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THE CANON

What in the world is going on?!
This is Equestria, home of the ponies of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! And it is also the setting of My Little Jamjar, the Dreamwidth RPG that takes place here! Your characters have woken up in this world to find they are now the newest citizens of the little town called Ponyville. What's more, your characters have woken to find they have been transformed into ponies (and, for a few, maybe other animals) themselves!

Wait, everyone is a pony!?
Of course! This is Equestria, home of the ponies, just like Earth is home to the humans or Vulcan is home to the Vulcans. The vast majority of people who are brought here from other worlds, therefore, will become colorful half-sized ponies with oddly-shaped birthmarks on their behinds.

What genre is this game?
Its primarily slice-of-life (well, as slice-of-life as a place like Equestria can be), but have no fear, fans of overarching plot! Because there is an overarching plot.

Is there a particular time in the series when this little jamjar takes place?
Yes! Canonically, post-season 3/pre-season 4 is the starting point. For anyone wondering, this means that there's a new princess that was recently crowned in Equestria, among one or two other things. However, as a result of the arrival of the off-worlders and subsequent events after said crowning, My Little Jamjar is no longer fully in sync with MLP:FiM canon and is its own little alternate universe-type thing. There will be elements from Season 4 onward that will likely happen and be incorporated, but not everything!

Aw man! Do I actually have to watch My Little Pony in order to apply or know what's going on?
Nope! Everything you'd need to know about the Friendship is Magic universe to play here, you can find on these pages! In particular, newcomers who know nothing of the universe will want to check out the Setting, the Story So Far, and the How To Make Your Pony/Character pages for the bulk of what you'll need to know.

THE GAMEPLAY

Do my characters still have powers/weaponry as a pony?
Yes! Well, sort of. Mostly. Obviously there are limits.

The basic cap is that all magical/supernatural/paranormal/superhuman/etc. powers are at 50 percent strength, regardless of pony type. Any powers that can cause instant death or instant destruction do not work at all; characters who were immortal are immortal no more.

Any kind of godmodding power aside from those will be looked at on a case-by-case basis, and in those cases powers may be capped with stipulations or nerfed entirely. For these kind of powers, when considering them for bringing into the game and/or if they are brought in, its best to keep that in mind that they won't be as powerful as a princess' powers.

Magic weapons, creatures and and items will also still work and can still be used and summoned as normal, though any magic said items might possess will be subject to the power cap. Meanwhile, normal, non-enchanted weaponry can be brought and used as normal, with one exception. That exception is any kind of personal firearm. Why? Simple - because they didn't exist in Equestria before your character's arrival! Meaning anyone packing heat will find themselves without bullets verrrrry fast unless they know how to make more or can teach someone about firearm ballistics. Otherwise, it might be best to conserve that ammunition.

NOTE: The power cap also applies to any and all items, powers and creatures discovered by characters in the Canterlot Royal Library Basement!

Our character can bring in anything? But is there a limit to how much we can bring in?
Yes - the current limit to items is 5. This includes any weaponry, pets, food, and clothing (one set of clothing = one item, by the by, don't worry!). Plus, anything else that cannot be reasonably magicked into storage or hammerspaced (like, say, a Gundam) will not make the trip with your character. So think carefully as to what (or who if your characters have pets) your character will end up keeping when they are brought to Ponyville!

Does money count as an item?/Does any money we happen to bring in of use in any way?
Nope! Money doesn't count towards the item limit, though please, we just ask that you be reasonable as to how much money your character could/would have had on them before they arrived, even if your character happens to be wealthy in canon.

As for what happens to money, upon arrival they are converted into bits. And before anyone asks, credit/debit cards are useless if you bring them in - Equestria's banking system doesn't work like that!

Hold on a second, Canterlot Royal Library Basement? What's that?
The Canterlot Royal Library Basement is a place beneath the Canterlot Royal Library. Its a never ending maze created by Star Swirl, and its been noted that various items from character canons have appeared within its ever-changing rooms and levels. Characters can obtain cross-canon items from the basement; however, items found are limited to canons represented in-game (the only exception is items introduced by mod plot/post), and the limit on cross-canon items that characters may obtain from the basement is capped at one item.

The main basement is linked above, but any separate threads taking place there should use the [*dungeon] tag.

