Banned Concepts
This is a list of character concepts that are no longer being approved on City of Hope Mush. These changes are driven by the players, not dictated by Staff. Please do not attempt to make a new character that is based on what is listed here. It will be denied.
* Note: While the following are listed by sphere, some of the banned concepts listed would apply to other spheres as well. The listing here is based on where the problems generally have occurred, but does not mean they have not in other spheres as well.
NPCs
If you are taking a stat that names/uses an NPC, they should /not/ be a character from one of the books. That could be even a Vampire's Sire, a Garou's near lineage (within 2 generations), Mentor, Allie, Retainer, Kinfolk, etc. It is at staff discretion, with RP logs to back up, if a PC can end up with a canon NPC in one of those roles. We have found that players inadvertently may change canon especially when coming in from chargen with these, and it will not be allowed without significant RP.
Age
Character Generation was not made for much older characters, regardless of backstory to explain away low stats. In general, we will not approve any PC that is much older than an average adult. Please see +policy XP Transfer or consult with Staff regarding other options. Each sphere has it's own subset within, for example:
- Mage/Sorcerer/Mortal+/Mortal: We do not approve anyone, even with the Unaging or Immortal (or similar) Merits, above the age of 200.
- Shifter: We do not approve late change shifters, nor much older Cliaths. We do not approve any PC above Rank 1. On the flip side, we do not allow Cub concepts.
- Vampire: We do not approve Elder Vampires. The Character Creation system in the books is built to make a character that is an average of 50 years old. If you intend to be older than 100 years then you need some way to flesh out your character to be more potent than someone embraced recently. "I was in torpor." is no longer a valid answer. We also do not allow Fledglings in character generation.
If your sphere was not listed, please ask staff for guidance.
Changeling
- KinFae: There is currently a moratorium on Kinfolk who are also Changelings.
- Kinain Mage: There is currently a moratorium on Kinain who are also Awakened Mages.
- Kinain-Shifter: There is currently a moratorium on any Shifter (Garou/Fera/etc) who are also Kinain.
Demon
- Triatic Aligned Demons. Firstly, the Demons of Demon the Fallen are not part of the Triat. Nor did they create it or have any knowledge of it. It is completely foreign to them. Their presence in a Triaticly influenced world can be blamed on their God spilling his reality on the way out the door. The Torment mechanics make it impossible for a Demon to work with the Wyrm, Pentex, or the Sabbat in any active way without quickly imploding due to Torment gain.
- Earthbound Demons. We do not allow Earthbound Demons. All Demons have been trapped in the beyond for thousands of years, and only some have managed to make their way back to Earth after 1999, taking a mortal host. Your character will generally be said mortal host, with the demon inhabiting it. Keep in mind that your Demon will be ravaged from all that time in whatever pit of hell it was in.
- Raveners are not allowed.
Hunter
The Sphere is closed as a whole at this time to new approvals.
Mage
- KinMagi: There is currently a moratorium on Kinfolk who are also Awakened Mages. Always intended to be a rarity, this obviously-popular combination of the Mage and Werewolf spheres has historically lead to more inter-sphere conflicts than any other single concept and has perhaps the highest body count of on-screen PVP kills in City of Hope history, and has thus been disallowed for the foreseeable future. Shifters do not generally do "divided loyalties" well, and Mages are always viewed as a threat to what Gaians hold sacred.
- Kinain Mage: There is currently a moratorium on Kinain who are also Awakened Mages.
Shifter
- Cubs: Rank 0 of any shifter species. While seemingly an "easy in" to a sphere you don't know well, playing a Cub requires other PCs to take on the role of teacher in order to educate you on how to play the game they themselves showed up prepared to play. This is rarely fun for anyone -- nobody likes roleplaying The Rulebook at you -- and the social limitations on cubs (no leaving the Bawn, no taking a mate, no getting into trouble, no autonomy, et cetera) make playing them a chore.
Players looking to join the Shifter Sphere are advised to simply read the core rulebook first and apply as a Cliath when they're sure they know how to do so. Experienced players wishing to play a cub or Rank 0 Fera may discuss the matter with Staff, but should have no expectation of being granted permission to do so.
This includes as well any concept even as a Cliath that came from a Sept that abused them and did not train them. All Cliath PCs on this game MUST have had their Rite of Passage in good faith, and know all the basics. If you do not know the basics as a player, then read the book first, and talk to some other players. You can absolutely learn as you go, but you should make a basic concept that is easy to play and go along with. not something hard with a lot of issues. Do not just jump in with only knowledge from other games such as: video games, 20th anniversary, or Forsaken.
