Frequently Asked Questions
Here at Three on a Match, we want to provide an entertaining sandbox for anyone interested in roleplaying an urban fantasy/supernatural world or play characters inspired by myth and folklore. We emphasise character customisation for a unique character building experience, with plenty of room for in-game development.
Along with that, the keywords we use for our magic system are able to be interpreted and mixed and matched to your heart's content. Ultimately, we aim to be an open and fun writing community focused on exploring personal stories and bigger adventures. With our PVE focused Encounter system, we want to see players test their mettle against the mythical monsters and creatures that exist out in the world, while simultaneously having fun in the Discord community.
No, that's not required, but preferred, since we offer more real-time updates on the server. Otherwise, you'll only see updates monthly. We also have game design and event planning discussions on the server, which everyone is welcome to join. The community is present on the server, with plotting and thread opens being linked, so if you want to be involved in that, the Discord is recommended.
We firmly believe that RP is a hobby, so we are fairly relaxed on activity. You can take as little or as much time as needed with your posts, with respect to your thread partners. That said, we do like to keep things neat, so everyone is subject to the monthly clean up checks and we will archive according to our activity guidelines. If you find your account has been set as inactive, simply tag @admin in the #mod-request channel with links to the characters and threads you'd like to reactivate, and we'll get that squared away.
Posting templates are not required. If you decide to use one, please try to keep it simple and readable. Other useful templates can be found here.
Three on a Match uses BBCode in its posts, with a post editor that allows for easy access to formatting options such as links, colour, font size, and lists. Please use common sense when formatting posts to ensure readability first and foremost and a cohesive board style second. We also have custom post codes you can use, the most practical among them the [q][/q] dialogue code, which will automatically add quotations and your Path colour to your dialogue.
In the drop down menu at the bottom of the thread page, named Moderator Options, you have the option to 'Discontinue' or 'Archive' a thread. This allows users to archive or mark a thread as inactive without needing staff moderation. We ask that users archive their threads when they finish them.
Choosing 'Archive' will move the thread to the general archives and be shown as 'finished' on a character's threadlog (neither highlighted green or red).
'Discontinue' will move a thread to the discontinued section of the archive, which will remove the thread from a characters threadlog entirely. This option is for threads that have gone inactive for whatever reason and have not been finished. In order to remove a thread from the discontinued archives, you will need to contact an administrator on Discord.
The Short Story forum is a place for anything in character that isn't roleplaying with a partner. So short stories, vignettes, and experiences you'd like to give your character without getting held up in a collaborative thread. You could call it the spot for "solo" threads. However, threads in the Short Story forum cannot be used for advancement in the paths or in reputation.
The maximum dimensions for avatars are: 250x420 pixels.
The maximum dimensions for banners are: 1000x275 pixels.
The Strike & Cinder Dice system is not required, but using it is rewarded. You're welcome and encouraged to develop powers without ranking up, but the only way to gain more dice in your Strike and Cinder pools is to use them and ranking up along the Advancement Ranks.
Keywords are the building blocks of our magic system. Although they only exist in the meta, when you select one for your character, you are given access to anything you can think of within that keyword. They provide a solid framework for you to build off of creatively while also allowing you to fit into the game world and utilize the dice.
Your Keyword powers can develop in game as you write, independent of Advancement. So long as the power fits either one keyword or a combination, it can freely develop through threads.
A cantrip/charm is a minor ability based on a Keyword, which means it is in essence a simple magic trick. It is set and decided on creation or on gaining it through Advancement, and it cannot be changed in play. Characters can have multiple cantrips/charms.
A difference between cantrips/charms and Keyword powers is that cantrips/charms are set and do not evolve, while Keywords can develop over time. Cantrips/Charms also do not have to be rolled for, and do not impact Luck. Meanwhile keyword powers are rolled for in PVP and Encounters or when you plan to use it for Advancement.
An Encounter is a generated "opponent" players can request for their threads. Here players can pit their characters against monsters or other beings using the Strike & Cinder dice system. Encounters are purely PVE, and can pit the character against both hostile and more social situations they have to RP and roll their way through.
Encounters get decided through random selection. We have a sheet with possible encounters, all numbered and assigned set difficulties and dice pools. Then, when a player posts a request, we roll a die numbered with the possible encounters for a location and select based on the result. Factors such as time of day and reputation can impact the type of encounter available.
The hotspot locations are locations where players can get a custom-tailored encounter that’s a little out of the ordinary and not selected from a random roll. The difference may be the flavour, dice pool stats, unique encounter rules, or a combination.
