Newcomers Welcome

[Augur]

Welcome!

Explorers Unlimited (EU) is more than just another Play By Post website. It’s a community of gamers who are all avid fans of Palladium Books' many games, and roleplaying games of all types.

This is a quick guide to help new players go through the character creation process on EU. This will also go through the house rules and the Explorer Point (EP) system.

EU has evolved over the years through both trial and error, and user feedback. Augur created EU in 2005, and it has been in continuous operation ever since. Hundreds of players have come and gone as the vagaries of life have dictated, but the players most interested in quality roleplaying have stuck around. We try new rules changes to make the often problematic and clunky, old Palladium system work better to suit our needs, and we encourage user feedback with rewards and incentives to continue the process of improving quality and promoting positive roleplaying experiences in the community. Please recognize that EU's implementation of new rules is done through user collaboration and discovery. In the final analysis, EU is the product of those in the community who devote their time and creative energies into it. As with any other endeavor in life, you will get out of EU that which you put into it. Bring your best game, and your best writing, and game on!

1. Welcome to EU - Start Here
2. EU House Rules
3. Explorer Points
4. Merctown
5. Admins & GM's (Game Masters)
6. AGM's (Assistant Game Masters)
7. How to Create a Character for Rifts
8. EU/Rifts Character Creation Template
9. EU Unified Skills List
10. Post your Character Here (Recruit These PC's Forum)
11. Join the NOTIFICATIONS usergroup to stay connected.
12. Find a Group!

[Augur]

New Player Guide

Note: Make sure you fully understand all the rules/directions.
IM or PM your point of contact for character creation in Rifts if something is unclear or if you have questions.
DO THIS AT ANY TIME IF YOU ARE UNSURE.

Research

• Do your research! Go through Explorers Unlimited and find out if this site is right for you.
• Feel free to contact veteran players, GMs, and AGMs with your questions.
• You have four weeks from the date you registered to complete the Character Creation process.
• After four weeks, you will get a warning. After another week, your account will be deleted.

Communication

• Clear and effective communication is key to a healthy community.
• If you don't already have Google Hangouts or Discord, contact the site admin via email: lloyd.ritchey at gmail.
  • You will be directed to Hangouts and Discord.
• Players who are not active chat participants tend not to know their fellow players well, and tend to "flake out" as they are not invested in the community.
• EU Discord Server: https://discord.gg/MhfX6hD
• Google Hangouts: EU Community Chat
  • We have numerous voice & text channels for specific purposes. Ask the community about them if interested.
• The only alternative is to communicate through Private Messages which can be very time consuming and result in lengthy delays.

Registering an Account

• All accounts must be registered with your character's name.
  • Account names can be changed by admin, so don't create a new account if you screwed up this step.
• No "l33t-speak" or other nonsensical account names will be kept.
• Your account name should be the same as that which your character will use in conversation with the other players on-site.
• After you register your account, you should receive an e-mail by which you will activate the account.

Character Concept Approval

• Once your account has been activated, contact Augur (admin) via Discord (Augur#7429) to go through the character approval process. (Discord is preferred as it makes the whole process much faster.)
• Only a player's first character account is free. Beyond that, players must spend EP to acquire account unlocks to play additional characters.
• It is a good idea to have a short list of character concepts in mind should your initial concept be rejected.
• It is generally ill-advised to have a detailed character in mind prior to this process.
  • Tips for going through the Character Approval Process:
    
  • Think in general character terms, not specific.
  • Thinking in terms of character roles within a group is a good idea, but don't play something you're not into just because a group "needs a healer" or similar situations.
  • Don't even consider a background or rationale for the character until the basic concept has been approved.

A Word on Chat Etiquette
During your chat with Augur (admin) you will answer a battery of questions that will help me guide you to your choice of accepted player character. Keep these things in mind during our chat:

• I ask questions in a specific order for a reason.
• Direct answers to the questions asked yield the best results.
• If asked a yes/no question, provide a yes/no answer.
• I'm sure you've got a ton of questions, but keep them to yourself until we're done.
• I've been doing this very successfully for years now, it works. Bear with me and answer the questions.
• Answer each of the questions below in order, one at a time, and allow me to approve/deny at each step.

