F.A.Q.S
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I've never roleplayed in a virtual world before. How do I start?
Welcome to Roleplay in Dominions of Darkness!
Dominions of Darkness is located on the Second Life platform, one of the first virtual/meta worlds which was launched in 2003. Dominions of Darkness is but one of thousands of virtual locations on the Second Life grid. To roleplay in Dominions of Darkness, you must first join Second Life, which is free to join.
Once you join Second Life, you will need to download a Second Life Viewer. Or, you can download the popular third-party viewer Firestorm. Either of these will open up the Second Life portal where you can sign in and be sent on your way to Second Life once you've created a free account.
Don't be overly concerned with the avatar you select when you join. Once in Second Life you can visit the Marketplace where you may upgrade your avatar with new hair, clothes, and much, much more. Avatars in Second Life are highly customizable, allowing you to create a very unique look that better reflects the type of character you wish to play.
Some items in the Marketplace are virtually free ($1L), but most are created by members and are sold for $L (aka Lindens, Second Life's unique rate of Currency). Second Life has Standard and Premium Membership options. Standard is free. The Premium Membership runs about $11-12 a month, which can be paid monthly, quarterly or yearly ($99/$8.99 mo.). Though a Premium Account in SL is not necessary to roleplay in Dominions of Darkness (which is free to play), it does give you some nice perks.
I've joined Second Life. What now?
Once you've joined Second Life, make your way to Dominions of Darkness - City of Miami. Just type this in to the Search > Group on the Second Life Search button at the top of your SL screen. Then click on the link and you will be teleported to the City of Miami Welcome Center. Walk over to the Dominions of Darkness HUD kiosk and grab a free HUD. Find it in your inventory and "Wear" or "Add" it.
Character Creation
Once you've put on the Dominions of Darkness HUD, you will be prompted to start creating your new Character. More detailed instructions on how to create your character is located on this website by clicking Character Creation. It is advised that you read about all the available Character Classes and their abilities so that when you are in world, you can easily fill out the Character Sheet, located in the Dominions of Darkness HUD.
If you have any questions, just send us an email by clicking on the Email icon on the top of this page, OR just IM a DOD Admin or Moderator for help. We're happy to answer your questions and get you started on your epic roleplay adventure.
Dominions of Darkness is located on the Second Life platform, one of the first virtual/meta worlds which was launched in 2003. Dominions of Darkness is but one of thousands of virtual locations on the Second Life grid. To roleplay in Dominions of Darkness, you must first join Second Life, which is free to join.
Once you join Second Life, you will need to download a Second Life Viewer. Or, you can download the popular third-party viewer Firestorm. Either of these will open up the Second Life portal where you can sign in and be sent on your way to Second Life once you've created a free account.
Don't be overly concerned with the avatar you select when you join. Once in Second Life you can visit the Marketplace where you may upgrade your avatar with new hair, clothes, and much, much more. Avatars in Second Life are highly customizable, allowing you to create a very unique look that better reflects the type of character you wish to play.
Some items in the Marketplace are virtually free ($1L), but most are created by members and are sold for $L (aka Lindens, Second Life's unique rate of Currency). Second Life has Standard and Premium Membership options. Standard is free. The Premium Membership runs about $11-12 a month, which can be paid monthly, quarterly or yearly ($99/$8.99 mo.). Though a Premium Account in SL is not necessary to roleplay in Dominions of Darkness (which is free to play), it does give you some nice perks.
I've joined Second Life. What now?
Once you've joined Second Life, make your way to Dominions of Darkness - City of Miami. Just type this in to the Search > Group on the Second Life Search button at the top of your SL screen. Then click on the link and you will be teleported to the City of Miami Welcome Center. Walk over to the Dominions of Darkness HUD kiosk and grab a free HUD. Find it in your inventory and "Wear" or "Add" it.
Character Creation
Once you've put on the Dominions of Darkness HUD, you will be prompted to start creating your new Character. More detailed instructions on how to create your character is located on this website by clicking Character Creation. It is advised that you read about all the available Character Classes and their abilities so that when you are in world, you can easily fill out the Character Sheet, located in the Dominions of Darkness HUD.
If you have any questions, just send us an email by clicking on the Email icon on the top of this page, OR just IM a DOD Admin or Moderator for help. We're happy to answer your questions and get you started on your epic roleplay adventure.
Who do I talk to if I have a question about a character's abilities or other rp question?
You can contact the Dominions of Darkness Admins here on this website by clicking the small red email envelop symbol in the top right corner of the website. Or, you can contact any Admin or Moderator in world by going to any DOD City Sim in Second Life.
What is Blood, Gnosis, Mana and Energy?
Each type of Character Class requires a certain kind of force or vitality in order to perform special abilities, skills, or gifts. Without these exceptional forces of power, Characters with supernatural abilities could not tap into these special species-specific talents. Think of it like how electricity powers a light bulb, gasoline powers a car, and a nuclear reactor powers a submarine. Without these sources of power, each of these devices are incapable of doing anything. The same can be said for the supernatural powers of certain characters.
In Dominions of Darkness, this is simply referred to as "Energy," but depending on the Character's type, this Energy comes from different sources (even though they are treated the same within the Game Mechanics to maintain balance). Here are the Energy Types used:
Energy Points (in whatever form the Character has) are expended when the Character uses his/her/their special and/or supernatural Abilities, Skills or Gifts. When the Energy is gone, the Character cannot use these abilities until they regain their Energy Points.
Energy Points are regained at 3 Points per hour. Some skills, fetishes or other supernatural items can replenish Energy Points. Vampires for example, can regain their Energy/Blood Points and Health Points by consuming Blood from Humans or Human Non Player Characters.
In Dominions of Darkness, this is simply referred to as "Energy," but depending on the Character's type, this Energy comes from different sources (even though they are treated the same within the Game Mechanics to maintain balance). Here are the Energy Types used:
- Vampires: Energy/Blood
- Ghouls: Energy/Blood
- Garou: Energy/Gnosis
- Apex Kinfolk: Energy/Mana
- Gifted Humans: Energy
- Humans: Energy
Energy Points (in whatever form the Character has) are expended when the Character uses his/her/their special and/or supernatural Abilities, Skills or Gifts. When the Energy is gone, the Character cannot use these abilities until they regain their Energy Points.