As of Cálice's Rage, the basement is permanently closed and all power-up items and magic within it gone.

Wait, so are pets allowed to be brought too?
~~No, because we all know that Angel is the best pet ever a~~ Pets and other animals of similar stature (such as Pokemon) are allowed to be brought in as long as they are not animals that are an actual character or appable in their own right. So Ash bringing in a pet hamster or one of his lesser-known Pokemon is ok, Ash bringing in his Pikachu or Charizard is not. Characters may also bring in animals which are essential to their well-being, such as daemons His Dark Materials-style. Keep in mind that pets will be transformed to fit the setting, so, for example, a Pikachu would become an actual adorable yellow mouse.

Always feel free to ask if you're not sure whether your character's animals would or would not be brought in under this criteria!

What if our character is possessed by a spirit or similar type of character? Would the possessing character/spirit be brought in too?
Nope! They basically fall under the same category pets do - anything with a personality would be separated from them. So, sorry, Atem can't be brought in with Yugi.

What about death? Does death happen in Equestria?
Well, we can assume death is a thing in the Friendship is Magic universe since...that's the only explanation for King Sombra and Starswirl the Bearded's ultimate fates. However, unlike those two suckers (and, it turns out, most of the NPCs), playable characters can actually come back to life if they should happen to die!

If a playable character dies in-game (and of course, all deaths must first be cleared by mods) for whatever reason, their bodies will disappear in a burst of rainbow light, seemingly leaving no trace. They will be gone for a minimum of three days before they return in another burst of rainbow light, seemingly fine and unhurt.

As for how many times a person can die, well, there's no limit, and players can kill off NPCs. However, any killing that happens - PC or NPC - will make the princesses very displeased. And trust us, your characters do not want to see Celestia displeased. The same goes for trying to kill Celestia. That will end very badly for your character.

WHAT ABOUT KIDNAPPING? CAN WE KIDNAP PEOPLE?
Yes. If we allow murder I suppose kidnapping would be allowed. ~~This question brought to you by Zetta because Zetta wouldn't shut up about kidnapping Rarity. Darned Disgaea overlords.~~

How about pregnancy? Can pregnancy happen?
Weeeeee're gonna go with no. Not because pregnancy doesn't happen in Equestria. It just doesn't happen to your characters for some reason.

What is the IC day::OOC day ratio in the game?
The ratio is 1 IC day::1 OOC day!

Do we have to stay in Ponyville the entire time our characters are here/Are we being tracked or anything?
No and no! Granted, every character's home address will be listed as being in Ponyville, but Equestria is a big place and there's lots to explore. Characters don't have to worry about being made to stay in Ponyville, at least 95 percent of the time. Of course, if something major is happening in Ponyville that requires people to return (like, say, a super-important mod plot) Celestia will send her guards out to find and escort characters back or something.

What about communication? How do we communicate with other people?
Magical scrolls! All characters have been given magical scrolls by Princess Celestia. Just like in the show, the pieces of paper which come off of these scrolls are sent to their intended recipient(s) via flying green flames. Think Twilight Sparkle writing a letter to Princess Celestia and Spike sending it - minus Spike having to be in the picture.

WE LIED! Its not much like the show at all! Its based on this Equestria's Canterlot Library intra-communication system, and its inventor made up another magical network just for the newcomers. Think this, but with less book cataloging jargon being tossed around. Incidentally, it has been noted that scrolls from ponies who are currently canon updating, have dropped, or have just otherwise disappeared from Equestria magically reappear in the Canterlot Library's hold until/unless their users return.

Just like any RP, these scrolls work just like a normal communicator - it has visual, text, and audio functions, and can be filtered and hacked by people with reasonable skill. Just replace the fact that its magic as opposed to technology, and there you go. Additionally, it should be noted that the scrolls archive all messages. Characters can look back at past messages should they so desire!

Why are our characters even here? Who brought our characters here? Can you tell us?
Sorry, that FAQ answer is currently classified. :3

THE CHARACTERS

Well, who can we apply with to this game?
Just about anyone. No. Really. Anyone.

The following types of characters are applicable to this game:

Characters from any published canon (games, books, anime, movies, etc.) in their original canonical form (e.g., "OU" characters), within reason. Please keep in mind that characters and canons that can be considered offensive or unworkable within the game's setting rating will be declined.

