Celestia continued speaking softly. “That mare over there, she had wings for a moment, before they disappeared.” She was about to go on as she continued watching Nivalia, when several things happened in quick succession. “Did you see that?" she asked quickly, her voice going even quieter. "She used magic. An Earth pony. And her eyes, I’ve seen those type of eyes before….” She looked back at the pink alicorn.

“Cadance, that mare is a changeling. I’m sure of it.” She faintly heard Photofinish’s antics but ignored them, focusing on the problem at hoof. How was the changeling here? Cadance and Shining Armor’s love had blasted them all to distant lands. Or so she had thought. Celestia watched out of the corner of her eye as Photofinish's Manedresser approached Nivalia and spoke to her.

This is a valid idea, and I love when users are willing to give feedback. However, at this point in time I feel that doing such a thing would be a bit unfair. Not everyone is a great OC maker, it is true. But just because they don't excel at the character creation process, it doesn't mean they should be rejected, particularly if they tried their best.

We want this forum to be a place where people can be creative, without being stifled by restrictions that were created out of fear that we might have to deal with an overpowered OC. If such an character is created and makes it so roleplaying is no longer fun for other members, an admin will step in and intervene. Until then, however, I think everyone's OC should be given a fair chance.

Dueling Rules

Welcome to the Dueling Board, where OCs and canon characters alike can fight for fun and enjoyment! Here are the rules concerning dueling. If you have a complaint or suggestion concerning the rules, please contact an admin and we can see what we can do. Note: This board is not canon. Any injuries sustained by your character will not affect them in any other boards. This also means you may have a character in the dueling board at the same time as the location threads. However, your character may only be in one dueling thread at a time.

To Issue A Challenge:

Anyone may issue a challenge. The challenge may be directed at a specific user, or can be a general challenge open to anyone. To issue one, start a thread in this board. For it to be valid challenge, it must have three things. Firstly, specify who the challenge is directed at. Secondly, set the scene. Your characters can fight anywhere, from a dark alley in Manehattan to a grand gladiator arena in the Crystal Empire. Use some detail in describing it. And thirdly, you must include a detailed description of your character’s combat abilities. This includes every possible attack they can use, as well as any weapons, armor, or unusual abilities they may have. Make sure to also include their level of physical strength and stamina, and their flight abilities if they are a pegasus, magical abilities if they are a unicorn, other abilities if they are a another creature, etc. If your character has magical abilities, you must list every spell they are able to do. If it’s not listed in the description, it cannot be used in the fight! Some abilities, such as being able to duck or run away, are (for most creatures) inherent and do not need to be listed.

To Accept A Challenge:

Post in the thread of the challenge you want to accept. You must include the same description of your character as described above. Multiple people can accept a challenge, but then it is up to the challenger to decide who they want to fight, and to post with who they choose. They can keep the thread open as long as they’d like, but it is encouraged to not wait too long to pick someone, as people may eventually lose interest. The challenger reserves the right to refuse to fight anyone. If you want people to accept you as an opponent, make your description realistic and reasonable. No pony or other creature is good at everything… absolutely everyone must have weaknesses of some type. Whether they’re a pegasus with a broken wing, a dragon whose large but slow, or a unicorn who has never use a weapon in their life, make your character interesting but beatable. Alternatively, if your character has strengths, feel free to brag about them, just do not make your character all strengths and no weaknesses, or no one will want to fight you. Finally, do not be afraid to make your character’s personality a bit OOC for a dueling thread. After all, many ponies normally wouldn’t get in a fight. You can make a normally gentle character bloodthirsty and fierce, since this is not canon to the rest of the forum.

The Fight:

You have issued a challenge and picked a challenger, or vice versa. Now it’s time to fight! One of the most important things to remember is that you may never forcefully land any hit. If your character wishes to attack another, it must be roleplayed in a similar way to this:

Princess Celestia reared up and sent a roaring ball of fire straight towards Princess Cadance.

Notice I did not automatically assume that the fireball hit Cadance. That is up for Cadance’s RPer to decide. He has several options at this point, from dodging, getting hit and killed, getting hit but merely injured, blocking it with a shield spell, etc.