Energy Points are regained at 3 Points per hour. Some skills, fetishes or other supernatural items can replenish Energy Points. Vampires for example, can regain their Energy/Blood Points and Health Points by consuming Blood from Humans or Human Non Player Characters.
What are Physical & Mental Skills and How Do They Help Increase My Modifiers?
It's true, Mental and Physical skills are not a World of Darkness feature. However, World of Darkness never intended the different playing systems of Vampire the Masquerade, Garou the Apocalypse, Hunters, Gifted, Mages, Changelings, etc. to be played together in a single campaign. Because of this, Dominions of Darkness needed to "balance" the field in a way that everyone could play together without overpowering one race or nerfing another.
The point systems in these games were so diverse as to be nearly unplayable together. Imagine someone who only speaks Japanese, another who only speaks Russian, and a third who only speaks ancient Greek are trying to read an instruction manual written in Olde English. Not only would they not be able to understand each other, they wouldn't comprehend the book they were trying to decipher either.
Physical and Mental Skills is the Universal Translator that allows these awesome yet varied character types to play together in the same dark Universe. This also includes balanced metrics for Race Leveling, purchasing Skills, earning Experience Points in roleplay, and a cohesive formula that merges Blood/Mana/Gnosis into a Universal Energy System.
How Physical & Mental Skills Work, and How to Use Them.
Savvy Roleplayers know how to work a system to their advantage, and this is one of those devices that allow players to enhance their Character's abilities.
Every point you purchase in various abilities (such as Willpower, Initiative, Occult, Medical, etc.) gains you points in those particular abilities, AND also adds additional points that improves one or more of your character's innate Physical and/or Mental scores. Specifically, these are:
For example, in addition to directly improving your Character's Willpower modifiers when purchasing points into this ability, the chart below demonstrates what you also receive in associated Physical and Mental modifiers:
(NOTE: THESE MODIFERS ARE CURRENTLY BEING BALANCED AND WILL CHANGE BEFORE GAME LAUNCH. HOWEVER, THIS IS A GOOD EXPLANATION OF HOW BALANCING IS DONE USING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SKILLS)
These Physical and Mental modifiers enhance your ability to fend off another player's attacks, allow you to improve your own modifiers over and above your normal Ability modifiers when rolling to attack or defend yourself, or improve your chances to use your special abilities in roleplay.
For example, below is the level 4 ability of Obfuscate. To use this power, the Player needs to roll a minimum of 70 on the 100-sided percentage dice used by the Dominions of Darkness Players' HUD.
However, the Player has the benefit of lowering the actual number he needs to roll by adding in his Character's modifiers. In this example, the Player gets to add his Mental Skill points and his Willpower Points.
◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 4 - Vanish (Buff)
Base Roll: 70
Mod: Mental Skill, Willpower
Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.
In this example, a Player that has purchased Level 5 Willpower will have earned +25 Modifier Points in Willpower, AND an additional +10 points in associated Mental Skill. This gives the Player a +35 overall modifier, meaning that he will only need to roll a natural 35 to succeed in using Obfuscate 4.
What Other Abilities Add to Physical and Mental Modifiers?
Many of the skills and abilities will add points to your overall Physical and Mental modifiers. These are easily found on this website under a skill's abilities. For example, purchasing Celerity 6 - Split Second gives "Permanent Affects" of +5 Athletics/Reflexes and +2 Physical Defense.
◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Celerity 6 - Split Second (Buff)
Base Roll: 85
Mod: Physical Defense, Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0
Permanent Affects:
NOTE: Any additional questions regarding how points in Physical and Mental skills work when using skills and abilities in roleplay, just contact the DOD Admins by sending us an email through this website, or finding an Admin or Mod at a Dominions of Darkness City Sim within Second Life.
The point systems in these games were so diverse as to be nearly unplayable together. Imagine someone who only speaks Japanese, another who only speaks Russian, and a third who only speaks ancient Greek are trying to read an instruction manual written in Olde English. Not only would they not be able to understand each other, they wouldn't comprehend the book they were trying to decipher either.
Physical and Mental Skills is the Universal Translator that allows these awesome yet varied character types to play together in the same dark Universe. This also includes balanced metrics for Race Leveling, purchasing Skills, earning Experience Points in roleplay, and a cohesive formula that merges Blood/Mana/Gnosis into a Universal Energy System.
How Physical & Mental Skills Work, and How to Use Them.
Savvy Roleplayers know how to work a system to their advantage, and this is one of those devices that allow players to enhance their Character's abilities.
Every point you purchase in various abilities (such as Willpower, Initiative, Occult, Medical, etc.) gains you points in those particular abilities, AND also adds additional points that improves one or more of your character's innate Physical and/or Mental scores. Specifically, these are:
- Physical Skill
- Physical Attack
- Physical Defense
- Mental Skill
- Mental Attack
- Mental Defense
For example, in addition to directly improving your Character's Willpower modifiers when purchasing points into this ability, the chart below demonstrates what you also receive in associated Physical and Mental modifiers:
(NOTE: THESE MODIFERS ARE CURRENTLY BEING BALANCED AND WILL CHANGE BEFORE GAME LAUNCH. HOWEVER, THIS IS A GOOD EXPLANATION OF HOW BALANCING IS DONE USING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SKILLS)
| Physical Atk (PA) | Mental Atk (MA) | Physical Def (PD) | Mental Def (MD) | Physical Skill | Mental Skill | |
| WILLPOWER 1: +5 | +1 | |||||
| WILLPOWER 2: +5 | +1 | |||||
| WILLPOWER 3: +5 | +1 | |||||
| WILLPOWER 4: +5 | +1 | |||||
| WILLPOWER 5: +5 | +1 | |||||
| WILLPOWER 6: +5 | +2 | +2 | ||||
| WILLPOWER 7: +5 | +2 | +2 | ||||
| WILLPOWER 8: +5 | +2 | +2 | +2 |
These Physical and Mental modifiers enhance your ability to fend off another player's attacks, allow you to improve your own modifiers over and above your normal Ability modifiers when rolling to attack or defend yourself, or improve your chances to use your special abilities in roleplay.
