DO I NEED TO SUBMIT MY PLOT TO RPD?

TIPS FOR WRITING A PLOT

Plots may range in any size and scope, from a small detail added to the world, to a large, sim-wide event that may take months to reach conclusion. When writing a plot please take these things into consideration:

The first draft of any piece of writing rarely ever makes it to publication, and submitting a plot to RPD is likely just the beginning of the discussion to see your idea come to fruition. We will work with you to make your plot idea viable, however some compromises may need to be made. Additionally, RPD’s role is not to run plots for you. Once your plot is approved, you, the writer, are expected to be the one to organise and see the plot through. RPD may assist with certain aspects if they are able to, but ultimately your plot is your responsibility.

Guidelines to help speed up plot approval

All plots must fit the sim's "aesthetic". While we realise this is subjective, RPD will have the final say on what does and does not fit. If you are unsure on whether your idea fits while you are writing your plot, seek guidance from an RPD member.

Use the "Plot Writing Resource" links below to research and ensure your plot fits within canon. Plots may stray from canon to a certain degree, but as the degree to which a plot may stray from canon is subjective, it will be at RPD's discretion if it is within reason. Seek guidance from an RPD member if you are unsure if your plot strays too far. For the fastest plot approval, stay within canon as strictly as possible.

Additionally, submitted plots must not ascribe actions to canon characters, even minor or obscure ones. All the other rules regarding canon characters that apply to regular RP apply to plot submission as well.

Your plot cannot contradict the events of lore or another plot. RPD will review your plot to ensure there are no conflicts, but this may affect the timeline of your plot's approval.

While it’s not guaranteed that plots of this nature would be denied outright, Hogsmeade can’t burn down every other month. Also, large scale chaos may not be permitted to occur if it could derail another plot currently in progress. If a plot contains these elements, there is a good chance it could be placed in a queue and may be on hold for a very long time. Contact an RPD member to discuss viability if your plot contains these elements.

In addition, attacks on Hogwarts castle will not even be considered unless there is a solid, story driven reason behind why it would happen, and not just out of convenience or a desire to give the castle's inhabitants RP.

In the same vein as destruction, if the plot involves construction of a new area or placement of permanent objects, MM’s build team will need to be consulted first. Depending on resources and prim availability, this could delay your plot’s approval by a long time. Be sure to discuss your plot with MM’s build team to gauge availability.
Items/spells will not be permitted that could give a character a drastic unfair advantage over others. For an item of this type to be permitted, it must contain some form of flaw that will keep things fair.
RPD plots are not a shortcut to receive items, accolades, titles, or other privileges your character would not ordinarily have. In order to be granted an item (through the HUD or otherwise), it must be explained how your character would have procured that item. In the case of establishing a store or adding new items to a store, you must do the IC work first. This may involve a meeting with the Department of Magical Resources and Revenue to take out a loan, or if you are producing a new item to be sold, RPing acquiring the means of producing that item, or working out deals with other shops/merchants. Many stores at MM are owned by players and the RPD can help point you in the right direction if you are unsure how to proceed.

NPC’s may be taken over and played by anyone given permission to do so, however regular players cannot. If your plot depends on a player to progress, you should have a plan for what to do in the case they become unavailable. For example, each champion in MM’s version of the Triwizard Tournament had a “second” in case they were no longer able to participate. While we can’t plan for every scenario that may occur while your plot is underway, having at least thought about these types of scenarios will help your plot run more smoothly.

You should also avoid writing your plot with the intention of giving specific people, or the largest amount of people possible RP. Write a good story and don't be concerned with who will or won't be able to participate.

Remember that having a plot approved by RPD does not guarantee anyone's participation, and this extends to OOC staff as well. Nobody has an obligation to see your plot through to completion however if your plot reaches a point where it can no longer progress, you may contact RPD to explore options. RPD may be able to assist in moving your plot along through the use of NPC's or offscreen events depending on what is appropriate to the situation.

A plot that requires an NPC is not guaranteed to have that NPC played by RPD. It is best to either play the NPC yourself or find someone through the "looking-for-npcs" channel in Discord to find someone who can play them.

We understand the desire to have your character impact the world they live in and to prove their prowess, sometimes through IC spell or potion creation. While RPD does not want to discourage plots involving such feats, expectations do need to be set to avoid upset and ensure that players know what they are getting into. Spell and potion crafting has been demonstrated to be extremely dangerous in canon, Pandora Lovegood did die in a "horrible" manner while experimenting with spells. As such, it is unlikely that young characters would be approved to create spells or potions.

Furthermore, it is stated that only witches and wizards with great understanding of and skill with magic are known to be able to invent spells. It is a very difficult and dangerous process. Because of this, the creation of spells and potions would require extensive research and roleplay. This is not something to be done quickly nor easily and will require time, patience, and talent. Players who seek to attempt this with their plots will risk facing dangers at RPD discretion with their submitted attempts.

There are also no guarantees that, if successful, the spell or potion created will be exactly what you were seeking to accomplish. Scientists often find things by accident whilst trying to do something else, and occasionally their discoveries turn out to be bigger or better than what they were originally going for. Keep in mind that there are major OOC and IC implications and caveats to spell/potion creation that RPD will have to discuss, such as how the creation might affect overall game balance.

All of these factors may impact the length of time and work it takes for such a thing to be approved. Of course, players are always welcome to roleplay out failed attempts, as often as they like.

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that affect your plot’s approval.

Ensure you get permission from players your plot will impact in any way. This includes anything that might relate to previous plots.

Remember plots are nearly impossible to script to perfection, and nobody can truly predict how players may react to any specific event. Be prepared for it not to go the way you had in mind, and let it flow organically.

Once your plot is submitted, RPD will begin reviewing and you will receive initial feedback within 7 days. Please do not contact OOC staff regarding your plot any sooner than 7 days from submission. Answering IM’s of this nature takes RPD members away from plot approval work and may cause delays.

PLOT-WRITING RESOURCES

Wizarding World
MuggleNet
Harry Potter Wikia
HP-Lexicon

SUBMIT YOUR PLOT

Create a Google Doc and answer the following questions.

  • Plot Title
  • Character(s) at Mischief Managed – List the character(s) that will be impacted by this plot:
  • If public, who would be involved? A group of characters, the whole sim?
  • Do you need any NPCs? If yes to needing NPCs, how many and what roles? (Note: You will be responsible for finding NPC’s to play in your plot. Use the #looking_for_npcs channel in Discord)
  • Do you need any props? If yes to props, what do you need? Do you have them?
  • When will this plot take place, and how long is it estimated to run?
  • Plot details – Provide an outline or written description of your plot. All plots must contain a beginning, climax, and conclusion, though your story line may include several branches with multiple possible climaxes and conclusions based on different scenarios.
    • This applies to requests for items, spells, etc. as well.
    • If RP has already taken place then please include or attach the cleaned logs in the doc.
    • Be as detailed and organised as possible. Ease of understanding your plot will help RPD approve your plot more quickly.
    • Remember that there are no guarantees and the nature of the plot may change as RP unfolds.

    All fields are required.

    I acknowledge that my plot may or may not be accepted or that changes may be needed. I accept that the decision made by RPD is the final word, though I acknowledge that I may submit it again at a later point should the RPD's feedback indicate as such. I also state that I will not attempt to see this plot through myself should the RPD deny it, and forfeit my membership to Mischief Managed should I attempt to break this rule.