Player's cheat-sheet for questions:

• Which archetype are you thinking of playing?
  • The archetypes are:
  • Practitioner of Magic
  • Psychic
  • Man-at-Arms
  • Scholar/Adventurer
  • Racial Character Class
  • Regional Origin
  • Dimensional Origin
• Which O.C.C. would you like to play?
• Which player character race would you like to play?

Check for Costs & Conflicts

• Consult the Dimensional Unlocks post for an overview of canonical sources from which to select your choice of O.C.C./R.C.C., or to find out the EP cost of such a choice.
• Verify via the EU Demographics thread that your desired class & race are still open to new submissions.

Your Turn

• Have you already read the content of the House Rules forum?
• Any questions?
• Ask about your concerns--no matter how wild the consideration--because not asking may cost you a unique or interesting character development.
• Once your account is active, post your entry to the Explorer Points Ledger. If you are a new player, you will start with 1 EP.

Important Character Creation Rules

• Experience
  • All characters start at experience level three.
    • If you elect to start at experience level two, you will receive 1 EP in compensation.
    • If you elect to start at experience level one, you will receive 2 EP in compensation.
  Alignment
  • Player characters are not allowed Miscreant or Diabolic alignments.
    • Miscreant or Diabolic are strictly NPC alignments.
    • A character who degenerates into one of these alignments through in-character roleplay, must be redeemed by the end of the character's next adventure, or he will be converted to an NPC at the GM's disposal, and the character account deleted.
  Insanity
  • All characters without an M.E. of 16+ automatically start with at least one insanity.
    • You cannot spend EP during character generation for ANYTHING except the following: (1 EP) Automatic save vs. Insanity during character creation.
    • Characters with an M.E. of 16+ have an opportunity to save vs. insanity.
    • Dimensional Origin characters will receive an additional possible insanity due to the trauma of extreme culture shock.
    • Characters who have undergone extreme physical modification will receive an additional possible insanity due to trauma.
    • Post 3 possible insanities for each insanity suffered that you think would be compelling/interesting to roleplay. You're encouraged to provide a rationale/argument for each, as well as which is your preference and why. One will be chosen for you.
  Character origins & their impact:
  • "A LIST" characters are native to the North America setting. Their starting gear will be largely domestic in origin.
  • "B LIST" characters are native to the Eurasian setting. Their starting gear will reflect this.
  • "C LIST" characters are native to the Australia setting. Their starting gear will reflect this.
  • "D LIST" characters are native to the Orbital setting. Their starting gear will reflect this.
  • "Regional Origin" characters are natives of Rifts Earth who are not native to the setting in which they will be playing.
    • Their skills and starting gear will be reflective of the character's background story as it relates to his regional origin.
    • If the character's background story indicates that he has been in North America for an extended period, his starting gear will reflect this. If he is new to the region, then his starting gear will reflect his regional origins.
    "Dimensional Origin" characters are true dimensional beings who are new to the dimension of Rifts Earth.
    • A dimensional origin character is created as per the rules of his native dimension. (see step 5, part 4)
    • Their skills and starting gear will be reflective of the character's background story as it relates to his dimensional origin.
    • If the character's background story indicates that he has been on Rifts Earth for an extended period, his starting gear will reflect this. If he is new to the setting, then his starting gear will reflect his dimensional origins.
    • Once a character reaches 5th level, he may class into a new O.C.C. as per the rules just like any other character.
    • Upon attaining their next level, characters with a Dimensional Origin will receive Conversion Skills (p.39, CB1r).

Campaigns of restricted availability:

• It is a good idea to PM both the GM of the campaign group which has restricted availability for the following reasons:
• Those groups have restricted availability due to their different campaign settings and/or group particulars.
• Character approval and availability is strictly determined for these groups by those particular GMs for the same reason as above.
• Augur (admin) will still want your contact information so that he can promulgate important updates, directives, etc. among the community of players.