For example, below is the level 4 ability of Obfuscate. To use this power, the Player needs to roll a minimum of 70 on the 100-sided percentage dice used by the Dominions of Darkness Players' HUD.
However, the Player has the benefit of lowering the actual number he needs to roll by adding in his Character's modifiers. In this example, the Player gets to add his Mental Skill points and his Willpower Points.
◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 4 - Vanish (Buff)
Base Roll: 70
Mod: Mental Skill, Willpower
Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.
In this example, a Player that has purchased Level 5 Willpower will have earned +25 Modifier Points in Willpower, AND an additional +10 points in associated Mental Skill. This gives the Player a +35 overall modifier, meaning that he will only need to roll a natural 35 to succeed in using Obfuscate 4.
What Other Abilities Add to Physical and Mental Modifiers?
Many of the skills and abilities will add points to your overall Physical and Mental modifiers. These are easily found on this website under a skill's abilities. For example, purchasing Celerity 6 - Split Second gives "Permanent Affects" of +5 Athletics/Reflexes and +2 Physical Defense.
◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Celerity 6 - Split Second (Buff)
Base Roll: 85
Mod: Physical Defense, Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0
Permanent Affects:
- +5 Athletics/Reflexes
- +2 Physical Defense
NOTE: Any additional questions regarding how points in Physical and Mental skills work when using skills and abilities in roleplay, just contact the DOD Admins by sending us an email through this website, or finding an Admin or Mod at a Dominions of Darkness City Sim within Second Life.
Can I Roleplay Multiple Characters?
The quick answer to this is, Yes. Currently, a maximum of 5 different Characters may be played in Dominions of Darkness on any single Second Life Account.
While some Players enjoy doing a deep-dive and playing just one Character, others love to explore many different Character types. Dominions of Darkness allows Players to generate and play more than one Character. However, there are some rules that must be followed.
Character Generation and Having More Than One Character
If you still have questions, please contact the Admins.
While some Players enjoy doing a deep-dive and playing just one Character, others love to explore many different Character types. Dominions of Darkness allows Players to generate and play more than one Character. However, there are some rules that must be followed.
Character Generation and Having More Than One Character
- All Players start with one character and one Dominions of Darkness HUD to begin play. It is completely free and does not cost the Player any money to roleplay that Character in any Dominions of Darkness City Sim.
A Player can either request to import an existing character from another WOD Sim*, or generate a new character by putting on the Dominions of Darkness HUD. Dominions of Darkness HUDs may be obtained at any City's Landing Platform by clicking on the HUD Kiosk located there. Your first free DOD HUD can only be obtained by visiting the City of Miami landing platform/Welcome Center.
* To learn more about importing an existing WOD character, see the FAQ titled: Can I bring a character from another WOD Sim into Dominions of Darkness? - Dominions of Darkness HUDs are associated with just one (1) character each. Putting on a specific character's DOD HUD will activate that Character's character sheet and will earn XP for that Character via roleplay. When you put on a specific HUD, you are putting on that "Character." This is part of the server's automation process. It cannot recognize earned XP for more than one character using a HUD. (If you want to delete a current character from a HUD and use any earned XP to build a different Character, please contact the Admins. Keep in mind, this can only be done once per person.)
- To Play more than one Character, a Player must obtain a new DOD HUD. These are available for sale on any City Sim's Landing Platform. Additional HUDs cost $1,200 L each (about $4.80 USD), which helps with the cost of the external server that keeps track of all Character Sheets. This is a one-time cost.
- Character Types: Players may play additional Characters but they must be of different types. For example, if you are playing a Vampire, you may not play a second Vampire. However, you may play a Garou, Human/Gifted Human/Hunter, Ghoul, or Apex Kinfolk. Players cannot play two Vampires, two Garou, Two Humans, etc.
If you still have questions, please contact the Admins.
How many Experience Points can I earn in a week?
A max of 20XP points can be earned during qualified roleplay within a week (Sunday-Saturday).
However you can earn an additional 10XP per week, for a total of 30XP, if you max out your weekly XP, AND participate in any special events hosted by a City Sim, or by a city's Group Leaders (Primogens, Garou Elder or Leader, Hunter Group Lead, etc.)
Lifetime Memberships and Monthly Subscribers earn extra Experience Points based on their levels. For more information on this, CLICK HERE.
However you can earn an additional 10XP per week, for a total of 30XP, if you max out your weekly XP, AND participate in any special events hosted by a City Sim, or by a city's Group Leaders (Primogens, Garou Elder or Leader, Hunter Group Lead, etc.)
Lifetime Memberships and Monthly Subscribers earn extra Experience Points based on their levels. For more information on this, CLICK HERE.
How many Experience Points does it cost to purchase points in my skills and abilities?
Cost of Purchasing Special Skills with Experience Points (XP).
In general, there are eight points available for purchase in any skill set. Each point costs progressively more XP. For example, if you have 30 XP, you may purchase the first two points of any skill (10XP for the first dot, and 20XP for the second point = 30XP.)
There are exceptions to this for special skills that apply to different races.
In general, there are eight points available for purchase in any skill set. Each point costs progressively more XP. For example, if you have 30 XP, you may purchase the first two points of any skill (10XP for the first dot, and 20XP for the second point = 30XP.)
There are exceptions to this for special skills that apply to different races.
| XP Cost Per Skill Point Purchased | |
| ◉ | 10XP |
| ◉◉ | 20XP |
| ◉◉◉ | 35XP |
| ◉◉◉◉ | 45XP |
| ◉◉◉◉◉ | 60XP |
| ◉◉◉◉◉◉ | 75XP |
| ◉◉◉◉◉◉◉ | 90XP |
| ◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉ | 105XP |
Can I bring an existing character from another SL WOD Sim into Dominions of Darkness?
Already Have a World of Darkness Character You Want to Play in DOD?
Yes! For those who have an established World of Darkness character from another WOD sim, DOD is currently allowing Lifetime Members with a Gold or Platinum Membership to bring an existing (or past) World of Darkness Character over and play! Plus, Gold and Platinum Members receive many other great benefits, including a permanent 25% Boost to all earned Experience Points for life for a one-time membership fee.While it’s easy to start a new character using the DOD HUD, we understand that many people already have a favorite character they don’t wish to leave behind. Please note, at launch DOD does not currently support Mages and Changelings, though these character types may become available as playable characters sometime in the future.
