---RULES---

[Avery Benley Centmark]

Rules
Failure to follow any rules could result in account suspension or termination.

General

*Do not create multiple accounts or share your account or password with anyone. Half-Blood Hill only allows one character per person, but we are happy to let you switch characters if you would like to play someone new.

*Do not hack or attempt to hack into any of the administrator's accounts. We will know if you have, and it will result in automatic deletion of your account.

*Text speak such as "omg" or "lol" is not permitted in role-play posts, because it distracts from the feel of the post, but it is acceptable in out of character posts. Shortening words such as using "u" for "you" or "r" for "are" is not tolerated in any posts.

*Don't argue with staff members when things don't go your way. They are simply doing their job, and they should not be attacked for it. We plan to have a complaint system up soon if you have a problem with something one of them has done.

*As a whole, the site has a PG rating. Make sure that you stick closely to this, since we want the site to appeal to all ages. However, we do allow select role-play threads to be marked PG-13. If you aren't sure whether something is appropriate or not, it probably isn't. Send a message to a staff member if you have any questions.

*No hacking, whether it is into someone's account, or into the forum itself. This should be pretty self-explanatory, and we take it very seriously.



Out of Character Conduct

*All out of character posts should be at least five words, to avoid spam. Make sure that all your posts contribute to the conversation, as well.

*When in a role-play only forum, keep out of character comments to a minimum. Posting to say "I'll reply in a minute" is completely unnecessary, and most out of character posts in a role-play forum would be better suited for private message. If you absolutely have to say something, put it in double parenthesis, like ((this)).

*Under no circumstances should you attack or bully another member or staff member. This includes any kind of prejudice. Any instances of this should be reported immediately.

*Try not to hold grudges against people for things they have done in the past on this site or others.

*All out of character posts must stick to the site's PG rating.



Registering

*When applying for a demigod, you may not choose who your character is claimed by. In fact, even strong hints such as "he really likes water" should be avoided, because they make it less likely that your character will be claimed by the god you hinted towards. However, choosing whether your demigod has a mortal father or mother is absolutely acceptable.

*Do not reference another character in your application unless you have permission from the person who plays that character. As a general rule, do not reference any canon characters in your application, even if you have permission from whoever plays that character.

*We are not accepting anyone related to any of the characters from the books. This includes someone who is not technically related, but has the same last name as a canon character. We will also not accept anyone with the same first name as a canon character, unless it is a common first name like Travis, Connor or Rachel.

*Don't make your character too similar to a canon character. We like to see more unique characters as opposed to "Elmo Overwood", a satyr who loves to eat tin cans and who's life's dream is to find Pan.

*Do not make your character a Mary Sue or Gary Stu. This can be difficult for a Half-Blood, but not impossible. A Mary Sue litmus test specifically for Percy Jackson can be found here. It is highly suggested that you take it, because it can be very helpful.



Role-Playing

*Role-plays that are not clearly marked as PG-13 must stick to the PG rating. If you are unsure where your role-play would fall, contact a staff member or just mark it as PG-13 to be safe.
All role-play posts must be at least five sentences and fifty words. This does not include quoting words written by others, such as repeating dialogue that has already been said in previous posts, or song lyrics.

*We have all levels of role-players on this site, so as a general rule, try to match the length of the person you're role-playing with. It can be very annoying to type up a lengthy post, and be given back a few lines.

*Only role-play as your own character. When you join, you register as one character, and that is the character you will have to play unless you wish to switch characters.

*Stick to canon situations, meaning stick to situations that are realistic for the universe that Rick Riordan has created. This is an extremely important rule, seeing as Half-Blood Hill is a strictly canon site. One of the in character rules that people commonly forget about is the "no leaving camp without permission" rule. Only children of Hermes are allowed to leave Camp Half-Blood without permission, and they may only do so briefly in order to obtain products from a local store. If you have any questions about what is canon and what isn't contact a staff member.

*Do not take control of a character who isn't yours. This is called puppetmastering, and we take it very seriously on Half-Blood Hill. It can be very frustrating to have your character controlled by someone else. It could be something as simple as saying "Barbie had been missing for days and Ken was worried about her." While it may be safe to assume that Ken would be worried if Barbie disappeared, don't make any assumptions about someone else's character.

*Give other people a chance to respond. This expecially applies during sword fights or duels in general. If your character is Joe, you cannot say "Joe struck his opponent on the head with his sword, and he fell to the floor, dead." Instead, say "Joe raised his sword and swung it towards his opponent's head." This gives the opponent the chance to say "The opponent blocked Joe's hit with his own sword."

*Don't make your character excessively powerful. Someone who was just claimed by Poseidon wouldn't suddenly be able to control large amounts of water immediately.

*Absolutely do not kill anyone else's character unless you have their permission.

*Try to make sure you use good spelling and grammar. We know that nobody's perfect, but do the best you can. Try typing your role-plays into Microsoft Word or a similar program to check your spelling, or if you still have a problem with your spelling or grammar, I would suggest enrolling in Role-Play School.

All Credit for the rules, goes To Thalia at Half blood hill!