Find a Group

• Look to see which groups have openings and if so which group you'd most like to join.
• Each group usually has a list of Available Positions in their forum, take a look at this.
• If none of the groups immediately interest you, you will likely begin as a solo character.
• You have two weeks of time after the character has been created to find and join a group.
• GMs are strongly encouraged to introduce all new PCs within two weeks of their officially joining a group. For situations where this is not feasible, GMs/AGMs are expected to provide a solo side adventure for the new PC until such time as the new character can meet their new teammates.
• If you are a new player and find yourself waiting longer than two weeks, reach out to your GM/AGM and communicate! If this fails to resolve the situation, escalate by contacting Augur or Dark Lord directly, or by posting here.

[Augur]

ADVICE ON CHARACTER CREATION FROM EU PLAYERS

Creating a character using the Palladium System, and on EU in particular, requires some time and effort.
Here are some useful suggestions to minimize the time and effort so spent:

Foreward: We are strict about these rules because it makes running and playing in a play-by-post game a lot easier, and that means more fun. Once these formatting and bookkeeping tasks are done, they fade into the background. GMs and other players all use the same formats to keep things simple for everyone to use and understand. It also keeps things fair. Everyone knows where everything is and where/how everything is tracked. It's all done to speed play and increase fun. And for 12+ years it's worked.

General advice for working with us on EU:

1. Don't make assumptions.
2. Don't assume authority.
3. Don't assume you're entitled to anything. (Everything, including respect, is earned on this site.)
4. Don't be a jerk.
5. Persuasive, logical arguments work best; emotional arguments are the least effective.
6. Do your own research. If you are unsure about something, spend some time searching for the answer yourself. If there's no canonical answer or the answer is ambiguous, or if the issue seems entirely subjective, then seek counsel from a veteran player, AGM, GM, or Augur. We are here to help, but not to do your homework.
7. Recognize, as Augur does, that no single person has all the answers and that a GM's knowledge and decisions are imperfect.
8. When you're in error, or have made a bad choice, own that error. We respect intellectual honesty far more than perfection.

STATS

• First thing to do is create a post with the Character Sheet Template.
• Follow that with the Equipment Sheet template, then with the Background Story Template.
• The next step is to create a "scratch sheet" post for rolling dice. Dice rolls do NOT get included in other parts of your character sheet.
• Dice rolling is a feature built into this site.
• EU's standard is to roll one additional die than that stated for the attribute, and drop the lowest die roll result.
• Attributes are required to be rolled, but players assign those rolls at their discretion if their character is human or has flat die rolls for all attributes (all attributes are 3D6 for example).
• The compensatory rule for low attributes is excluded, but the penalties are included.
• The "exploding die" attribute rule applies only to human characters, maxes-out at 30, and must be done via subsequent die roller results.
• Please note the explicit limitations to attributes as noted on page 284 of Rifts: Ultimate Edition. This applies site-wide to all attributes.

DETAILS

• For a nominal donation to help support the site, Augur will correct all of your mistakes for you, thus speeding up approval time considerably.
• Whoever is reviewing your character is likely to mark it up.
• Make sure when you create your character to go through it with a fine-toothed comb.
• If you are having trouble with the BBCode, get some help.
• Your reviewer is looking for inconsistencies, misspellings, and formatting errors on your character sheet.
  Helpful tips:
  • Include a space after every form of punctuation.
  • Don't use "feet or inches," use the ' or " denotations.
  • EU uses English Customary Weights and Measures, not the metric system.
  • When in doubt, refer to Augur's own character sheet as an example.

UNIFIED SKILL LIST

• The Unified Skill List was developed for standardization of displaying skills correctly on a character sheet.
• It is highly recommended that everyone who makes a character use this list.
• It will save you quite a bit of headache during both the creation and review process.
• Skills do not stop advancing at 98%.
• A skill roll of 97-00 is always a critical failure regardless of one's level of skill.
• Skills at a level different than that of the character should have the level of the skill noted in parenthesis after the skill percentage.