Each "Player" may migrate one (1) character they are currently playing or used to play from another sim. Please be fair and not attempt to use Alts to bring in additional characters. This is a privilege most other Sims do not allow. However Dominions of Darkness Admins feel the same way about their established characters and want to extend this special invitation to all the other World of Darkness Players.
How To Bring in an Existing WOD Character.
Existing Characters must be from another WOD Second Life Sim. To bring in an existing WOD Character, simply forward your current character sheet to the admins by clicking the email symbol on the homepage OR send to the admins in Second Life. This is on the honor system, so please play fair.The DOD Admins will calculate your current level of Experience Points and give you half of your XP for your character in the DOD HUD to begin recreating your Character.
Half of these points will be given to you immediately. The other half will be awarded as Bonus Experience Points (in addition to any XP/Accelerated XP you earned in roleplay) for the first 8 weeks of your character's roleplay in any Dominions of Darkness city.
Bonus XP is based on a character-by-character basis and must be earned in the first eight weeks of roleplay. After the eight weeks is up, XP earned will not be bonused.
NOTE: If a Player brings in an existing Character, but only logs roleplay for six out of the eight weeks, then their Character will only earn Bonus XP for those 6 weeks they actually played. The only caveat to this is if you notify the Admins that you will be on vacation on a particular week in advance.
While not every ability or skill will be an apples-to-apples conversion because of system differences, you can recreate your character as closely as possible so that you can continue your roleplay journey in DOD cities.
What is Dominions of Darkness based on?
Dominions of DarknessTM is based on the vast tabletop universe of World of Darkness. The characters, skills, abilities and content is adhered to as closely as possible, however some changes have been made to better translate it to the Second Life platform. Some skills and abilities have been changed for roleplay purposes. Unfortunately tabletop does not always transition smoothly to Second Life, and the individual games of Werewolf the Apocalypse, and Vampire the Masquerade, were not designed to be played together. Therefore a balancing system of points has been introduced by Dominions of Darkness to even the playing fields.
Portions of this content is unique to Dominions of Darkness, such as the characters in the new Apex Kinfolk section, as well as some of the new Vampire and Garou skills/gifts designed to enhance roleplay in the Second Life platform.
Use of this content is done with permission from World of Darkness.
For more information on these permissions, visit our Terms page by clicking here.
Portions of this content is unique to Dominions of Darkness, such as the characters in the new Apex Kinfolk section, as well as some of the new Vampire and Garou skills/gifts designed to enhance roleplay in the Second Life platform.
Use of this content is done with permission from World of Darkness.
For more information on these permissions, visit our Terms page by clicking here.
Can my Vampire or Garou character learn out-of-clan skills/gifts of another clan/tribe?
Yes, learning Out Of Clan or Subcaste Skills - POST CHARACTER CREATION
After Character Creation, you may have the opportunity in Roleplay to learn other skills that are originally outside your Character's Tribe or Clan/Subcaste.
For clarification, Vampires can only learn other Vampire skills, and Garou can only learn other Garou gifts. Vampires cannot learn Garou Gifts, nor can Garou learn Vampire skills.
Sharing clan/tribe secrets with another clan/tribe may be cause for severe in-world consequences (up to and including the killing of a Player's Character and the person who was his student.)
After Character Creation, you may have the opportunity in Roleplay to learn other skills that are originally outside your Character's Tribe or Clan/Subcaste.
VAMPIRES:
Under certain conditions skill sets and gifts can be taught and learned in roleplay. While the process is identical, there are rules for learning skills that are within the purview of your own Clan, and for learning the skills of other Clans:- Between Members of the Same Clan:
Some clans have two or more subcastes within them, each having a slightly different set of skills. If you wish to learn a new skill from a member of your own clan's subcastes, there are no caveats or limitations to do so. No specific permission is required since you are all members of the same Clan and you merely need to find a mentor willing to go through the process of teaching you.- For example: Your character is a Tremere Telyavelic vampire. While your skills are Auspex, Presence and Seilanic Thaumaturgy, you wish to learn the skill of Conjuring as well. You will need to find a capable and willing mentor to spend three hours of roleplay with your Character to teach you the first three levels of that skill. (See Learning New Skillsets below.)
- Between Members of Different Clans:
Learning a skillset that it outside your Clan is a little more of a challenge, though certainly not impossible. Some, if not most, Vampire Clans are very protective of their clan's special skills. While the process for learning a skill outside your own clan is the same as in-clan skills, there is some important In-Character things to consider. The main things is to have In-Character permission to do so.
A Giovanni teaching a Toreador Necromancy without specific permission from his Clan's Primogen is most certainly going to result in the death of the Toreador and a Blood Hunt for the Giovanni who taught it to her. This is one of those in-world consequences that can result in death of a Player's Character. Be Warned.
However if your Character is a rogue or one that likes to challenge authority, then you better hope your student has the presence of mind to keep their new abilities secret. This is most certainly a roleplay choice for both the Mentor and the Student.
- There must be a documented (notecarded) 1 hour of roleplay per level of the skill to effectively teach/learn any new skill, as described below.
- The Mentor must have achieved Level 8 within that desired skillset in order to teach any part of that skillset.
- The first three abilities within the skillset must be taught individually, after which the Vampire learning the skill can now teach himself the remaining levels within that skill, level 4-8.
(This notecarded RP must be sent to the DOD Admins so that the skill of Presence may be opened up on the student's Character Sheet. After which, he/she/they may spend XP points to purchase points in the new skill.) - For Example: Vampire A has obtained Level 8 in Presence. Vampire B has approached her in roleplay to request that she teach him that skill. IF Vampire A is agreeable, then the lessons may begin.
In Roleplay, Vampire A spends a minimum of 1 hour teaching Player B the nuances of Presence Level 1: Awe. This must be done before continuing on with another hour of roleplay to teach Presence Level 2: Dread Gaze, followed by another hour of roleplay to teach Presence Level 3: Entrancement.
