(last updated: 07/31/19)The starting point for Original Characters (OCs) on MotM has continued to evolve over time. There have been times where OCs had to start at R1 and work their way up from there. For a while, we allowed OCs to start as high as R2.5 or up to R3.0 for strong antagonist concepts.
Our current policy allows OCs to start as high as R2.5 depending on the concept and then potentially see a small bump in ratio if they prove to be a solid contributing antagonist presence once they start participating in scenes.
The purpose of this post is to introduce a big change to our OC policy with a new concept: EX OCs.
EX OCs are Original Characters that are allowed to start as high as R4.0 as opposed to the existing R2.5 cap.
This exciting new option opens the way for Original Characters to appear in a higher ratio tier than we have ever allowed before. It expands the potential for OC concepts that would feel more at home in a higher ratio than the normal OC start point. It also gives our R4 FCs more characters to play off of and and fight with more even footing.
Rules
- EX OCs must be concepts that make sense at R4. Masters and senseis are natural fits for R4. Exceptionally strong darkstalkers can fit into this range as well as Gear concepts and other more powerful ideas. EX OCs will be going toe-to-toe with many of MotM's mainline protagonists and high-level antagonist threats, so it's important that you make an effort to justify why your OC makes sense in the R4 bracket. Reference various high-ratio FC concepts and align your idea to feel like something that belongs fighting alongside or against them. It is best if you submit your OC concept as a brief pitch (see Pitching) to the mailbox before writing out a full app if you want to make sure that it will get approved.
- Each player can have 1 and only 1 EX OC at a time. If you have an existing EX OC, it will show up in your @alts list with an indicator.
- You cannot apply for an EX OC until you have been actively playing on MotM for at least [3] months.
- If you want to apply for a new EX OC, you must drop your existing EX OC. In most cases, this will mean dropping the character all together.
- Applying for EX OCs is intended to be a commitment. Every time you drop an EX OC to apply for a new one, there is a cooldown before you can do so again. This cooldown starts at [3] months and goes up by [1] month every time you do it. I.e., if you apply for an EX OC today and drop them a week from now, you still have to wait [3] months from today before you can apply for a new EX OC. If you repeated this process again in the future, the cooldown would be [4] months instead of [3].
- In rare cases, we will allow you to demote an EX OC down to a Normal OC. This would entail a loss of ratio, and a removal of all extra AP in the build from having started at a higher ratio (i.e., dropping traits, abilities, DMs). There might also be additional AP costs for doing so based on having purchased mechanics at a discount due to the additional design space R4s have. This option would require narrative from RP justifying the severe loss in power.
Applying for a new EX OC
Simply apply for a new OC like normal, using the existing app:
Under section 3a, where you indicate your desired starting ratio, indicate that this character is intended to be an EX OC, allowing you to pick a higher ratio to start from (Between 2.6 and 4.0).
Make sure to explain your justification for why this character constitutes an EX OC.
Please understand that EX OC concepts will be reviewed for how appropriate they are in the R4 range. Not every concept will get approved. It is good to submit a quick, one paragraph pitch of your EX OC concept to the staff mailbox before filling out the full app.
Promoting an Existing OC to an EX OC
You can apply to promote one of your existing OCs to an EX OC. If you do this, the following things will happen:
- The OC will either be immediately promoted to R4, or you will be granted enough Bonus AP to promote them to R4 at your own pace so that the transition can feel more natural narratively.
- You will be given additional bonus AP to spend based on a R4 baseline compared to where the OC started from.
- In addition, you will get a Global AP rebate for all AP you have spent on ratio for the promoted OC (except for any ratio past 4.0). You might also receive additional AP to adjust for having higher costs for some of the OC's trait/ability purchases while at a lower ratio.
To promote an existing OC to an EX OC, simply file a revision request email to the staff mailbox. In the revision request, include an explanation for how the OC makes sense at R4 right now, or how they will get to R4 over time. Keep in mind that if the OC has been played actively, it might be jarring narratively for them to suddenly jump up to R4, so it is vital to spell out how the power jump can make sense in terms of the character's overall story.
Please understand that there is no guarantee that you will get approval to promote existing Original Character to an EX OC. Some characters simply won't make sense to fit into that power range based on their entire concept or where they are at in their story.