REVIEW

• Before you have someone review your character, make sure everything is listed correctly.
• Make sure the proper capitalization, spelling, and spacing are present. Yes, this really counts! It can cost you in many ways if you don't follow through. Every modern browser has a spell check and grammar check function. You can also Google the term "free spell and grammar check website," if you need the help. Don't be afraid to ask for help either.
• Make sure your bonuses are added up and listed correctly.
• If you don't have a bonus, make sure it is listed with a +0 or --.
• If you are not sure if you are missing something, ask a veteran player, AGM, or GM.

EQUIPMENT

• Equipment is sometimes a pain to provide from an administrative point of view.
• Any item that isn't already in the site's catalog of formatted items must be properly configured to meet site standards.
• Sometimes other options are available that the player has not thought of that the reviewer will provide.
• Your requests are only a guideline to your reviewer of what you want for your character.
• The more powerful a character is perceived to be by your reviewer, the worse off your initial gear will likely be.
• The cleaner your entire submission is (read: the fewer the mistakes in formatting and content), the better your final gear assignments will be.

PRIORITIES

• Prioritize the gear that you would like.
• Is a weapon more of a requirement for your character, or a vehicle?
• Does your character absolutely want that super duper body armor, or does he need an important contact?

SACRIFICES

• Are you willing to sacrifice one category of gear for another?
• This is a simple "yes or no" question.
• If your answer is yes, note the category you're willing to sacrifice.
• Most of the time, though not always, this will be your lowest priority choice.

THE REST OF YOUR GEAR

• The rest of your gear should be listed.
• These little odds and ends are quite important.
• Every item belongs in a location, especially your credits. (Otherwise how can a GM pick your pockets?)
• List everything from your number of e-clips to what you're wearing.
• Pay attention to the colored text; these text entries will assist you.
• Make sure you list clothing as being worn, otherwise your armor might chafe.
• Remember the concept of being sanitary in a war-torn, post-apocalyptic world.

MONEY

• When rolling for how much money you have, include this roll in your equipment post.
• It is tougher to clean up your die rolls within the character sheet itself, so a separate post for die rolls is preferred.
• Also, be sure to note how your money is listed.

BACKGROUND STORY

• Write a small but decent background story that really brings your character to life.
• It is important to have a good background as this shows the personality and history of your character.
• Two or three lines of text is not enough, but more than a few paragraphs may be excessive unless you are a very succinct writer.
• Truly excellent background stories that reveal a character's motivations, goals, principles, can even merit a small EP bonus.

AVATARS

• Select an appropriate avatar from the site's own galleries (accessible through your user control panel), or upload one from elsewhere.
• Recommended avatar size is 200x200 pixels.
• Your avatar must represent what your character looks like; no abstractions.
• If you need help with finding an appropriate avatar, feel free to seek help from others.
• Augur will even work with you to create you a custom-made avatar for a nominal donation to help support the site.

[Augur]

Explorer Points

• Explorer Points (EP) are points given to players for adding value to the community.
• Each EP can be used to purchase a variety of things for your character(s).
  • An extensive list can be found here.
• How players can earn EP without taking on the position of an AGM or GM is located here.
• Each player is required to place their name and what accounts they have in the EP Ledger.
• Augur will take ownership of your post so that only he can make modifications to the Ledger.

[Augur]

Character Submission Checklist

Before submitting your character for review, it is worthwhile to take a moment and review your submission with the following check list. A smoother acceptance process means playing your well designed creation that much sooner.

Please attach this checklist, with your answers and any questions, to your final submission so that we know it is ready for review!