Roleplay can be done all in one day, or it can be broken up over multiple days, or even weeks. However the roleplay must be notecarded and provided to the DOD Admins. After Level 3 skills in Presence have been learned in roleplay, the Admins will open up that skillset in Vampire B's Character Sheet and the Player can now purchase those skills if they have enough XP to do so.
- The first three abilities within the skillset must be taught individually, after which the Vampire learning the skill can now teach himself the remaining levels within that skill, level 4-8.
GAROU
The Mentor can only teach a Tribal Gift they have already learned to any Garou student who has also learned the same level in his own Tribe.- For example, a Bone Gnawer who has learned Level 4 Bone Gnawer Gifts, can now choose to teach any of those Gifts (1-4) to a Fianna who has also acquired up to Level 4 Gifts in their own Tribe. The same Bone Gnawer can only teach Level 1 Gifts to another Garou who has only yet learned Level 1 in his own Tribe.
This must be done for a minimum of one hour in Roleplay. This must be documented roleplay that is copy/pasted into a notecard and given to the DOD Admins. Once this is done, the Gift will be added to the student's Character Sheet, where they may purchase that Gift if they have enough Experience Points. - A Garou can only learn a maximum of one out of tribe Gift per level, to a max of 8 additional gifts.
For clarification, Vampires can only learn other Vampire skills, and Garou can only learn other Garou gifts. Vampires cannot learn Garou Gifts, nor can Garou learn Vampire skills.
WARNING!
Some of the more secretive Tribes/Clans are very protective of their skills. Members teaching those skills to outsiders without permission of a Primogen/Elder may be subject to severe punishment if caught doing so in Roleplay.Sharing clan/tribe secrets with another clan/tribe may be cause for severe in-world consequences (up to and including the killing of a Player's Character and the person who was his student.)
I started to play a character, but want to change to a different character. How do I do that?
If you have been playing a character on a DOD HUD and wish to play a different character, you have several choices.
- START NEW: You can purchase another HUD and start fresh with a whole new character. Experience Points you have earned on any previous characters will not be applied to your new character, however you can always go back to playing your previous character and continue earning XP at any time.
- THE DO-OVER: Each SL Account Holder may request one (1) Do-Over on a Dominions of Darkness HUD and have 100% of their earned Experience Points Returned. Second requests for a Do-Over will only return 75% of your Earned Experience Points for reallocation to a new character on the same HUD.
You may contact the Dominions of Darkness Admins through this website or in Second Life to request your current character be "Retired." Doing this will delete your character from your current HUD
WARNING: Retired characters are no longer playable and cannot be brought back. The contents of that character sheet will be wiped from the game servers and will no longer be retrievable. The only thing that remains are the XP points earned while playing the retired character, which you may use to create a new character.
How do I become a Dominions of Darkness City Sim Owner?
For more information on becoming a Dominions of Darkness City Sim owner and collaborator, visit our webpage outlining the criteria. Click Here!
Can DOD City-Sims be Homesteads?
Yes, DOD City-Sims do not have to be full Sims and can be a Homestead. Owning a full sim can be expensive in Second Life and Homesteads are a great option for those who wish to have their own DOD City, but don't want to bankroll a full sim. While owners of a full sim may create a city of any size, Homesteads are limited to medium/smaller cities, towns or villages. Examples of smaller cities are those with a population of under 500,000. These might include Boulder Colorado; Salzburg, Austria, Bath, England; Cincinnati, Ohio, etc.
For questions related to DOD City-Sims, please email the DOD Admins by sending an email via this website. Simply click the small white "envelope" on the upper right toolbar.
For questions related to DOD City-Sims, please email the DOD Admins by sending an email via this website. Simply click the small white "envelope" on the upper right toolbar.
I'm having a problem with another member. How do I get help resolving this or lodging a complaint?
It's inevitable from time to time that Players will come into conflict with each other over interpretation of the rules, personal issues, or other situations where they butt heads. How we deal with these conflicts is important to address.
There is a critical difference between a conflict that involves two "Characters" and a conflict between two "Players."
If your "Character" is having a problem with another "Character" in roleplay, then this is NOT a situation where Admins are needed and your Character must address and respond to it in Roleplay. The only exception to this is if the other Player's Character is not being played by the Rules. And then you have a Player vs. Player conflict.
The Admins ask that you first try to resolve all Player vs. Player disagreements amongst yourselves. We are all Adults here and capable of conflict resolution. However, there are times when arbitration is required when it comes to a question of interpreting the rules and how they are applied to certain situations in Roleplay. Any official DOD Moderator in Second Life can address those issues.
When contacting a Moderator or Admin about conflicts or complaints:
There is a critical difference between a conflict that involves two "Characters" and a conflict between two "Players."
- The Human behind the Keyboard is a Player.
- The Avatar representing a playable Dramatis Persona is a Character brought to life by the Player.
If your "Character" is having a problem with another "Character" in roleplay, then this is NOT a situation where Admins are needed and your Character must address and respond to it in Roleplay. The only exception to this is if the other Player's Character is not being played by the Rules. And then you have a Player vs. Player conflict.
The Admins ask that you first try to resolve all Player vs. Player disagreements amongst yourselves. We are all Adults here and capable of conflict resolution. However, there are times when arbitration is required when it comes to a question of interpreting the rules and how they are applied to certain situations in Roleplay. Any official DOD Moderator in Second Life can address those issues.
When contacting a Moderator or Admin about conflicts or complaints:
- Take all the emotion out of your words.
- Stick only to the facts of the situation. (No hearsay or unprovable claims.)
- Be willing to compromise. Other Players will be asked to do the same.
- Only address issues that occurred in Second Life, in an official Dominions of Darkness Sim. Anything that has happened in other Sims, in Discord, or in Real Life is NOT within our jurisdiction and will NOT be considered.
How do I progress in Level, and how many Experience Points do I get?
Experience points are earned at a rate of 20XP a week for qualified roleplay in any Dominions of Darkness City Sim. An extra 10XP may be earned (for a total of 30XP per week) for participating in qualified Special Events.
DOMINIONS OF DARKNESS LEVEL PROGRESSION CHART, CLICK HERE.
DOMINIONS OF DARKNESS LEVEL PROGRESSION CHART, CLICK HERE.
Can my Character be killed???!!!
