CHARACTER CREATION
- All cats have an equivalent lifespan to that of a modern human. Player characters should range from 16 to 65.
- Applicants can only, if accepted, play the character they originally applied with. There will be no chances provided to play an alternate character.
- The average cat height is about 9 inches (~24 cm) at the shoulder, or around 3 feet (~91 cm) standing. Cats may be as small as 7 inches (~18 cm) and as tall as 14 inches (~35 cm) at the shoulder. Exceptions can be made for characters that are short legged, like a munchkin cat.
- All eye colors are allowed (including heterochromia), as are most mutations (albinism/leucism, body type mutations, etc.).
- For the most part, a cat’s natural posture can switch from bipedal (on two legs) to quadrupedal (four legs) with ease. While some cultures may favor one over the other, the ability is inherent and can be practiced regardless of what's initially taught. Every individual has their own preferences, as well.
- In combat, an upright posture can assist with weapons that might otherwise prove awkward to use (i.e. bow and arrows). Depending on weapon type, they also have the potential to limit a full range of mobility.
- A cat can wear any amount of clothing, but remember that these cats will be going on expeditions; they should not wear anything that would logically hinder them in moving. In giving your character clothing, be sure that the anatomy remains catlike. If you're unsure whether your character meets these guidelines, feel free to message us so we can give it a look!
Additionally, do not give your character anything culturally appropriative if you are not a part of that culture. For example, do NOT give your cats skulls, war paint, or feathers in their fur if you are not Indigenous. If you're unsure whether your character meets all these guidelines, feel free to message us so we can give it a look!
NOTE: Avoid giving your character physical traits that would give them an overly humanoid appearance. Defined shoulders and plantigrade legs/feet fall into this category.
- Try not to describe your character with “breed” identifiers such as a “sphynx'' or “domestic shorthair” - characters can have traits from any modern breed of cat. Not to mention, the terminology simply doesn’t exist within the world! With that said, anything considered a wild hybrid (savannahs, bengals, etc.) is NOT allowed since there’s no “wild cats” (servals, asian leopard cats) to hybridize with.
- Tufts or even braids for longer haired cats are allowed, but avoid full heads of hair that may give the appearance of a wig.
- For the most part, you’ll be given a large degree of freedom in terms of design you choose for your character as cats can display a wide array of natural patterns and colors. However, we ask that overly saturated colors not be used in large quantities in a way that might seem too fantastical. For example, a cat can be a deep russet-orange with dark rosettes and stripes, but can’t be bright purple with a star design on its back. If you have any questions whether your design is acceptable or not, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a Guildmaster!
ABOVE, LEFT: An unacceptable design - too many saturated colors and sharp, unnatural markings.
ABOVE, RIGHT: A more acceptable, similar design - still “purple” with brighter accents, but overall more cohesive.
- Disabilities are allowed, although it is highly suggested to do your research carefully beforehand. Characters must be able to navigate and move independently, as they’ll be going on expeditions. Mobility devices such as prosthetics exist, magical and mundane alike, but give no added benefit beyond the purpose it was made for (a leg prosthetic will grant a cat the ability to walk, but it won’t grant super speed or heightened senses). Magic should not just automatically “fix” a disability.
- Abnormal features including but not limited to scales or feathers made from magic exist, but are quite rare and don’t provide any inherent advantage over a mundane cat. Coverage of these features are also quite minimal, taking up a small area of no more than 20% of total body area (and usually much less).
- For feathers in particular: they MUST have a color that is already on your cat's design. In addition, they should grow in large patches and not look like accessories. If you are unsure whether your design meets these guidelines, please message us!
- Characters can hail from any part of the world! Only a small section is shown on the map and by no means illustrates the entirety of the planet, so feel free to use your imagination and creativity. Alternatively, you can use any canon location or setting in part of your character’s background. Take a gander at the Waywardia page to see location creation rules, as well as details about canon locations.
- Boundless may be implemented within character histories within reason. For example: it would be allowed for the character to have witnessed/experienced a dangerous encounter a Boundless, or lived through a greater calamity by one in a location off-map. It wouldn’t be allowed to “retcon” or “write-in” large events actively happening in on-map locations, like having a Boundless destroying a canon village or terrorizing the countryside.
- Visual art is mandatory to participate, but does not necessarily have to be illustrated by the player themselves. Bases (free to use or with permission) are allowed.