Permission & Approval
1) Registered Account with an appropriate handle? Yes/No
2) Completed approval process with this guy via Hangouts? Yes/No
3) If applicable, spent appropriate Explorer Points (EP) to unlock any special benefits (dimensional or regional origin, meta-bonuses, etc.)? Yes/No
4) Contacted GM of desired group(s)? Yes/No

Style & Form: Character Sheet
1) Used EU Character Sheet Template? Yes/No
2) Skills presented as per Unified Skill List? Yes/No
3) Bonuses add up and are presented correctly (If no bonus, is it listed with a +0 or --)? Yes/No
4) Proofread by someone other than the author? Yes/No

Style & Form: Equipment
1) Used EU Equipment Sheet Template? Yes/No
2) Prioritized gear? Yes/No
3) Indicated area of sacrifice, if applicable? Yes/No
4) Listed all other gear and money correctly? Yes/No

Style & Form: Background
1) Used EU Background Story Template? Yes/No
2) Uses EU BB code to denote speech, thought, etc.? Yes/No
3) Is longer than a sentence but shorter than a novella? Yes/No
4) Proofread by someone other than the author? Yes/No

Technical
1) Used standard BB Code? Yes/No
2) Found an appropriate avatar? Yes/No
3) Used Die Roller for all rolls? Yes/No
4) Included save vs. insanity? Yes/No
5) Created a post to the EP Ledger? Yes/No

Code: Select all

[b][u]Permission & Approval[/b][/u]
1) Registered Account with an appropriate handle? Yes/No
2) Completed approval process with [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4117]this guy[/url] via Hangouts? Yes/No
3) If applicable, spent appropriate [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7708]Explorer Points[/url] [color=#4000FF](EP)[/color] to unlock any special benefits (dimensional or regional origin, meta-bonuses, etc.)? Yes/No
4) Contacted GM of desired group(s)? Yes/No

[b][u]Style & Form: Character Sheet[/b][/u]
1) Used EU [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7704&p=163036#p163036]Character Sheet Template[/url]? Yes/No
2) Skills presented as per [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7546]Unified Skill List[/url]? Yes/No
3) Bonuses add up and are presented correctly (If no bonus, is it listed with a +0 or --)? Yes/No
4) Proofread by someone other than the author? Yes/No

[b][u]Style & Form: Equipment[/b][/u]
1) Used EU [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7704&p=163037#p163037]Equipment Sheet Template[/url]? Yes/No
2) Prioritized gear? Yes/No
3) Indicated area of sacrifice, if applicable? Yes/No
4) Listed all other gear and money correctly? Yes/No

[b][u]Style & Form: Background[/b][/u]
1) Used EU [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7704&p=163038#p163038]Background Story Template[/url]? Yes/No
2) Uses EU BB code to denote speech, thought, etc.? Yes/No
3) Is longer than a sentence but shorter than a novella? Yes/No
4) Proofread by someone other than the author? Yes/No
 
[b][u]Technical[/b][/u]
1) Used standard BB Code? Yes/No
2) Found an appropriate avatar? Yes/No
3) Used Die Roller for all rolls? Yes/No
4) Included save vs. insanity? Yes/No
5) Created a post to the [url=http://www.explorersunlimited.com/eu/viewtopic.php?f=885&t=7647]EP Ledger[/url]? Yes/No

[Augur]

STAYING CONNECTED

I've been operating under the assumption that the NOTIFICATIONS usergroup was a default that each player belonged to. This is incorrect. It's an opt-in usergroup. The purpose of the usergroup is for mass-PMs to be sent to all players as opposed to every account. This is how community updates, new game opportunities, and community-wide polls and discussions will be promoted. If you are not a member of this usergroup, I will assume you are not interested in participating in community wide content & simply not bother you again.

Here's how to join the Notifications usergroup and stay informed about community wide events & opportunities:

1. Click on the carrot that's available via your profile, or via the User Control Panel link if you see that.
2. Once in the User Control Panel, click on the USERGROUPS tab.
3. You will see a column which reads "SELECT" with a radial button next to it.
4. Click the radial button next to the NOTIFICATIONS group, then scroll to the bottom.
5. There you should see a drop down menu and a SUBMIT button.
6. Select "Join Selected" from the drop-down menu, and then hit "Submit."
7. This should complete the process of joining the notifications usergroup.

The whole point of NOTIFICATIONS is to only have ONE account associated with it, so DO NOT join the usergroup with every account. Only join it with your primary account.

I hope this helps keep folks abreast of new things & makes a stronger community of us.

Game on!

~Augur