You must keep this reasonable. It isn’t fun for either player if everyone constantly dodges every hit. Letting your character occasionally get injured lends a sense of competitive fun and fairness to the fight. The fight will continue until one character is either killed, withdraws, or becomes too injured to keep fighting. It is up the users as to who wins the fight. Eventually, someone will have to make the sacrifice and have their character lose. This can be tough, but it is of utmost importance to remember: this is supposed to be fun! Don’t be a sore loser or an arrogant winner. Don’t hold grudges and try to lash out in other parts of the forum in retaliation for a loss. The fight cannot last forever. If it goes on and on with neither opponent willing to lose, an admin will eventually step in. If you cannot decide between yourselves who should win, you have the option to ask an admin to judge the fight and announce the winner. This should be a last resort, we hope all the users involved can be reasonable and decide among themselves who should win.

Here is an example of a good challenge. It does not have to be in this precise format, but along the lines would be good. Note this is an example, you cannot accept this challenge.

This challenge is open to everyone!

Setting: It’s noon on a bright, sunny day in the Crystal Empire. In the center of the city, an enormous arena has been set up, a large open space surrounded by low walls, and beyond that, bleachers of cheering ponies. The ground is mostly dirt, an occasional rock sticking up. The crowd is roaring, waiting for the fight to begin.

Challenger: Princess Celestia is an alicorn with immense magical power. She knows several powerful spells, all of which she is willing to use against her opponent. These consist of:

Levitation: Gives her the ability to make objects float.
Fireball spell: Sends a large fireball towards her opponent.
Wind spell: Blasts her opponent with a large gust of wind.
Earthquake spell: Summons a violent earthquake that lasts for a few seconds.
Water spell: Allows her to summon a large amount of water that she can control with her magic.
Laser spell: Sends a bolt of pure energy towards her opponent.
Shield spell: Summons an invisible shield that can block one attack at a time.

(Notice that although she has several spells at her disposal, they all have weaknesses. For example, they can all be blocked by a shield spell (if her opponent has that ability), most of them can be dodged, the shield spell can only block one spell at a time, the earthquake spell only lasts for a few seconds, etc.)

Celestia wears thick armor that protects her torso and legs, however her head is exposed and this armor slows Celestia down. Her weapons consist of a long spear and a sword.

(Try to think of what weapons would be available in the show, for example, more modern weapons like tasers and guns are not allowed.)

Celestia is physically strong, but does not move very fast due to her armor. She had impressive physical stamina and can fight for a long time, however she will run out of magical stamina after about half a dozen spells and will not be able to do anything beyond levitation for the rest of the fight. Though she can fly, she prefers to stay on the ground as her heavy armor makes flying difficult and tiring.

Once the fight has started, your description cannot be modified. Finally, the most important thing to remember is:

Have fun! This is meant to entertain people, not leave them angry or upset.

And last but not least, special thanks to Octavia Melody for suggesting the idea!

The door opened and in walked the Princess of the Sun. She looked as calm and serene as ever, though inwardly she was the tiniest bit frazzled. It had taken longer than expected to greet and answer the questions of all the ponies who had swarmed the two princesses. Celestia knew Cadance had just wanted a day off, a day to relax. Hopefully things would go a bit more smoothly from here on out. She looked around, giving everyone in the bakery a personable smile before she caught sight of Cadance and made her way over. “I’m sorry I took so long, more ponies just kept coming,” she apologized to Cadance. She eyed one of the donuts sitting on the table, and her stomach rumbled rather loudly. Celestia chuckled slightly. “It looks like my stomach agrees with your choice of this place."

Frequently Asked Questions

OOC? IC? NPC? Arc? What does all this mean?
We often use words that may be unfamiliar to new users. Here are some of the most common ones defined. If the one you’re wondering about isn’t listed, don’t be afraid to ask!
OOC: Out Of Character
IC: In Character
OC: Original Character (as opposed to a canon one)
NPC: Non-Player Character. These are characters most commonly used in arcs, that are controlled by the GM and cannot be controlled by arc participants.
GM: Game Master. Also sometimes referred to as the DM (Dungeon Master) this is the person that writes and “leads” an arc.
PM: Personal Message
RP: Role Play
Arc: An arc is a forum-wide story that often includes many characters and threads. They are led by a person or a group of people that generally direct the threads and decide on the outcomes of certain actions.

When does this forum take place?
Character wise- during season 6, time wise, see the thread about time and technology.

How do I claim a canon character?
Message an admin (Foxtrot or Princess Cadance) with what character you’d like to claim.

How many canon characters can I claim?
Currently, users may only claim one canon character. This is so we can learn a bit more about your roleplaying style first, while still keeping other canon characters available for other users. This may change in the future.

