guide_to_beginners_and_more [Palimpsest]

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======Guide For Beginners======

Hello, and welcome to the wiki for //Palimpsest//! For many of you, whether you are a fresher or a current member, this could be your first experience with society games. There's a lot to wrap your head around, with its own lingo and structure, but fear not! This page will try and give you a rundown of the basics you have to know.

Just one very important note: **you don't need to read this entire website**! We've written a lot about this world for you to read, but by no means must you read all of it (although if you do want to, we'd be very honoured!). Read only what interests you and what's relevant to a character you might like to play. Please do, however, also familiarise yourself with the game's **[[conduct_and_acceptable_themes_policy|Conduct and Acceptable Themes Policy]]**, which every player should have an understanding of before playing. You will find a guide to the sections of the website and what they tell you below.

Any questions, concerns, character concepts, and anything else you'd like to tell us about should be emailed to **[[gm@palimpsest.oxfordrpg.com|the GM Team]]** or shared with us on Discord.

===== What is a Roleplaying Game? =====
A role-playing game is, simply put, a game where you play a role. It's a game where you turn up, create a character to play, and act as that character, with many others around you doing the same. You can make the story whatever you want it to be: there's no linear story that must be followed, just the setting, the characters and the Game Masters (GMs) to ensure it runs smoothly. The rest is up to you!

The most important thing about roleplaying is to have fun. You can do that by winning, you can do that by losing, or you can just interact with your fellow players' characters and weave a lovely story. Absolutely no experience is required to play a Society Game like //Palimpsest//, and there will be plenty of supportive people on hand to help you out if you're confused about any aspect of the game. Turn up and enjoy yourself!

=====What is a Society Game? =====

If you've come to this society, you might be expecting a big table, a bunch of character sheets and someone with a cardboard screen at the end. You wouldn't be the first: a lot of our veteran players expected a tabletop before their first games, but Society Games are not tabletops. Instead, they're a semi-live-action role-playing system where players meet up in a room (during Uptime) and talk in character to other PCs (Player Characters) and NPCs (Non-Player Characters) to share information and move the plot forward. //Palimpsest// will take place at Corpus Christi College on Tuesday Week 1 to 6 from 7pm to 10pm (please see **[[When and Where]]** for more information).

The Society Game changes from year to year, and usually consists of a two-term game from Michaelmas to Hilary, and a one-term game during Trinity term (like this one!). //Palimpsest// is one of two games running throughout Trinity 2026, the other being **[[https://exnihilo.oxfordrpg.com|Ex Nihilo]]**.

Please read the society's CAT (Contents and Acceptable Themes) policy before starting a game at **[[https://oxfordrpg.com/CATPolicy2025.pdf|Society CAT policy]]**, as this is mandatory for Society membership. The //Palimpsest//-specific CAT policy is available at **[[conduct_and_acceptable_themes_policy|Conduct and Acceptable Themes Policy]]**. The CAT policy will let you know what potentially upsetting topics to expect in the game, and which you should not bring up while playing, so that we can all have a safe and enjoyable experience.

The game consists of a combination of Uptime and Downtime. Uptime refers to the in-person roleplaying sessions described above, where your character attends a gathering in which you play them talking to, and plotting with, other characters, pursuing GM-led story, and making arrangements for Downtime.

Downtime refers to any in-game time and story that occurs between Uptimes in-game. After every Uptime, you have a couple of days to consider the actions your character will do in your Turnsheet (the deadline for which will be Thursday at 23:59). 

A Turnsheet, which you submit through the Society Game wiki (this website!), details the actions your character takes throughout the rest of Downtime. Turnsheets come in two parts: the Turnsheet submission, which you write to tell the GMs what your character does with the time between sessions, and the Turnsheet response. Before the next session, your character receives a Turnsheet response, which is a piece of writing custom-written for your character by the GMs. This contains how you got on with your actions, and forms some starting points for plots going forward into the next section. You can read more about Turnsheets and how they work **[[downtimes_and_turnsheets|here]]**.