Characters from any published canon (games, books, anime, movies, etc.) in an alternate universe form, canonically made or fan made (e.g., "AU" characters). This includes characters whose AU is due to histories derived from previous roleplaying games, as well as canon characters whose history in canon is sparse and thus, must be majorly supplemented with player headcanon. As with the above, characters and canons considered offensive or unworkable within the game's setting rating will be declined.

Characters created by players (e.g. "OC" characters). This includes canon OC characters, within reason (i.e. any character "more powerful than the main character" will be banished to the Pie Rock Farm).

Historic/real life people, provided they are versions portrayed in some kind of media, within reason (i.e. Hitler, Jesus, Snooki, and any other potentially offensive characters will be dropped into a den of Timberwolves).

As of November 1, 2013, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic characters whose canon past season 3 is My Little Jamjar (e.g. "Setting Native" or "SN" characters). More information about this particular type can be found here!

What about actual ponies from the show? Can we app Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle!?
YES! ~~With the exception of Princess Celestia, for the moment. Because she's the primary NPC. But any and all ponies or characters aside from her are appable.~~

As of April 1, 2014, Princess Celestia is now open for application! The exception being the Setting Native, as she is an NPC.

YAAAAAY! But...we don't have to follow any canon rules when applying for MLP:FiM characters, do we?
Not really. Hey, we're not going to turn away a season 1 Rarity or a Pinkie Pie with CR from another game or a Fluttershy from season 4 or a Rainbow Dash from a universe where EVERYONE IS EEEEEEEVIL! The mods are fans of wibbly wobbly timey wimey brainbreak, so don't let us stop you.

The only real exception to this rule are Setting Native/SN pony characters, as their canon post-season 3 is basically My Little Jamjar, so there are some rules that players who apply for those have to follow.

What are the limits in terms of different versions of characters being played in a game?
The limit is three. With one exception, its one OU, two AUs, for every canon character in every canon. The exception is for MLP:FiM characters; their limit is still three, but can be a combination derived from 1 SN, 1 OU, and 2 AUs maximum.

There is currently no limit on how many versions of an OC a player can play from, canon or otherwise.

Can non-native Mane 6 characters use the setting native Elements of Harmony?
Afraid not! While AU ponies are similar to their Setting Native counterparts, this is not their Equestria. Attempts to use the Elements of Harmony by non-native Mane 6 characters will simply result in them not working.

What's the limit of characters per player in the game?
The current maximum character limit is 5.

What about characters from the same canon? Can we apply more than one character?
Players may apply up to two characters from the same canon, though we ask that if you do apply two canonmates that they be characters who do not interact often in canon, in order to discourage self-cest. Applying for Rarity and Derpy is ok; applying Rarity and Sweetie Belle is...not so much.

This two character rule also applies to general franchises, i.e. any given canon with more than one existing iteration/spinoff/reboot/alternate universes. Examples include the Marvel community, the Sailor Moon metaverse, and the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic multiverse. As not every example is quite as clear cut as others, please note that we will be looking at more complicated examples on a case-by-case basis, should they arise!

(To add to this - we don't see it happening, but just in case - you also cannot double-dip on one unique character at a time, regardless of which franchise you are taking them from. So apping KH!Cloud Strife and FF7!Cloud Strife as two of your characters would be an example of something that isn't allowed.)

There is currently no limit on how many OCs a single player can play, canon or otherwise, save for the general character limit.

OMG THIS NEW INSTALLMENT OF MY CANON CAME OUT AND I WANT TO APP IT NOW!!
Hold on! While we won't stop you from applying from the new shiny character from the new shiny game/movie/etc., please keep in mind that not everyone will have access to spoilers and don't necessarily enjoy being spoiled. So new characters from new canons, or new installments of current canons, will be allowed, but will be asked to post spoiler warnings in their journals and their introduction posts.

I, uh...I just dropped my character, but I want to re-app them...
That's ok! We give a one-week grace period to dropped characters - if you want to pick them up again before the week expires, you can without having to re-apply for them.

What happens if I want to canon-update my character?
Similar to what happens when you die - burst of rainbow light and your character vanishes without a trace for a minimum of three days.