The short answer to this is yes...but only under certain conditions listed in the Players' Rules. However, Death is not necessarily the end and there are ways of escaping the true death.
In Dominions of Darkness, death can and will occur. That’s why we've based our roleplay system on the World of Darkness, not the World of Disney.
Killing other Player Characters is NOT the reason for roleplay in Dominions of Darkness. But in-world consequences for in-world actions do justify it. If you go down this path, be prepared for your own in-world consequences.
First and foremost, Dominions of Darkness is NOT a vigilante sim. This means that someone cannot simply attack and kill you with no roleplay, no motivations, and no in-character reason. There are strict rules that must first be followed before murder can take place in roleplay.
While death and murder do happen, we still have rules. This however DOES NOT mean that you can’t kill another Player-Character, or be killed in return. It simply means that the rules of engagement must first be met. For quick reference, these rules and criteria are listed below:
Motivations for Murder
Attackers must have an in-character motivation for killing another player character. And this DOES NOT include OOC reasons, nor does it include “I’m a serial killer, it’s what I do.” In the latter case, knock yourself out killing all the NPCs you can slaughter. But expect the Hunters and/or Police to come looking for you with their own In-World justification for doing away with you.
Attackers must have IN CHARACTER (IC), NOTECARDED SCENES that “significantly” exemplifies the justification for killing another Player-Character. It is required that you contact an Admin or the Head of the Assamites to verify your character has sufficient IC reasons to kill another character first before proceeding in your kill.
Justifications for killing another player character:
In Dominions of Darkness, death can and will occur. That’s why we've based our roleplay system on the World of Darkness, not the World of Disney.
Killing other Player Characters is NOT the reason for roleplay in Dominions of Darkness. But in-world consequences for in-world actions do justify it. If you go down this path, be prepared for your own in-world consequences.
First and foremost, Dominions of Darkness is NOT a vigilante sim. This means that someone cannot simply attack and kill you with no roleplay, no motivations, and no in-character reason. There are strict rules that must first be followed before murder can take place in roleplay.
While death and murder do happen, we still have rules. This however DOES NOT mean that you can’t kill another Player-Character, or be killed in return. It simply means that the rules of engagement must first be met. For quick reference, these rules and criteria are listed below:
Motivations for Murder
Attackers must have an in-character motivation for killing another player character. And this DOES NOT include OOC reasons, nor does it include “I’m a serial killer, it’s what I do.” In the latter case, knock yourself out killing all the NPCs you can slaughter. But expect the Hunters and/or Police to come looking for you with their own In-World justification for doing away with you.
Attackers must have IN CHARACTER (IC), NOTECARDED SCENES that “significantly” exemplifies the justification for killing another Player-Character. It is required that you contact an Admin or the Head of the Assamites to verify your character has sufficient IC reasons to kill another character first before proceeding in your kill.
Justifications for killing another player character:
- Loss: Documented roleplay regarding significant loss of your property/reputation, or personal loss incurred during roleplay by the character you want to kill. This includes the killing of a childe, ghoul or Kinfolk (this does not apply to NPCs). Another great example of In-World Consequences.
- Revenge: Resulting from previous roleplayed consequences, of which you were the primary recipient of the damage that was caused by the person you now wish to kill.
- Clan wars: An official clan war must be declared and authorized by the Primogen/Leader of the Clan/Guild/Pack. The Primogen/Leader is responsible for this action and may be held accountable for the actions of those who are under their direction.
Is there a maximum on modifiers? And if not, how high can my modifiers go?
For all abilities that you can purchase with Experience Points, there is a maximum number you can purchase. For example, all Player Characters can purchase up to 5 points in Willpower. Each point gives a bonus modifier of +5 when making rolls dependent on this ability. Player Characters with 3 points in Willpower will have earned +15 modifier, making it easier to succeed when making their rolls. A Player Character who has purchased all 5 points in Willpower will receive a +25 modifier, making it even easier to be successful when making rolls against their Willpower.
While Players can only purchase 5 points for a maximum of +25 modifier in most abilities, this modifier can go much higher than that. Some skills give Permanent or Temp Modifiers as bonuses, as do certain magical items and skill Buffs. These bonuses can push you above your normal maximum, all the way to +100 or beyond. However, rolling a Botch (a natural 1-10) will always be a failure, no matter how high your modifier. Even if you have a +115 Modifier for Willpower, you will still need to roll for success, giving your Character the opportunity to roll a Botch.
While Players can only purchase 5 points for a maximum of +25 modifier in most abilities, this modifier can go much higher than that. Some skills give Permanent or Temp Modifiers as bonuses, as do certain magical items and skill Buffs. These bonuses can push you above your normal maximum, all the way to +100 or beyond. However, rolling a Botch (a natural 1-10) will always be a failure, no matter how high your modifier. Even if you have a +115 Modifier for Willpower, you will still need to roll for success, giving your Character the opportunity to roll a Botch.
What is the difference between an Attribute, a Skill and an Ability/Disiplines?
This can be a confusing question for many since they seem rather similar and they all require Experience Points to improve or acquire. Hopefully this breakdown will explain the subtle differences between these three important Character elements.
- ATTRIBUTES: These are considered something that might come naturally to the Character, but can be honed and improved upon through physical or mental exercise. As a Player purchases points into their Attributes, their Character becomes a little bit better in being successful when the specific attribute is required to accomplish a task. In Dominions of Darkness, the following are considered Attributes:
- Willower
- Initiative
- Athletics/Reflexes
- Alertness
- Intuition
- Occult
- Persuasion/Intimidation
- Stealth
- SKILLS: This is considered something you would learn in a book or classroom, through experience, or are taught by a Master. In Dominions of Darkness, the following are considered Skills:
- Computers
- Subterfuge
- Investigation
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Larceny
- Craft
- All Combat
- Brawl
- Streetfighter Marital Arts
- Weapons Specialties
- etc.
- ABILITIES (AKA DISCIPLINES): This is considered something that is innate to a Character because of their species, tribe, clan or a supernatural birthright. In Dominions of Darkness, the following examples are considered Abilities:
- Garou Gifts
- Sense Wyld
- Primal Intimidation
- Umbral Ties
- Rage, etc.
- Garou Primal Urge
- Vampire Abilities:
- Celerity
- Fortitude
- Potence
- Auspex
- Presence
- Dominate, etc.
