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Creation

>Character Creation<

>Design Guidelines<

  • Characters must maintain semi-realistic colors/markings. They do not have to be based on specific wolf breeds. Markings found on domestic dogs are not permitted.

  • Eye colors and sclera can have multiple interesting hues, such as pinks and purples, as long as they are not too saturated/contrasting. 

  • Tufts of hair are permitted as long as they are not too long/heavily styled.

  • Characters should clock in at mostly realistic heights and weights. Anywhere between 23"- 36" is acceptable for height, 40lbs -160lbs for weight. The average adult wolf is a little over 100lbs.  

  • Characters cannot start with accessories. Accessories must be discovered via in-group exploration. Permitted accessories include flowers, feathers (feather accessories may not be placed behind the ear out of respect for Indigenous people), twigs, leaves, bones, etc. 

>Personality & Backstory Guidelines<

  • Characters should have a balance of positive and negative traits that are appropriate to their character. Characters should have both strengths and weaknesses in their own right. This does not include unnatural abilities/magical powers. These are not permitted on any front.

  • The personality/background sections of the application have a soft word-count suggestion of 100 words each. This is not heavily enforced down to the last word but you are encouraged to write enough information that your character's origins are clear, as well as their starting point in the group.

  • Do not use trauma, illness, etc in your character's story thoughtlessly. First characters may not suffer from any major illnesses, mutations, conditions, etc. Do your research and portray characters as respectfully as you can. Matters such as these will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • Human influences should only appear vaguely in your character's background. Wolves have little knowledge of humans and only old/abandoned fixtures created by them exist in the realm TOW takes place in.

  • Characters who are not lone wolves start at the lowest rank/newcomer rank for their respective pack.

  • First characters can be as young as juveniles (6-12 months) or as old as adults (4-8 years). Characters age in-game as the player feels appropriate.

    • Pup (0-6 months)​

    • Juvenile (6-12 months)

    • Young Adult (2-3 years)

    • Adult (4-8 years)

    • Elderly (9-11 years)

  • While wolves can have nicknames/aliases/etc., the use of long, compound names and surnames are not permitted in TOW.​

>Retiring Characters<

>Retirement Guidelines<

  • You can choose to "retire" an active character at any time but bear in mind that this decision is final. Retired characters cannot return to the group.

  • To retire a character, an exit piece explaining their retirement or death should be made and official notice should be sent to the group via discord or dA notes.

  • Prompts attached to the character do not transfer to another character and cannot be saved. Once the character is officially retired, these prompts cannot be accessed again. You must spend these prompts before retirement if you wish to use them.

  • In-game items can be given to other characters via the group's trading system if the usual trade requirements are met.

  • Characters that are removed from the group due to inactivity do not count as "retired" and can be returned to the group by following the cooldown guidelines.

>NPC Creation<

There are two kinds of NPCs that members may create in The Opened Way.

 

>Personal NPCs<

  • Can be family/friends/enemies/etc to your character. Primarily, these NPCs will only affect the life/story of your character or be used to fill out backgrounds.

  • While they can be used to further the story of your character, your character's story should be able to exist/progress without the help of NPCs in order to avoid their overuse. These NPCs are meant to be used only when strictly necessary.

  • These NPCs can be created for free but should not have a visual application submitted to the group. You are welcome to draw/design these characters for your own use, however.

  • Members can create as many NPCs of this kind as they like, within reason.

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>Donated NPCs<

  •  Can be family/friends/enemies/etc to your character but they also have something special or interesting about them that could stand to affect the lives/stories of many characters in the group. This way, they will be considered 'donated' for multiple members to consider using somehow.

  • These NPCs must be earned through the redemption of prompts/group activity. Visit the Prompts page for more info on this.

  • Once the NPC has been earned, you should provide a drawn + written application for the group mods to upload to the dA/TH gallery. The original creator maintains some control over the donated NPC but mods/staff members to whom the NPC pertains may make executive decisions on what the NPC may do/how they are used.

  • Members (not including faction leaders) are limited to 3 NPCs of this kind.

  • Donated NPCs can be retired by the player who originally donated them. An official inquiry for retirement must be sent to the mod team to request their retirement and an exit piece/in-game explanation should also be provided.

>Templates<

NOTE: significant edits to the overall color/look of the provided visual application are not permitted. Please only edit the layers labeled as such in the provided template.

>Faction Creation<
Creating a faction for TOW is a fairly simple process, as long as one follows the steps required to do so. However, moderating a faction is a lot of responsibility. Please make sure you have the time and professionalism to do so before applying for faction creation.

Faction Creation is...
CLOSED
>What Will My Responsibilities Be?<
  • ​Oversee your faction. Be aware of important plots happening within your faction and notify the group mods when there is a need for updates or potentially group-wide plots taking place.
  • Be an active part of the group. Recognize that as an alpha/pack leader, you will likely be involved in many stories and plots.
  • Handle matters concerning your faction, its members, and work with the mods in a constructive and professional manner. As a faction leader, you will be held to a higher standard of conduct than the average member. Your acceptance to the team means you are representing TOW as one part of a whole.
>Steps for Faction Creation<
  • Check that faction creation is open.
  • Redeem the prompts needed for your faction creation.
  • Have a player character selected who will act as alpha/pack leader and 3 prospective members. (No NPCS).
  • Have an overview of your pack written in a google document to submit for review. Be open to critique/changes.
  • Once the review process is complete, you can work with the group mods to transfer information over to the TOW website and create visual resources for your faction.
>Tips For Success<
  • Take the existing factions into account. It is important that TOW has a variety of factions for members to consider joining. Your pack should be different enough from the other factions to attract applicants with its own unique traits and qualities.
  • Specify the ownership status of your faction. Who is the original creator and is the pack concept being donated to TOW? Please note that if a concept has been donated, TOW will be allowed to continue using the faction, even if the original creator is no longer taking part in the group anymore. If the original owner wishes to maintain full ownership of the pack and cannot run it/participate in the group anymore, there should be a canonical handling for the desolation of your faction.
  • Remember that pack moderation is not the same as group moderation. Your primary role as a faction leader will be to look after your respective faction. This does not mean you will get the final say in other group matters nor will you be wholly privy to plot planning and/or other management matters that concern the group mods.
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