Roleplay Guidelines

[Fawn]

Roleplay Guidelines
(last updated: 9/17/23)

Below is a list of roleplay rules that should be followed at all times while on Warrior Cats Online. When unsure if something is allowed on the site, check here or send in a ticket to our Support team. If you see someone disobeying the guidelines on the forums, simply report it by using the red triangle on top of the post.

Rules are in place to maximize your experience and everyone else's, too. Note that these guidelines are subject to change. As a user, it is your responsibility to remain acquainted with them as you agreed to upon registering.

Rules in italics are not punishable by staff unless in the case of repeated offenses. It will be left up to the high ranks to decide what a suitable form of in character reprimanding will be.

General Rules:

• Put OOC (out of character) messages in parenthesis or brackets.

• You may have as many characters as you wish as long as you are able to handle them. The current limit for active characters per Clan is 7 each, and there is no limit on outsiders or missing characters.

• The Resources categories listed under Roleplaying (OOC) are for the Main Warriors Roleplay only. Do not use it for Non-Warriors or Alternative Warriors Roleplay purposes, as they have their own Resources.

• You may not roleplay as a cat from the books. Your character can share a name with one, but can't actually be the character. Please do not write histories for original characters that include characters or events outside of our site's canon history.

• Unrealistic breeds and appearances aren't permitted. Unless your character is a former kittypet or loner, avoid labeling them as a purebred, and be careful about the rarity of the breed. Crosses between wild cats and domestic cats are not allowed. Cats who are one hundred percent Clan-born will be mixed breeds, but they can share the appearance of a purebred. Appearances found within the books are fair game provided the character is Clan-born and it isn't a special case. Check to make sure your designs are within the realm of realism-- cats can't be blue, but they can be blue-gray.

• When roleplaying, please try to keep your character's actions semi-realistic. A cat isn't capable of producing music or dancing.

• Roleplaying another person's character (regardless of whether or not permission was given) is against the rules.

• Cats cannot kill other characters without roleplayer permission.

• Powerplaying without permission from your roleplay partner will not be tolerated. Powerplaying can be anything from explicitly landing blows on another character, giving your character extreme strength or agility (e.g. always winning fights or dodging attacks) or having a power, as examples. Powers can only be acquired by use of a power card, which is distributed by staff during special events. Note that some actions, like grabbing or moving, may be powerplayed on kits or apprentices by warriors and higher ranking cats, as realistically an adult-- especially one with experience-- could control the juvenile character without issue. You can read more about Powerplaying here.

• Spirits cannot be roleplayed outside of dreams, StarClan, or the Dark Forest without staff permission or the relevant purrk.

• Reincarnations and resurrections require the Reincarnation Purrk and Resurrection Purrk respectively. Possessions are prohibited.

• Once a death roleplay has started, characters should not be used outside of it unless the roleplay is explicitly stated to be before their death. In public events or plots, please check with the organizer to avoid confusion.

• Creating prophecies or omens is not allowed without high rank or staff permission.

• Extensive herb knowledge is restricted to medicine cats only unless your character has been taught herbs by a current or former official medicine cat through roleplay. Without this training, characters may only know minor herbs, such as cobwebs, sticks, and deathberries.

• Kits cannot have any romantic interests or have a mate.

• Cats must be at least 13 moons before they become pregnant or have kits, and cannot be in an apprentice or kit rank.

• Litters should not exceed five living kittens without the respective purrk, and Queens may only have three litters per year (real life time). There is no limitation on how many kits a cat can adopt/foster, as long as they can handle it.

• Queens should be roleplayed as being pregnant for at least a month (real life time) however two months is preferred. New character created as pregnant or characters with the Baby Boomer Purrk are exempt from this, and may give birth at any time.

• Animals other than cats can only be roleplayed in the main section of the site when described in relation to your characters. [e.g: "a bird flies overhead" or during an attack]

• Animals cannot be roleplayed speaking or interacting with cats in any manner of communication unless the Bilingual Purrk has been purchased. Cats cannot help animals, or try to help them; this is unrealistic.

• Characters should undergo age adjustments every 2-3 months to ensure coherence between their age and the events in which they are portrayed. Should a significant disparity between a character's age and their involvement in certain events arise, you may be asked to make appropriate age modifications for the sake of maintaining realism.