So anybody can canon update with anything at any time?
Not quite! There are some limits.

SN Ponies - SN ponies are not allowed to 'canon update.' There is a very specific in-game plot reasons for this that is classified at this time.

OU/OC Characters - You may update with your original OU/OC canon at any time using our regular canon update page. If you would like to 'canon update' with material you've gained in another game, you will have to drop, revise your application to accommodate this and reapp. The reapp should include changes to your character's history, personality, strengths/weaknesses, and items based on their new CRAU. You will also need to include a small description about their time in MLJ and how this has affected them, but it does not need to be as extensive as for any of the write up for the new CRAU.

Example 1: OU Rainbow Dash decides to update to the latest S5 content when it becomes available. She may use the Canon Update page.

Example 2: OU Rainbow Dash had her character in Ruby City for a time and wants to update to include her experiences there. She will need to drop and reapp as an AU Rainbow Dash with her experiences from Ruby City included in her app.

AU/CRAU Characters - You may canon update using your original AU/CRAU canon at any time using the regular canon update page. However, if you are adding a different CRAU experience, such as another game, you will need to 'drop' and reapp with revisions as described above.

Example 1: AU Donatello who was apped with CRAU from The Games wants to update to include his latest experiences in that game along with the latest material that's come out for his specific OU canon. He may use the Canon Update page.

Example 2: AU Donatello who was apped with CRAU from The Games also gets apped to Bastion for a time and wants to update at MLJ to include his experiences there. He will need to drop and reapp with his experiences from Bastion included in his app.

My revised app was declined! What do I do now?
You may rejoin with the character in their unaltered state! Think of it like our one-week grace period on drops.

What about actual ponies from the show? Can we app Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle!?
YES! ~~With the exception of Princess Celestia, for the moment. Because she's the primary NPC. But any and all ponies or characters aside from her are appable.~~

If we pick up a character that was previously played, do we have to keep all of the CR of the previous player's pony?
Not at all! Feel free to have your returning characters freaked out by ponies they don't recognize but who seem to know everything about them.

Ok, I'm going to bring my character in as a pony. How do I set that up?
As previously mentioned, the main bulk of the information you'll need to make your pony (especially if you're new to Friendship is Magic) is going to be at the How To Make Your Pony/Character page.

Can I make my character an alicorn? My character is powerful enough/a god/would be one in their canon if they were a pony!
While we do explain the alicorn situation on the How To Make Your Pony/Character page, we'll also address it here! Basically, alicorn status is earned in Equestria - no ponies start out as alicorns, not even the uber-powerful ones. This unfortunately includes any god-tier/god-like/super-powerful character who might be brought in - if they want to be an alicorn, they've got to prove they've earned it in Equestria, just like any other pony!

Do we have to make pony journals/icons for our characters?
Nope! There's no requirement to use pony icons.

But I don't want my character to be a pony! Can't I have my character turn into something else?
Your character can become something else! There're some limits as to what your character can become, of course, but otherwise?

Your character can become one of the various cute animals that Fluttershy is prone to befriend. And - supposing you're apping a character who is already animal-like in some way - this might not be such a bad alternative! Albeit your character will be a much cuter version of themselves. As a second alternative, your character can wake up and be one of the many other types of magical animals which occupy Equestria - including (and this is by no means an exhaustive list) a dragon, a phoenix, a griffin, a bat pony (no really, they are officially legit) or even a changeling! Or even a Breezie.

A changeling, huh? What does being a changeling entail?
That question - actually most questions relating to that question are answered here and here! ~~Becausehead mod is too lazy to copypasta all of that on here of course~~ Everything else is in our How To Make A Pony/Character page.

Well, I'm apping a vampire/werewolf/robot/etc...
Vampires and werewolves and other supernatural creatures are allowed, and they don't lose their powers or problems. Their powers may or may not get tweaked a bit for the setting, depending on what animal you choose for them to be (like, for example, why be a werewolf when you can be a werepony, hmm~? And who needs blood when you can suck out an emotion as a changeling!) and of course their powers are also subject to the 50 percent cap.

As for robots, well...robot ponies are now a thing. Because we said so. Because why not.