Okay, I’ve claimed a character or created an OC. Now what?
Make an account for them. If it's an OC, don't forget to put up a bio! Bios are optional for canon characters. All characters need their own account, whether canon or an OC. The name of the account must be the same as the name of the character. This is to avoid confusion as to what character people are roleplaying with.

I’ve created an account and written a bio, now I want to start roleplaying! How do I do that?
Pick a thread or create your own. Don’t be shy about joining a thread if you are new. If the thread is private it will be labelled, otherwise, anyone is welcome to join- the more the merrier! To create a thread, select a location where you’d like it to take place. Then click the “New Topic” button in the upper right-hand corner, give it a title and start posting! To post in a thread, select the one you’d like to join, and click “Reply”, also in the upper right-hand corner. If it takes you awhile to write a post, it’s often wise to copy your post before you try and submit it, in case the forum has logged you out.

No one is joining my thread! Can I roleplay with myself as I wait? What about bumping?
It can be difficult to be patient for someone to join your thread. Self-roleplaying is perfectly acceptable as long as you are only controlling your own character. “Bumping”, when a user posts in order to put their thread at the top of the list, is also acceptable, as long as each new post you make has some substance, as opposed to the word “bump”. This keeps threads a bit neater.

Can my character be in multiple threads at once?
No. If you'd like to join another thread, you must roleplay that your character is leaving the current one. This is as simple as specifying that your character is walking away, has already left, gets on a train, etc. After your character has left the thread you can join a new one.

What can I use for my avatar? Do I have to have one?
You do not have to have an avatar, though it can be useful to show what your character looks like. You may use anything for your avatar as long as it related to your character in some way, such as your character themselves, their cutie mark, etc.

How do I PM?
Hover over the “My Messages” tab at the top of the page, and select “Send a message” from the dropdown menu. Enter the name of the user you’re sending it to (typing a few characters in the box will bring up all the names that start with those characters), and write your message! Like posts, if it takes you awhile, it’s often wise to copy your message before you try and send it, in case the forum has logged you out.

What is the Shoutbox? How do I use it?
The Shoutbox is the box at the bottom of the page, where users can talk to each other. It is very useful for introducing yourself or OOC chatting. You can either type in a username to use as a guest, or register your username. If there is a username or character name you will be using often, it’s smart to register it so people cannot impersonate you. To use a guest username, type it in the top box and press “Save”. To register one, click the “Sign In” button in the upper right-hand corner of the box, and then click “Create an account”. Please note that the Shoutbox is not connected to the forum; your forum username and password will not work for signing into the Shoutbox. You must make an account first.

I still have questions! Who should I go to?
Message an admin, or, if you’d like a quicker answer, ask it in the Shoutbox and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

How mature is the content on this site?
We have no limits or rating for this site. Go nuts with whatever but add a warning above the thread if you plan to do something that is clop related or intensely gory.

Celestia hummed thoughtfully at Cadance’s question. “I do know of a rather wonderful donut shop in the heart of Canterlot,” she suggested. “Or, the royal gardeners have done an exquisite job with the gardens this year, if you’d like to see. And of course, we can always just go and mingle among my little ponies, or go see the Market.” She smiled at Cadance. “It is up to you. Hold on a moment… Day Planner!” She called out, and the doors opened to reveal a frazzled looking stallion, who approached Celestia and bowed. “Yes, Your Highness?” “Cancel everything I have on the schedule today,” she told him. She looked at Cadance. “I’m spending the day with family.”

Day Planner nodded and left, the doors swinging shut behind him. “There,” Celestia said. “Now I’m ready,” she held up her wing by her face and leaned in towards Cadence, as if she was about to tell her a secret. “Thank goodness you’ve come,” she said in a lowered voice. “I had precisely fourteen meetings today, and thanks to you, I just got out of them,” she said with a surprisingly mischievous grin. She tucked her wing back by her side. “So, what would you like to do?"

“I’m sure he will. Shining Armor is very capable,” Celestia reassured Cadence, finally releasing her. “Indeed they are. It warms my heart to see how close my most faithful student has grown to her friends.” She chuckled lightly, a warm and musical sound. “I wish I could visit them more often myself, but…” Her eyes strayed to the pile of scrolls, still waiting by Celestia’s throne. She looked back at Cadence and smiled. “However, those can wait. Tell me, you must be tired after the trip, do you need to rest?” She motioned to a set of doors leading off the throne room. “The castle has plenty of spare beds."