- Red Talons: At this time, no more Red Talons will be approved. This is one tribe that is very hard to have on this game, and has not been successful.
- Kinmagi: There is currently a moratorium on Kinfolk who are also Awakened Mages. Always intended to be a rarity, this obviously-popular combination of the Mage and Werewolf spheres has historically lead to more inter-sphere conflicts than any other single concept and has perhaps the highest body count of on-screen PVP kills in City of Hope history, and has thus been disallowed for the foreseeable future. Shifters do not generally do "divided loyalties" well, and Mages are always viewed as a threat to what Gaians hold sacred.
- KinFae: There is currently a moratorium on Kinfolk who are also Changelings.
- Kinfolk-Kami: Kami are not created by chance. Its not like a child born between Garou / Kinfolk or Kinfolk / Kinfolk might turn out to be Garou. Gaia creates the Kami, choses them for a mission. If she choses a Kinfolk (and so often, Pure Bred ones), it would actually be a cause to hinder the Kami's true mission. They would have a split allegiance. Their mission or the Garou.
- Kinain-Shifter: There is currently a moratorium on any Shifter (Garou/Fera/etc) who are also Kinain.
- Law Enforcement/Military: Garou PCs that are former law enforcement/military, or current law enforcement/military.
- Late Change: Having your first change happen later in life than what would normally occur. As a MUSH, we have HRed that normal change is closer to 17 than 15, due to us being an 18+ only mush.
- Lost Cub/Kin: See above about Cubs to begin with. The concepts associated with being lost, not knowing you are a shifter/kinfolk have been played out. Maybe you do not know much, but you do know something. ALL SHIFTERS BEGIN WITH LORE AT LEVEL 3. ALL KINFOLK BEGIN WITH LORE AT LEVEL 2.
- Fame & Garou: No Garou with Background: Fame above level 1. No rock stars, movie stars, etc.
- Lupus/Metis that cannot human: Outside of the Red Talons, no Lupus or Metis Cliath Garou will undergo a Rite of Passage to become a Cliath without knowing how to pass as a human. Doesn't have to be perfect, but not understanding how to at all would not be a Cliath.
- Throwback White Howlers
- Reformed Dancers: Whether your Garou is reformed from having fallen and danced the spiral, or 'reformed', this is no longer available.
- Undercover Dancers: This concept would lead to immediate PVP, and is not allowed. (ex: Bringers of Light (Shadow Lord Camp))
- Antagonist to their own group: ex: The Swords of Heimdall (Get of Fenris Camp)
- Edgelord Wyrm: See +policy Edgelord
Vampire
- 8th/9th Generation: There is currently a moratorium on new apps for 8th and 9th Generation Vampires. 9th Generation is available IF you can be sired on game with a current active PC. See below for more about this.
- Elder Vampires: The Character Creation system in the books is built to make a character that is an average of 50 years old. If you intend to be older than 100 years then you need some way to flesh out your character to be more potent than someone embraced recently. Please see +policy XP Transfer or consult with Staff regarding other options. "I was in torpor." is no longer a valid answer.
- Broken: Anyone that is so broken they cannot function on grid without leadership having to either lock them up for safety, or have to just kill them because they are that much of a risk. Save that for an NPC.
- Lost/Abandoned Childe: Those just embraced and clueless as to what has happened to them, left for dead.
- Fledglings at CharGen: Embraces in game as a mortal/mortal+ are ok. We will no longer approve fledglings out of character generation.
- Notes on Giovanni: Playing a Giovanni is fine and allowed. But there are themes within the Giovanni that we will not allow to be played out on camera or as part of game play on City of Hope. Inbreeding is acceptable and allowed for Giovanni. Incest, thematically is a thing that they will do within the family, but we will /not/ allow that to take place on City of Hope. If it is a part of your backstory, that is ok. But it should /never/ be done on camera in a scene on City of Hope. If someone does try to RP this, and staff is informed, they may face removal. Please do not make this a center point of your rp.
Camarilla
- Not accepted Clan/Bloodlines: The Camarilla is not accepting the following any longer for membership - City Gangrel, Followers of Set, Kiasyd, Ravnos, Tzimisce. You may still app as an Anarch, Independent, or Sabbat.