may build on the Dreaming's setting, or other folklore, but should not directly contradict it. For example, you can specify that the Goblins you encounter in this territory have English accents, but you cannot specify that all Goblins have English accents.

Territories are encouraged to collaborate and participate in each other's background / folklore. Dream characters do understand that the "reality" of these backgrounds are somewhat localized. You can live in a region where monsters have taken over the entire Dreaming except your little cluster of territories, and if you drive a few towns over, that's not necessarily true anymore.

Social Networking

After you've created a territory, there are two things you should do to ensure that others can find it.

• Create / Manage a Group for your territory on the Dreaming Social Networking site. Be sure to include how to find the location and when people tend to meet there. Indicate any safe / dangerous areas. If you are hosting an event there, such as a Dream Walk, Ritual, or other game activity, post about it in advance so that people know where/when people are gathering.
• Go to the community map page and click on the "Build This Map" tab. Add a push pin for your location, and link it to your Group page.

If your territory changes hands, you must promote the new Warden to administrator and then demote yourself.