- Garou Gifts
Why Bring World of Darkness to Second Life?
The short answer is because one has a vast universe of epic roleplay games that inspire, terrify and engage players. The other is the first, and in my opinion, only true creative Metaverse where people around the world can interact in an immense virtual world. Not only that, but the vision of World of Darkness is that it is a true world that is open to exploration. And Second Life is more than capable of creating every major city in the world. Why play in just one city when there's truly an entire world waiting for us?
Strengths and Limitations of WOD
While World of Darkness has created intricate and extensive rules for fantastic tabletop roleplay, its limitations are that it was created for a limited number of tabletop players. The games they created, while similar horror-based universes, were also meant to be played separately, not together. Each species has its own books, rules, abilities and point systems. Werewolves, Vampires, Hunters, Mages, Changelings (amongst others) are the heroes/anti-heroes of their own stories and not meant to be played together. Their Players Guides were not created on equal footing and their differences are too conflicting.
As a tabletop game, this works out nicely. But as a virtual game with potentially hundreds if not thousands of potential players, this limitation creates a bottleneck for roleplay and a quagmire of conflicting rules and character inequity. Casually putting them together simply because they are World of Darkness publications is simply an exercise in frustration for players and Game Masters alike.
Fortunately, this is not an insurmountable problem but it is one that requires an intense reimagining of rules, point systems, compromise and balancing. This dedication has required years to resolve.
While Dominions of Darkness deeply respects the vision of World of Darkness and has worked hard to keep as much as possible unchanged, there was a "come to Jesus" moment of realization for the team that to launch this as a Second Life Universe we would need to build on the characteristics that work, and modify those that simply couldn't adequately translate to a virtual world.
If you have played any of the World of Darkness tabletop games, we hope you will recognize this effort and understand that some aspects will be different but certainly enhanced beyond the D-20 experience. If you have played World of Darkness in Second Life sims in the past, we hope you will see the improvements and enhancements that have been made. This includes more levels to achieve and vastly more skills, abilities, and gifts from which to select.
Strengths and Weakness of Second Life
Second Life serves as an incredible platform where Avatars truly mimic whatever the person behind the keyboard wishes to be. Customization of Avatars is incredible. Something that META has no concept or understanding of in its current form. The amount of SL player-created avatars and virtual assets is nothing short of astonishing, allowing all who participate to step into entire worlds created just for them. So instead of using tiny lead figures (yes, I've spent so many hours painting these for tabletop roleplay), you can use your own interpretation of your characters with realistic and lifelike features. Just that alone is candy for the imagination.
Another great strength of Second Life is that it is SIM based, meaning that each Dominions of Darkness city (SIM) has its own private real estate where people like you and me can build. Players can hop from city to city to city 24 hours a day, seven days a week to engage in roleplay with people around the world. If that doesn't scream roleplay nirvana, then nothing does.
While tabletop roleplay has the DM/GM as the moderator for the rules of the game, Second Life has the ability to create scripted HUDS that keep track of all the Character Sheets, earned levels/XP, and abilities/skills/gifts.
Admittedly, this is both a challenge and a huge asset. In tabletop play, the DM/GM can stop the play, look up obscure abilities and rules, then continue on in the game. He/she/they can also ensure that players do not cheat or fudge their numbers. This is very difficult in a virtual world where hundreds of people are playing at the same time. I know that many of you who have roleplayed in previous Second Life sims have been frustrated by those who cheat, simply because there is really very little oversight capability; and the "honor system" is little more than how much someone can get away with before being caught.
The Dominions of Darkness HUD changes all that. The HUD contains every character type, all the skills, abilities, talents, numinas, gifts, etc. Mods are automatically calculated into a Player's roll, so cheating or fudging numbers is a thing of the past. Another benefit of this is that more levels have been made available, and more gifts and abilities were added without bogging down the roleplay or limiting character development.
With the DOD HUD, Players can instantly use earned experience points to purchase new skills without bothering to wait for an Admin to approve or apply them. Roleplay is based on these earned levels that enhance abilities, removing any type of prim-based combat where the noob with a faster high-end computer can outfight a seasoned character.
Another great strength is that other Players can open their own City-Sims and expand the world of darkness. All Players use the same DOD HUD and potentially roleplay anywhere in the world. The Second Life Community is vast and dedicated, allowing for diverse characters, adventures and experiences.
Second Life has a great many strengths as mentioned above, but there are limitations as well. The first is that creating the Dominions of Darkness HUD has been many years in the making, beyond simply the specialized skills of a talented scripter. Each and every character, talents, gifts, numinas, and abilities has a balanced numerical modification number associated with it. Each species, tribe, clan, etc. has potentially hundreds of variable abilities as well. While this is do-able, it is not without the effort of a team to pull together. And Second Life script is probably not the ideal language for such an endeavor.
Another limitation of Second Life is the cost of its SIMs. While there are similar and cheaper virtual world platforms, none have the community and the amount of fantastic virtual assets in which to build. As the creators of Dominions of Darkness, we realize that there will be ongoing out-of-pocket monthly expenses associated with creating and maintaining this vision in order to allow our Players to play for free. This is not a money-making venture by any stretch of the imagination. While some options do cost money (additional HUDs, virtual rentals, subscription options, custom merchandise, etc.) these merely help offset a portion of the cost and are certainly not mandatory for anyone to play. This is not a pay-to-play model. Dominions of Darkness was created out of passion with no expectation of profit.
For those of you who have gotten this far, thank you for wanting to know why we chose to work with World of Darkness and Second Life. We invite you to explore these vast Dominions of Darkness and help us grow the dream.
Strengths and Limitations of WOD
While World of Darkness has created intricate and extensive rules for fantastic tabletop roleplay, its limitations are that it was created for a limited number of tabletop players. The games they created, while similar horror-based universes, were also meant to be played separately, not together. Each species has its own books, rules, abilities and point systems. Werewolves, Vampires, Hunters, Mages, Changelings (amongst others) are the heroes/anti-heroes of their own stories and not meant to be played together. Their Players Guides were not created on equal footing and their differences are too conflicting.