There are some other terms you may hear thrown around the society ('ballgowning,' the 'IC/OC divide'...). You can find an explanation for many of these terms on our **[[glossary]]** page. 

If you've made it this far, you should be all set to start playing a Society Game! But don't worry if you still have questions---the GMs are very friendly (we promise) and are always happy to answer any questions you might have. You can contact the GMs on Discord or via the GM email, **[[gm@palimpsest.oxfordrpg.com|gm@palimpsest.oxfordrpg.com]]**.

Below, you’ll find some tips on things to consider while roleplaying. This list is by no means exhaustive, and don't feel obliged to read it all (or at all)---but it could give you some ideas on how to engage in roleplaying sensitively while still having fun!

======Tips for Roleplaying in Palimpsest======

For those new to roleplaying, there's a lot of little things that may not be immediately obvious, but when you think about them they make a lot of sense. Even for more experienced roleplayers, it's easy to forget these things when getting involved in a game---this page may have something for everyone!

See the **[[glossary]]** for a guide to roleplaying terminology used here.

====When In Doubt, Calibrate OC (Out-of-Character)====
Don't be afraid to drop out of character briefly to check with other players and GMs whether they are happy with the direction and intensity of roleplay. For particularly intense interactions you have planned---such as an angry rant at someone else's character---it can be helpful to discuss in advance of the session whether this is something you are both happy with.

When **[[glossary#ballgowning|ballgowning]]** (roleplaying romantic relationships) or similarly intense relationships with another player or GM, it is particularly important to calibrate early and frequently, to help make sure that everyone remains comfortable with the roleplaying.

//Palimpsest// tackles a lot of complex and often heavy topics. Be prepared to calibrate when dealing with the topics outlined in our **[[conduct_and_acceptable_themes_policy|CAT policy]]**.

====Talk to the GMs====
At times, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking “I'm working against the environment, and the environment is controlled by the GMs, therefore I am working against the GMs”. However, this is not true. The GMs are first and foremost here to create a fun game for you. That does mean creating challenges in the environment, yes, but also giving you the means to overcome those obstacles.

In practice, this means you should tell the GMs your plans, so we can help make sure they happen or adjudicate fairly between competing PCs. We're not going to use that information to make some contrived reason your plan can't happen; we're going to use it to make it look really cool when your clever plan works (or sometimes if it doesn’t, why it’s cool or interesting anyway).

Similarly, it can be useful to GMs to make clear the difference between your OC desires and your character's desires in the OC Thoughts section of your Turnsheet submission, especially if they are radically distinct from one another (an example of this can be seen in **[[sample_turnsheets#sample_turnsheet_2|Sarana’s sample Turnsheet]]**).

====Character Links====
If you think your character would have a link to another PC (e.g. having crossed paths previously, or knowing a mutual friend), there will be an opportunity to establish these on the discord during character creation. Alternatively, there is nothing to stop you from establishing minor character links in Uptime, if you think it would make for a more interesting dynamic! However, if you and another character want your plots to be especially interwoven from the beginning, you may want to consider taking the **[[quirks#relationship_1_-1_|Relationship]]** Quirk and specifying how this manifests in your Character Creation form. This can, of course, emerge organically over the course of the game too, so don’t feel like the Quirk is necessary---they’re ultimately just ways of encouraging your creativity.

====Play to Lift====
When someone does something dramatic, play into what they have done---act into how you think another person wants to be perceived, while staying true to your character. Rather than shutting down what someone is trying to do, consider how you can play it up.

Example of shutting down: One character blames the team for losing a game. You say that it’s no big deal, and move on.

Example of dramatic lifting up: One character blames the team for losing a game. In turn, you dramatically accuse them of being a bad captain, and maybe, if they hadn’t been so distracted with what’s clearly a crush on another character, the outcome might have been different.

Example of diplomatic lifting up: One character blames the team for losing a game. In turn, you step in to mediate the argument, suggesting the captain calm down and have a little chat---you know a thing or two about leadership and maybe they should take your advice.

