Character Rules

Spoiler Period

New material has a two month spoiler period, during which it cannot be applied for or used.

For two weeks from the initial appearance of a canon series, that material cannot be used for characters and settings in the game. This gives players a chance to avoid spoilers and enjoy the content. If multiple versions of the same story exist (e.g., light novel, manga, anime), the countdown starts from the earliest release, but be considerate of those who may not be familiar with it yet. If there is no official release, fan translations are the next best thing.

Unique Instances

Multiple timelines allow for multiple instances of the same character. You own your character while in play.

There is little expectation that someone else will take over your character later, and there is no competition for it. In cases of large casts for large shared settings though, another player might pick up a dropped character with the blessing of those involved. Retcons for poor characterization are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Alts

Players can have up to 8 characters (alts). Alts should not interact, benefit from, or interfere with each other.

You also cannot play alts that are likely to interact frequently, like both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, Mario and Princess Peach, or Mega Man and Dr. Wily.

Featuring Dante From Devil May Cry (Porting)

Q: Can I bring over a character from a dead MU*? A: Yes, though talk to charstaff about it beforehand.

Q: How about original characters from a game that's still running? A: Yes... But. You would need to create a version of the setting separate from the source. We are not coupling Convergence's story directly to any other MU*s. Definitely talk to the charstaff before doing this.

Q: Can I apply for a character I played in a tabletop campaign? A: Sure. Same process as any original setting.

Q: Canon characters from a MU* based on an existing IP? A: This seems like a lot of extra steps, but if it floats your boat go for it.

Just You And Me And Me And Me And Me (Gestalts)

Characters can be grouped together into a single application if it makes sense. Examples include Mario & Luigi, Sonic & Tails, Link & Navi, or a Transformers gestalt team like Devastator.

Handle Kids with Care

Young characters are allowed, but must be equipped to tackle the game's rating and superhero/action-esque story. Fiction has no shortage of such characters. Several Nintendo franchise heroes are like, 10-14 years old, for instance. (Link, Ness, Red, etc.) The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers are "teenagers with attitude." There's also an abundance of inhuman characters where the concept of childhood isn't very applicable. (As Vision says in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he "WAS born yesterday.") Alternatively, there are characters or even concepts where "being young" is a deep part of the concept, like Dragon Hatchlings from the Rifts tabletop series.

We don't have a strict rule against "child characters", because it would undoubtedly snag a lot of viable characters. However, in play, complications could arise. A lot of heroes and villains have serious problems when unexpectedly faced with what seems like a child, and some players might not be all that comfortable with children as opponents or risking themselves either.

We don't have a one size fits all answer to this conundrum. We just ask that people respect each other's boundaries and figure out their own, when needed.

No Real People

We don't allow parodies or portrayals of real people, living or dead. Highly fictionalized versions, like the Heroic Spirits from Fate/Stay Night, are acceptable.

Q: "What about Pro Wrestler 'characters' like the Undertaker?" (recently asked) A: Pro Wrestling stage personas are basically fictional characters, so... sure, if you can somehow come up with a way to play this that makes sense. It's a weird outlier.

Other People's OCs

Respect other people's original characters (OCs). Do not play characters created by others without permission.

Surprisingly, there have been a few edge cases where characters invented by players from the MUSH community have shown up in published content as guest stars, like Reize Seatlan appearing in Shovel Knight. We still consider these to be "someone else's OC" unless the creator informs us otherwise.

The AFGNCAAP

Many video games cast the player character as an undefined variant. A so-called Ageless, Faceless, Gender-Neutral, Culturally Ambiguous, Adventurous Person, or AFGNCAAP. The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are iconic examples: The Vault Dweller, The Chosen One, The Lone Wanderer, The Sole Survivor, the Dragonborn, and so on.

In short: play the Movie or Novel Version. The Dragonborn, for instance, shouldn't be the hero of every possible quest, of every side faction and with every single skill, ability, and magical artifact that the player is able to obtain.

The Chosen One

MMORPG characters can be played but not overpowered. As with AFGNCAAPs, the Chosen One should not have done every quest or mastered every class.

MMORPG characters can be played, but they should not be overpowered. Even if you are the Chosen One, (which would mean others from the same timeline are not), other characters from the same setting should also be viable without completely overshadowing them.

The Interactivity Principle

Avoid characters that require extensive effort to engage with. Some examples of this might be a kaijuu (too damned big to go anywhere), a ghost (nobody can see you?!), or a Genie stuck in their lamp (for obvious reasons). Other players shouldn't have to jump through hoops for you to be involved in things. This doesn't mean such ideas cannot be made to work, just that it's your job to do so, not the rest of the game's.

Tonal Dissonance

Characters should fit the general themes of action, drama, and adventure. Characters from settings with overly idealistic, whimsical, or comedic tones may not be suitable for Convergence MUSH.

