The Three C’s
Jan 15th, 2008 by Eve
Free Form Roleplaying is commonly described as roleplaying without rules. Lacking the reassuring, orderly structure provided by GMs, tabletop sourcebooks, regular character level-ups, and predictable NPC villains and monsters, FFRP is more interactive and collaborative fiction than traditional pen-and-paper roleplaying. However, even without rules, there are three fundamental guidelines that make it work: Cooperation, Consent, and Courtesy.
- Cooperation: Roleplaying of any style, free form or otherwise, is a mutual endeavor which requires cooperation between the players to progress and succeed as an interactive experience in a shared environment. Take the time to discuss the possible outcomes of your character’s actions with those affected. If you find yourself unwilling (or unable) to compromise with your fellow roleplayers, you might want to reconsider why you’re roleplaying with that crowd at all.
- Consent: In free form roleplaying, nothing can happen to your character without your consent. Your character is your creation and is subject only to your control; no one can require your character to suffer emotional or physical trauma or death. The reverse is also true – you cannot affect another character without that player’s consent.
- Courtesy: Courtesy is the oil that keeps community friction to a minimum. If you make a habit of flaunting your intolerance and sarcastically disparaging other players, you might find an increasing number of people who want avoid roleplaying with you. Try to remain civil when communicating with your fellow players and attempt to compromise. If you can’t – walk away.
The “Three C’s” were originally written for the FAQ at www.rhilshen.com. Since then, it’s been added to the Rhydin Wiki and Rhydinica projects - without attribution at the latter, which is not really a surprise.
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