Do I need to know how to role play or game?

No. You don’t need to have any role-playing or gaming experience, and you don’t need literature-level writing skills. We’re not that fussy

But you do need to be a fair writer, with a good grasp of basic language skills and grammar. You also need to know how to get along well and play nicely with others.

If you are interested in learning how to role-play, we recommend How to Get What You Want Out of Role Playing. It’ll teach you the ropes of role playing, let you know what to expect in an rpg game and how to be a great player. Click here to learn more.

You can also explore the articles at our Capturing Fantasy blog, where we offer free advice on creative writing, role-playing and gaming in general.

What’s This World of Darkness Stuff?

Role-playing is a game. Many game companies have developed rules for role-playing. White Wolf, the creators of the World of Darkness game system, is just one of those companies.

The World of Darkness game system includes rules for play using human characters as well as supernatural characters. We loosely base our game rules on various World of Darkness systems and adapt them to our own needs and desires.

You don’t need to know anything about World of Darkness or White Wolf to play. If you’re interested in exploring their system, we recommend the core World of Darkness game system rulebook.

What Kind of Characters Do You Accept?

The cast of characters at Escaping Reality are mostly human – the best types of characters there are, in our opinion. There are also some werewolves, a couple of vampires, and a few shape shifters – but just to add some spice.

All players begin with a human character and must explore and develop them for a few months before we’ll consider a request for a supernatural character.

To be truthful, many players discover that they prefer their human after a month or so of playing and abandon the idea of having a supernatural character.

Alright. How Do I Create a Character?

First, spend some time thinking about the character you’d like to play. Consider his or her physical description, history and personality. This is called a character concept.

For tips on creating a good character concept, we recommend How to Create a Believable Character, a 19-page ebook with worksheets you can fill out. Click here to learn more.

When you feel you have a solid grasp on a good character concept, click here to fill in our Character Submission Form.

What Happens After I Submit a Character Concept?

The Storytellers review your character concept. If your character is approved, you’ll receive an email confirming acceptance and an invitation to audition with an ST.

I Have to Audition to Play?

Yes, you do. An audition ensures your comfort level with role-playing and your ability to write in a collaborative environment. It also helps you to enjoy a quality collaborative game and players who match your abilities.

How Do Auditions Work?

You receive a personal email from one of our lovely STs. The email includes a scene set-up created by an ST, setting information, visual description, and character dialogue – just as if you were playing in our live game.

You write your character’s response and email it back to the ST, and so on for a few ‘posts’. This gives us a sample that allows us to see how you would react in a true game and respond to other players that would interact with you.

I’ve Submitted my Audition. Now What?

The Storytellers review your audition. If your audition is approved, you’ll receive a welcome email with your registration information.

You’ll be able to log into the game site and start playing!

I Didn’t Pass the Audition or My Character Concept Wasn’t Accepted. Now What?

We’re all for second chances. If we don’t accept a character concept or audition, we let hopeful players know the reason why. That lets people know what they need to work on, areas they could improve or tweaks they need to make to be accepted. Sometimes it’s just something small that can be corrected.

You can improve or correct the issue, resubmit and try again – but only once.

I Have No Idea What I’m Doing. Can Someone Help?

We sure can. It’s our pleasure to make you feel comfortable and answer your questions while you get your feet under you.

Just click here to contact the Storytellers. We’ll respond within 48 hours.