We have labored to make Fractured as friendly to new players as possible as a matter of fundamental principle. Many of us have played in LARPs where new players had little impact on the game due to a permanent cadre of old, powerful characters, and experiences like this are just not fun, period. If we did not have an enforceable retirement policy, and a game culture that encourages retirement as a matter of course, then old characters would dominate the game. To this end we have drafted a policy that, although it never forces anyone to retire their character, we hope it makes that retirement a more attractive option.
By the time your character hits a total of 300 CP (this includes starting CP, bonus CP earned from brownie or feedback forms, etc. All CP counts), you need to submit, in writing, your preferred retirement options. Staff will respond through email, and then we will have a face-to-face discussion with you about it. When you retire a character, you gain 10% of their total CP as bonus points to apply to a single new character. The most retirement CP that can be so applied, however, is 30, meaning that retiring a character whose point total is over 300 gets you no extra benefit for a new character.
If your character has not been retired by the time they hit 400 total CP, they then become a Legacy character. Legacy characters may be played like any other, but they will only ever earn 1 CP per event. You may still earn 1 CP for submitting a Feedback form, and you may likewise still turn in 3 Brownie for an additional 1 CP per event. For any 3-day event at which you play a Legacy character, you must perform 2 monster/tavern shifts instead of 1, for a total of 4 or 6 hours. At one day events, which normally do not require monster shifts, you must perform a single 3-hour shift. You earn 1 Brownie total for doing your required shifts, with extra brownie earned beyond this as normal.
A retirement is the point at which a player, through whatever means and events, will no longer play that character. Past retirements have included brave sacrifices and ascensions into untold power, but they can also include quiet retreats to the shadows, attainment of leadership, or simply moving to a new region. The important thing is that each retirement is a fun, satisfying conclusion to the story you’ve told with your character.
Fractured staff will work diligently to make sure each retirement is exciting, fulfilling, and overall impactful to the world around it. You’ve spent years living as your character, so you deserve for the final act to be just as powerful. As such, we ask that you let us know at least three games in advance before you wish to retire, so that we have time to plan something truly meaningful. When informing staff of your decision, please be sure to mention any retirement ideas you might have. However, we want to stress that these should be flexible, and the more specific an idea, the less likely it will be able to fit into the overall story. For example:
Bad Retirement: “I want to kill my nemesis, Dr Avacado, in a one-on-one duel and take over his kingdom, but only after attaining the Amulet of Quoz that is hidden in the deepest dungeon. Once king, I will issue an immediate decree that all Fruitlings are to be killed on sight.”
This is very specific, has a lot of moving parts, and who knows if the Amulet will even help you.
Good Retirement: “I would like to either kill or usurp Dr Avacado, possibly by using the Amulet of Quoz if it can be reached.”
The more breathing room an idea has, the more likely that you’ll be surprised as well!
Good Retirement: “I would like to be given the opportunity to redeem my character or become the monster they think they are. I would like to make this decision in play as my character.”
This gives your character a central theme for resolution, allows you to play to the moment and have choices, and provides us with many thematic avenues.
As an added note, if your goal is something that your character has no connection to, or has not worked towards, it’s far less likely that will be the path you can reach. Retirements are not magic bullets to be aimed at any problem, but a logical and natural conclusion to a character’s time in the Fracture.
Also worth noting: the ideas you suggest will rarely ever be the only ones presented to you, as part of the fun is seeing what comes your way. We ask that our players trust us to give them a good ending no matter what, and to understand that our goal is not to trick or coerce them into a retirement that leaves them, as a player, feeling unhappy.
Many times, a player would like to alternate characters, such as having one for summer games, only one-day events, etc. Each player may have up to two characters ‘on the books’ at Fractured. These characters are commonly referred to as ‘Alts’.
A few rules apply to Alt characters:
Additionally, a few restrictions apply to Alt characters and retirements.