As a tabletop game, this works out nicely. But as a virtual game with potentially hundreds if not thousands of potential players, this limitation creates a bottleneck for roleplay and a quagmire of conflicting rules and character inequity. Casually putting them together simply because they are World of Darkness publications is simply an exercise in frustration for players and Game Masters alike.
Fortunately, this is not an insurmountable problem but it is one that requires an intense reimagining of rules, point systems, compromise and balancing. This dedication has required years to resolve.
While Dominions of Darkness deeply respects the vision of World of Darkness and has worked hard to keep as much as possible unchanged, there was a "come to Jesus" moment of realization for the team that to launch this as a Second Life Universe we would need to build on the characteristics that work, and modify those that simply couldn't adequately translate to a virtual world.
If you have played any of the World of Darkness tabletop games, we hope you will recognize this effort and understand that some aspects will be different but certainly enhanced beyond the D-20 experience. If you have played World of Darkness in Second Life sims in the past, we hope you will see the improvements and enhancements that have been made. This includes more levels to achieve and vastly more skills, abilities, and gifts from which to select.
Strengths and Weakness of Second Life
Second Life serves as an incredible platform where Avatars truly mimic whatever the person behind the keyboard wishes to be. Customization of Avatars is incredible. Something that META has no concept or understanding of in its current form. The amount of SL player-created avatars and virtual assets is nothing short of astonishing, allowing all who participate to step into entire worlds created just for them. So instead of using tiny lead figures (yes, I've spent so many hours painting these for tabletop roleplay), you can use your own interpretation of your characters with realistic and lifelike features. Just that alone is candy for the imagination.
Another great strength of Second Life is that it is SIM based, meaning that each Dominions of Darkness city (SIM) has its own private real estate where people like you and me can build. Players can hop from city to city to city 24 hours a day, seven days a week to engage in roleplay with people around the world. If that doesn't scream roleplay nirvana, then nothing does.
While tabletop roleplay has the DM/GM as the moderator for the rules of the game, Second Life has the ability to create scripted HUDS that keep track of all the Character Sheets, earned levels/XP, and abilities/skills/gifts.
Admittedly, this is both a challenge and a huge asset. In tabletop play, the DM/GM can stop the play, look up obscure abilities and rules, then continue on in the game. He/she/they can also ensure that players do not cheat or fudge their numbers. This is very difficult in a virtual world where hundreds of people are playing at the same time. I know that many of you who have roleplayed in previous Second Life sims have been frustrated by those who cheat, simply because there is really very little oversight capability; and the "honor system" is little more than how much someone can get away with before being caught.
The Dominions of Darkness HUD changes all that. The HUD contains every character type, all the skills, abilities, talents, numinas, gifts, etc. Mods are automatically calculated into a Player's roll, so cheating or fudging numbers is a thing of the past. Another benefit of this is that more levels have been made available, and more gifts and abilities were added without bogging down the roleplay or limiting character development.
With the DOD HUD, Players can instantly use earned experience points to purchase new skills without bothering to wait for an Admin to approve or apply them. Roleplay is based on these earned levels that enhance abilities, removing any type of prim-based combat where the noob with a faster high-end computer can outfight a seasoned character.
Another great strength is that other Players can open their own City-Sims and expand the world of darkness. All Players use the same DOD HUD and potentially roleplay anywhere in the world. The Second Life Community is vast and dedicated, allowing for diverse characters, adventures and experiences.
Second Life has a great many strengths as mentioned above, but there are limitations as well. The first is that creating the Dominions of Darkness HUD has been many years in the making, beyond simply the specialized skills of a talented scripter. Each and every character, talents, gifts, numinas, and abilities has a balanced numerical modification number associated with it. Each species, tribe, clan, etc. has potentially hundreds of variable abilities as well. While this is do-able, it is not without the effort of a team to pull together. And Second Life script is probably not the ideal language for such an endeavor.
Another limitation of Second Life is the cost of its SIMs. While there are similar and cheaper virtual world platforms, none have the community and the amount of fantastic virtual assets in which to build. As the creators of Dominions of Darkness, we realize that there will be ongoing out-of-pocket monthly expenses associated with creating and maintaining this vision in order to allow our Players to play for free. This is not a money-making venture by any stretch of the imagination. While some options do cost money (additional HUDs, virtual rentals, subscription options, custom merchandise, etc.) these merely help offset a portion of the cost and are certainly not mandatory for anyone to play. This is not a pay-to-play model. Dominions of Darkness was created out of passion with no expectation of profit.
For those of you who have gotten this far, thank you for wanting to know why we chose to work with World of Darkness and Second Life. We invite you to explore these vast Dominions of Darkness and help us grow the dream.
How much blood can a Vampire safely drink from a human?
Vampires can safely drink up to 10 points of Energy from a Human. This instantly provides the Vampire with both:
Drinking more than 30 Energy points from a Human will put that Human into a coma and require hospitalization.
Human NPCs vs Human Player Characters
Vampire Player Characters may feed on and kill all the NPCs they wish to maintain their health, and for their general pleasure. Human and other Player Characters cannot be killed without that Player's permission (See Death and Murder in Dominions of Darkness).
If half or more of an NPC Human's blood is taken, that Human will die. Vampires can only take up to 30 Energy Points of a Human Player Character. This will render them unconscious and in need of hospitalization.
Drinking from Garou and other Supernatural Beings
Drinking from a Garou follows the same rules, but with a few added risks for the Vampire to Frenzy:
- 10 Health Points
- 10 Blood/Energy Points
Drinking more than 30 Energy points from a Human will put that Human into a coma and require hospitalization.
Human NPCs vs Human Player Characters
Vampire Player Characters may feed on and kill all the NPCs they wish to maintain their health, and for their general pleasure. Human and other Player Characters cannot be killed without that Player's permission (See Death and Murder in Dominions of Darkness).
If half or more of an NPC Human's blood is taken, that Human will die. Vampires can only take up to 30 Energy Points of a Human Player Character. This will render them unconscious and in need of hospitalization.
Drinking from Garou and other Supernatural Beings
Drinking from a Garou follows the same rules, but with a few added risks for the Vampire to Frenzy:
- 10 Points = +10 to Frenzy
- 20 Points = +20 to Frenzy
- 30 Points = +30 to Frenzy