There is no limit to how many characters you can have, but there is an expectation that you are able to actively post with those you have and do not neglect the threads you have joined or started.
Your PC cannot be younger than 18. NPCs may be any age, but scenes with inappropriate situations that involve NPCs who are minors will not be tolerated.
Chosen face claims/play-bys must be celebrities and people in the public eye, not private persons or illustrated pictures. See a complete list of current taken face claims here.
Players can own and operate many business locations in Easthaven and potentially place their own on the map. After two months on-site and four threads in a location, a player can have a character purchase a business by submitting a request to the staff. Alternatively, if you want an established character, they can "own" it, but it will not become an official location before the requirements are fulfilled.
If it is a pre-existing location, staff will add a note to the location of who the owner is, and the player can advertise to hire employees. If it's a brand new location, the player must submit a write-up of the location, ensuring it matches the neighbourhood it is established in.
Yes, players can invent their own groups and organisations to enrich the lives of their characters. You are welcome and encouraged to worldbuild around your character or their backstory, including creating organizations other than those that exist in the site lore and in the real world. You can read the People & Events page for examples of existing organisations and groups and the Lore Addition thread for guidelines.
A half-blood ancestor can be a creature from mythology, folklore, Lovecraft, or cultural works, excluding anything considered a deity. Half-bloods are not demigods. We also ask that players pick a creature using trusted sources, such as Encyclopedia Britannica, World History Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, published non-fiction books, or similar. If your chosen creature is only listed in the D&D Monster Manual, it is not valid as an ancestor.
There is no hard limit to how old an Undying character can be, so long as the age is justified in the history of the character. For the sake of simplicity, keep it within the bounds of recorded history.
As the Undying are a catchall Path for all undead-like figures in myth and legend, an Undying can possibly be many things, including Vampires, Frankenstein's monster, Jiangshi, or a manner of revenant. The most important factor is that they are not mindless, so it is up to a player to shape their desired folkloric figure to suit their needs. Mindless undead are Undying who have become monstrous and lost themselves, which they cannot recover from, or never were Undying to begin with.
A Possessed character cannot be the vessel of a diety and they do not communicate with dieties. They can choose a messenger of a diety or any type of spirit, even long-dead humans. Currently, we allow muses and furies for the Possessed, but any similar minor goddesses or gods need to be checked with staff first. The best place to ask us is in the #❔questions channel on the Discord server.
Unlike the Discord and roleplay guidelines, the points below are simply community standards and basic consideration we expect fellow RPers to give their partners. The admins will not be actively policing what players write in threads or do with their characters unless it breaks an explicit rule or crosses boundaries, and it is brought to our attention.
We do not have a word minimum--often, a few sentences will suffice as a reply--but proper grammar and spelling are expected.
Remember that you're writing with a partner, not writing a book. Having too many actions or too much dialogue in one post often leads to concurrent conversations and actions as your partner works to catch up with you, or the first half getting ignored as they focus on the most recent action/dialogue section. Ask yourself "Am I giving the other character time to respond?" if you're working with a lot of actions and dialogue.
If you write in a style that has an omniscient narrator, keep in mind that players are in charge of what others may or may not know about their characters if it hasn't been established in character. Characters are allowed to have secrets and they may not be able to control who knows what if they reveal themselves in a thread, but no one should assume someone is guaranteed to know a detail about a character. As always, this is a matter discussed between players.
Engaging the dice system means accepting the accompanying risks, and numbers leave little room for interpretation. Consequences are expected to appropriately reflect the rolls, and the varying degrees of success or failure. For example, in a potentially lethal situation, a player will not be required to kill or maim their character. However, a critical failure is still a critical failure and a player is encouraged to interpret it as such, in the context of the situation. The dice system is designed to introduce an element of unpredictability.
Roleplay is meant for fun, exploration, and creativity. Unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it is never to be assumed that in-character actions reflect a player's out-of-character opinion, stance, or thoughts/urges. Refrain from projecting a character's actions on the roleplayer.
We encourage mature discussion around character choices and development, making it an interesting character exploration moment rather than a moment of hostility. Also, other characters will do things that you don't like, which is inevitable in collaborative writing. Players will need to learn to work with it. Keep discussions civil and authentic, remembering our basic guidelines.
We have a thread prefix option in the posting panel that allows players to mark their threads as "Open," which means anyone can enter it freely. If a thread does not have this prefix and you want to join it, you should ask all the participants in the thread and get their permission. Without permission, your presence may be unwelcome in the thread.
Players may participate in as many threads as they like, so long as they believe they can respond to their partners in a timely manner.