The Creative Roleplay Common Sense System

" Essentially, the CRCSS system allows a setting or genre to take on elements of a different setting or drama without actually having to change the base setting into x/y instead of simply x with elements of y. "

The Creative Roleplay Common Sense System, or the CRCSS, is a custom-tailored system created for the Black Dragon Tavern setting to explain and encompass how the setting operates regarding character creations, what kind of characters are allowed, how to deal with overpowered characters, and so on and so forth. Where previously the setting was called "Medieval High-Fantasy with Freeform Elements" that was false, as when it comes to freeform you are forced to use all of it or none of it -- Thus meaning we would be forced to accept all of the bad with the good.

Having created the CRCSS, the BDT setting and all the setting encompasses is free from his crippling 'blanket rule' train of thought, allowing the setting moderators to pick and choose what type of character is allowed based on how well they conform to the base setting so as to prevent any 'jarring' or 'overpowering' character concepts from making RP generally unlikable.

The Example
For instance, say you have a medieval high-fantasy setting. This is the base setting, and for all intents and purposes, this is how the world is largely viewed and regarded.

Then, say, you have a person that would like to play a time traveler who has arrived in your setting and is doing their best to blend until their time device can be repaired and they can leave. This would be considered a Science-Fiction element and while not normally apart of your setting the CRCSS allows it to exist in your setting without taking presedence.

"Without taking presedence" meaning that although they are in your setting, their modern clothes will be regarded as strange and uncommon, and any 'modern' terms they use like 'starbucks' or 'computer' will be regarded in a confused fashion because, as your setting is predominantly medieval high fantasy, these things do not exist in your setting.

Say then that we go a bit deeper into the Sci-Fi thing, and say an alien has crash landed in your setting and is doing an unobtrusive and good job of cooperating with your setting rather than disrupting it. They are making an active attempt to make sure the RP is enjoyable for everyone instead of running away with their concept and doing solely what makes them happy and everyone else uncomfortable. This is also allowed in the setting because of the CRCSS, because it allows certain elements of Sci-Fi to drift into a non-Sci-Fi setting with unique character concepts played in the setting, without forcing you to change the terms of your base setting to accomodate these few elements.

Now say someone comes in and they want to play King Megatron of dimension xyz with an entire extra-planar kingdom. This would not be allowed. Why does the CRCSS disallow this concept but allow the previous two? Because unlike the previous two character concepts, this one is overpowering and has such a large influence being pulled with it that it is essentially tryin to mash a whole other setting into the base setting. That is to say, it has such a large air about it that the base setting's concept would be stifled under this one or be competing.

To put it in a manner most people may understand - Say Tina is attempting to draw a halloween-themed mural. Tina tells other people they can help, but they need to stick to the main theme of the mural. So Tina is sticking to the base setting and using bats and witches and things like that. Then comes along Donna, who decides she wants to add in greek mythical creatures because that's what she likes. So Donna adds in a Centaur, but in keeping with the theme she has the centaur decked out in halloween-themed clothes and decorations so while it's clearly not originally halloween-ish, she has conformed to the setting to keep from upsetting the original idea.

And then there's Mike.

Mike wants to be special and different and doesn't care about the halloween theme, so Mike goes ahead and paints Santa up there -- A splash of red and white that completely offsets and disrupts the entire mural that is supposed to be a halloween theme. We see Aliens and Centaurs and Robots that are otherwise not apart of the halloween theme, but they have been conformed to fit into the setting without disrupting it. Mike has not.

Through the CRCSS system, elements from nearly any setting or genre can be used, but they cannot overpower the base setting. In line with the rules, however, each situation is different and will have a tailored determination made to each setting. For instance if Sally got in trouble for one thing, and Bob is presenting a similar situation, the ruling that Sally got does not automatically mean that Bob will receive the same ruling. Each situation is different. We cannot automatically assume that because one person god-moded and another person's character is similiar, that they too will god-mode.

Frequently Asked Questions
What you see above is the very base concept of the CRCSS, and as people experience it and find themselves asking questions about it, we will list their questions and the answers here to help others better understand the CRCSS while we refine it through trial and error.


 * Q: "What is the 'base' setting going to be for BDT/Westervale, and does that rule imply that (let's assume that as the example, the base is medieval high fantasy) a character who is overpowered or godlike BUT is in fact true to medieval high fantasy would have to be accepted, just because they 'fit' the theme of the setting?" 


 * A: The setting has thus far been Medieval High-Fantasy with Freeform Elements, which was wrong. And the CRCSS system has just been passed, so now the base setting is Medieval High-Fantasy using the CRCSS system. And, no. Perhaps, but probably no. It will be a situation by situation ruling for the most part. Because there are rare instances where a character is overpowered, but they do not use their overpoweredness to ruin the RP for people or suck the fun out of it. Refer to the 'Sally and Bob' example.