But what about ghosts/people who have been going without or can go without a corporeal body/half-ghosts/people who were perma-dead in some way in canon?
Ah, ghosts! The bad news is, they still get bodies anyhow, so they're not really ghost ghosts. That doesn't mean they can't access ghost powers and become invisible/non-corporeal/possess objects/etc.! Some might even be able to get in the underworld pretty easily! So like with other undead/robots/everyone else, those powers will be tweaked on arrival to fit the setting.

What makes ghosts a tad different from the others are two things (aside from the whole "we're really actually dead" thing). The first is that ghost characters will feel an inexplicable 'pull' towards Canterlot and/or Everfree, which becomes stronger the closer they are to either destination to the point where it becomes difficult to resist. The second is that they capable of seeing rainbows and colors on the spectrum very vividly from long distances, especially if it pertains to the rainbows that explode when that part of mod plot decides to go postal somewhere, or when characters appear, disappear, reappear, or die in-game.

Can we turn our characters into other types of ponies, like flutterponies or seaponies?
Unfortunately, at the moment, the only types of ponies in Equestria are the revealed G4 ponies. So, the current choice is between crystal ponies, bat ponies, pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns, and characters who are different pony types will be altered to fit the setting.

How old do you have to be to apply to this game?
The minimum age is the same here as the age to get an account on Dreamwidth - 13!

THE OTHER OOC STUFF

What are the communities in this RP?
The main comm for communicating is mylittlejamjar. The logs and action comm is mylittlelogs. The OoC comm is mylittleooc. And - most importantly - the crack and meme comm is alicornparty.

What is the YOU MAY HAVE ONE Rule?
Please see our Power-up Request page for full detail on this. In brief, this rule governs the acquisition of power-ups in-game for MLJ.

What about activity check? Please say its not insane...
Nope! We understand that it can suck to make a hard activity check. So, My Little Jamjar's AC is relatively lax!

The activity check will be monthly, and activity linked will need to consist of a combo of any two of the following:

A post in mylittlejamjar

Posting a log in mylittlelogs

Comment thread(s) with a cumulative total of 10 comments from your character in either of the aforementioned comms. You can use comments from posts and logs posted in previous months, as long as their timestamp is from the current month of AC.

In other words, making two posts, making two log posts, or making 2 x 10 comments with your characters in logs and posts = AC get! Or however combo you want to do it. One post or one log, one log and 10 comments, 10 comments and...you probably get the idea.

If I take a long hiatus during the month, am I exempt from AC?
Unfortunately not. The only people exempt from AC are those who are on hiatus over the AC period (i.e., through the 1st of the next month). You're free to take or extend a hiatus if you think you won't be able to make AC. We don't have any rules about posting while you're on hiatus, so you can continue to play, even if you're technically on hiatus to get you through the AC period without having your character dropped.

Oh, hey, cool! How often can I actually do that?
We allow up to 2 hiatuses in a six month period over AC for any reason. If you're taking hiatus 3 times (i.e., 50% of the time), you'll need to explain your circumstances to the mods. We'll decide if they warrant an allowance over the 2 noted. We also track hiatuses OVER HERE if you're ever wondering where you stand.

Aw, jeez! I'm going to be gone during the last week of the month and will not have access to the Internet. I have all of my activity for the month, though. Can I submit AC early?
Most definitely! Please just PM the mod journal. You'll be covered.

Can I finish a thread to completion, even if I drop my character or they are dropped due to not making AC?
That's a negative. Characters who are dropped may not continue playing in the game.

Hey, I like sex and violence like I like coffee and biscuits - hooray for adult content! Is this the game for me?
...No. We'd like everyone to keep it at a PG, PG-13 level at most. Because it's My Little Pony.

While we're not going to say no to sex or violence, any logs or posts with sexual or violent content needs to have warning tags of some kind or needs to be under a cut. Anything which devolves to sex or explicit violence needs to fade to black or be taken elsewhere. Graphic sexual taboos or explicit taboo acts of violence, such as rape, underage sex, graphic torture, incest, graphic maiming and any others not mentioned here are not allowed at all, implied or otherwise.

...So who's the mods' favorite pony?

...And no one was surprised.

We know we probably missed a couple questions. So! If anyone out there has questions or comments for the F.A.Q., feel free to hit us with them!