Clan Rules:

• High Ranks are earned. You may not join as one. To remain a candidate, demonstrate consistent activity over the course of thirty days, abide by all Guidelines, and be an active, friendly, and contributing member of Warrior Cats Online. More information can be found by reading our selection process and expectations.

• Unrealistic names are not allowed. Clan names should adhere to our naming guide, found here. If your character has outsider history they can only keep their name with leader permission.

• There is no need to ask to join a Clan but do respect the leader's joining rules, found on each Clan's page.

• Cats cannot take over the Clan(s) without staff permission.

• Imprisoned cats cannot escape without leader permission.

• If you wish to speak to a leader or be healed by a medicine cat, message them first or fill in a healing request - do not have your character enter their den and expect to be catered to.

• Large-scale plots, such as natural disasters or attacks on a camp, require staff and/or high rank approval. This ensures most plots are small enough that those who do not wish to be involved can avoid it.

• Clan kit names must end in 'kit', regardless of their background.

• Clan kits cannot wander off for extended periods of time, though short escapes are acceptable with permission from the Clan leader.

• Kits should not be able to significantly wound or kill another cat as they are too weak to cause serious harm until 6 moons of age.

• Kits are not permitted to be involved in any battle or fight.

• Kits cannot join or train in the Dark Forest.

• Apprentices can have crushes, but they should not have serious romantic relationships such as 'being in love' or taking a mate and having kits. Keep affection limited to occasional licking or nuzzling. Kits may not participate in romance in any capacity.

• An apprentice cannot win in a fight against a warrior, unless the odds are in their favor, and this has been discussed and agreed upon by both roleplayers. Unless trained or in the case of accidents, apprentices should not kill other characters.

• Apprentices should not know how to hunt or fight properly until taught. Basic knowledge is okay, but nothing too extreme.

• Apprentices need to have at least two training sessions (one hunting, one fighting) with a minimum of three posts with the apprentice in each roleplay prior to requesting their warrior ceremony. These sessions cannot be the same as the final assessment.

• Leaders are responsible for deciding what punishments misbehaving characters will receive, and they are free to exile at their own discretion. Additionally, leaders have the authority to change a character's name if they believe it is unfitting of the character or the Clan.

• All high ranks have the ability to perform powerplay executions with staff permission. While it is preferred the leader or deputy handles chaotic situations, in the event those roleplayers are offline medicine cats or apprentices can step up and neutralize any perceived threats to their Clan. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, cats who are randomly and openly hostile or aggressive toward Clan-mates (e.g. attacking or threatening cats, endangering the lives of others) and outsiders who refuse to cooperate with high rank instructions, such as leaving the territory.

• It is unrealistic for cats to infiltrate Clan camps and dens, and attack without having to go through the territory and Clan security. If your character has been posted skipping these thread and established defenses, or is an active threat or refusing to leave, they are liable to be executed without warning or permission by any cat who has attained warrior status. Cats outside that specific Clan should have no knowledge of where another Clan's camp is located unless this knowledge has been roleplayed out, and therefor would be unable to suddenly arrive in their camp. If a cat from an enemy Clan or an outsider is posted with directly into the camp without first going through the established territory defenses, the post will be removed. Before characters can be executed, please contact a staff member for permission.

• Under no circumstances, unless approved by the respective Clan high ranks, may triggering topics such as (but not limited to) suicide, self-harm, descriptive violence, and extreme emotional duress take place at Clan meetings, events, gatherings, battles, or any other large scale public roleplay. If approved by a high rank, the high rank's post and the member's post must both contain apparent and obvious content warnings, and the triggering content must be contained in a spoiler. This is to make those who do not wish to partake in such roleplays aware of what will be happening so that they can proceed accordingly as well as keep our High Ranks informed on what their characters will have to handle.

• Kits and younger apprentices should not be able to make it all the way to another Clan's territory, or especially into their camp. They are too young to make that large of a trek without getting spotted or running into trouble.

Outsider Rules:

• Factions that have not been authorized by staff are prohibited. Groups can have no more than seven cats total, can not have a name or be called a Clan/Tribe/Syndicate, etc, and can not have any authority figures or ranks. It is recommended the group consists of acquaintances, family, or friends, but is not required.

If there are questions or concerns regarding these rules, please contact the Support Hotline.