You don't always have to be dramatic, but your PC can have a variety of noticeable reactions to a situation.

===="Yes, and..."==== 
When someone makes something up, you can agree with them, and then expand on it. This allows you to build on what someone has said without contradicting them. 

Example of “no”: One character says they're missing their home island back in Bahlong in the House of Fame, and are worried about the Hen Eibari raiders they’ve seen around its shores recently. You ignore them and start talking about something else completely different, shutting them down.

Example of “yes, and…”: One character says they're missing their home island back in Bahlong in the House of Fame, and are worried about the Hen Eibari raiders they’ve seen around its shores recently. You ask them what it is exactly they’re missing (and perhaps who…), and potentially why the Hen Eibari are there (if your character wouldn’t know), leading to a likely interesting interaction and routes for character growth.

===="No, but..."====
When someone makes something up that you don't agree with, rather than shutting them down completely, you can offer an alternative idea. 

Example of “no, but…”: 
One character says they're missing their home island back in Bahlong in the House of Fame, and are worried about the Hen Eibari raiders they’ve seen around its shores recently. You say you haven’t noticed any, but you’ve heard that an NPC or another character is trying to work against this. The other character is intrigued and may be enabled to engage with plotlines that could be very for their characters.

Both of these examples are not restrictive---”yes, and…”, and “no, but…” are ultimately just useful ways to remember how to roleplay in a way that is constructive and encourages creativity in a way that is enjoyable! The crucial caveat to this is that you (and the other person involved) must be comfortable with the conversation taking place. If ever this is becoming an issue for either of you, there are a variety of **[[uptimes and sessions#safety_calls|safety calls]]** you can use to, for instance, tone down or simply remove yourself from the conversation, no questions asked. 



====Design Characters To Engage====
We all love our characters---coming up with a cool character for the setting is heaps of fun, especially when you think of a cool aspect of the world you want to interact with. However it can be easy to forget that given it's a LARP, you need to play that character, and it should be fun to play that character.

What this means in practice is that while a cool brooding character who doesn't want to interact with anyone else might sound like an interesting character, if you end up spending an entire session in a corner of the room on your own, you may not have a lot of fun. This is not to discourage you from exploring different kinds of characters, it's just worth keeping in mind how this character is going to be fun for you to play. Different people enjoy different kinds of things, after all!


==== Engaging in Player Conflict ====
In situations where your PC is competing with someone else's PC, it is worth considering what your goals are and what you want out of it. Your PC may, for instance, want to engage in a more direct competition with another PC where their goals, ideals or personality traits clash. In these situations you should check in with the other player involved as the competition develops and make sure the roleplay can be interesting and engaging for both parties, whoever wins or loses (and remember that losing should be interesting).
Longer-term rivalries may take place in a game like ours, so think about when things may come to a head---you don't want to burn out too early. If a rivalry isn't developing as you expected, discuss it with the other player and consider escalating by upping the stakes, doing something dramatic, or resorting to underhanded tactics (if your PC would do that sort of thing).

====Manage Character Bleed Responsibly====
Character bleed is the concept of your feelings and emotions getting blurred between your character and your OC self. Often character bleed is talked about as some nasty thing that must be avoided at all costs, but in reality it's perfectly natural: in a RPG, you are embodying your character, writing as they would and conveying their feelings as your own. It's natural for your OC brain to react to those experiences, even after dropping out of character.

Rather than simply saying “you shouldn't do this”, there are more useful approaches to take to character bleed. The first thing is being aware that it's happening---this is usually a case of spotting when your OC feelings start to change to match your IC (in-character) ones. Then you can begin the work of trying to uncouple those things again. One way you can do this is by switching out of character and talking to the person/people that the character bleed is about, either during the session or afterwards. This can help you get to know the OC person as a separate entity to their character, and to firmly differentiate your IC and OC feelings and reactions.

Getting to know people OC is a great way to pre-empt some of these things---one of the reasons why we'll be having an official (but optional) post-session hangout after each Uptime is it provides a great chance to get to know people better.