Legal Issues

The works of Anne Rice, Steve Jackson Games, George R.R. Martin, and J.R.R. Tolkien are banned. These authors have taken a stance against fanfiction, and we will respect it. This list is not exhaustive because we are not aware of every single author who has specifically requested "no fan fiction."

Fan Fiction, which we consider our game to be, is often thought to exist in a legal grey area because it's derivative works for personal use and no commercial benefit.

However, there have been cases where companies have pursued legal actions with MUSHes. Most famously, a Lion King MUSH with a lot of adult content in its roleplay logs that was showing up on Google Search, much to Disney's justified aggravation. There was also Anne McCaffrey's estate confronting PernMUSH - which is why it renamed to PennMUSH.

If we receive a Cease & Desist request, we will not be able to contest it, and will have to remove any offending content. Players of all characters must be aware of this remote possibility. For this reason, anyone who's playing anything from an infamously litigious company, but has no public policy on fanfiction, may be held to high standards. An example would be playing King Mickey from Kingdom Hearts.

True Canon Knowledge

Characters should not have meta-knowledge of their own stories or out-of-character secrets without good reason. Mainly, characters should not be miraculously finding the comic book, novel, DVD or whatever that tells another character's story, or their own.

There are some caveats to this, though. Anything public domain, like all of folklore, or older stories like Peter Pan or Bram Stoker's Dracula, is fair game. Likewise, many settings/themes have existed for so long that they've become deeply, recursively embedded in culture, to where fictional characters from other settings might make the occasional joke or reference. Everyone from modern Earth knows what Godzilla is, for instance, and a few superheroes like Superman, Batman, Spider Man are often referenced. This can even apply to certain video game characters like Mario.

Any character who's into popular culture is probably going to be making jokes, references, quotes and things, and for that purpose - or similar, like mystery investigations using pop culture symbols - some leniency is extended. However, we do require that it not become a subject of large discussions or exposition, or put in-character secrets like a superhero's true identity or weaknesses at risk. Being faced with such all the time is also exasperating as a player, to say nothing of the character's thoughts on the matter.

The easiest way to achieve this is to just alter the details of your world's telling. Perhaps the fictional Superman of your world has a different origin story and was raised by a different family, but his superhero role and powers are very similar. Your Batman could still be a wealthy genius who's recognizably Batman and does the same things using ninja arts and gadgets, but he's got nothing to do with Bruce Wayne. Your Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers may be teenagers with attitude, still say "It's morphin' time!" but their civilian identities are different and their home base of their alien mentor is different and maybe has their Command Center in an underwater complex instead of on a mountain. You've got Star Wars, you might know what Jedi and Sith and lightsabers and the Force are, but the whole cast of characters is different even if you've got an Empire and Rebels. Stuff like that.

For characters who have basically little to hide and not a lot of story like Mario or Godzilla, this is far less of a concern, of course. Godzilla is a big angry mutant from the sea. That's not complicated, and it's not gonna offend anyone.

If a setting explicitly includes its own fictional material somehow then this rule doesn't apply. Dengeki Stryker is a good example: the main character(s) gain powers from a fictional manga that's brought to life in their setting. The manga still exists, and anyone can read it.

Leave Plot Device Characters to Plot

Certain characters are best left as plot devices, not player characters.

A good example would be Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. His role, powers, and abilities, are whatever the author wants them to be in order to tell a moral lesson or advance the plot in very biblical allegory.

Close Relations

If you want to play a character closely related to an active one, seek permission from the other player. This includes partners, rivals, team mates, lovers, family, etc.

What if?

Alternate timelines where things happen differently are welcomed. Original and interesting scenarios are allowed, but avoid concepts that resemble bad fanfiction, or crude fetish explorations. A good what if should show some obvious respect to its source material, though that's admittedly a subjective thing to judge.

Children of WHO?

One common variant of the What If? angle is a What If? set in the future, with original versions of kids or descendants of canon characters. Be cautious with this, especially if parents/ancestors are played. Quality check and get input from affected players.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

Officially released What Ifs aren't always indicative of being a good idea. Things like the titular doujin can be fun or terrible depending on execution. Use caution with characters having advanced knowledge of future plot materials.

Isekai and Power Fantasy

Powerful isekai ("another world") characters are often intensely overpowered and able to walk all over their home settings. That's not the case here; any other solid combat-focused main character is going to be keeping powerhouses like Rimuru or Ainz Ooal Gown on their toes in direct battle. Still, these characters are often capable of vast arrays of feats that even put Jacks of all Trades to shame.

While such characters are not banned, we expect them to be played with consideration for the situation they now find themselves in, and for players to not use their vast array of bizarre powers as an omnidirectional monkey wrench.