With the return of the dragons, and the rise of Dragon Hunters as a result, the need for Dragon Riders has never been greater. Hiccup and the rest of the original Dragon Riders have started training the next generation to fulfill their mission: ensure the safety of the dragons. A whole new set of Dragon Riders will be in charge of the safety of the archipelago. They will explore further and discover even more new dragons while protecting their home.
This guide is designed to help potential, new, and existing members learn everything they need to know about the website. This includes important links, navigation, rules and guidelines, how to contact staff, and more. Be sure to read through everything thoroughly. This guide is designed to help you with various things throughout the website, so there's a lot of information. Each section will contain a "spoiler" that can be expanded and collapsed to make reading easier. This guide should be able to walk you through anything you may have questions about in regards to where something is located or how to do something. If you're still lost or have questions, feel free to reach out to any member of staff.
This guide is currently a work in progress. Information is still being added.
Joining & Registration
Before deciding to join the website and creating an account, be sure to read through the Rules and other important threads thoroughly to make sure you fully understand what is expected of you as a member, and what next steps to take after you have registered your account.
On the Guest Dashboard of the welcome table, click Register.
Your first account should be your OOC account with your nickname (or whatever you want us to call you) as either the Username or Display Name.
Once you have created your OOC account, join the OOC Account Group.
Click on Profile (under the Dashboard tab of the welcome table) to view your profile.
Go to the Groups tab.
Once on this page, you can click Join Group next to OOC Account.
If you have any issues joining the OOC Account group, or aren't sure how to do it, post in the Help Desk board and a member of staff will change it for you.
Once you have registered, the website will bring you back to the home page, and you will receive a Welcome PM.
Click the "Profile" button found in the welcome table under the Dashboard tab.
Once on your profile, click the "Edit Profile" button.
Edit Profile & Settings
Tab: Avatar
Select the bubble next to either "Use only the Uploaded/Linked" or "Use a Forum Avatar - Pick One" to select which option you'd like.
If you'd like to use your own avatar...
Click on the "Uploaded/Linked" link.
A popup will come up asking you to "Select Image" or to input a URL and "Link Image".
Click on "Select Image" to upload a 150x150 image from your computer to use as your avatar. OR Copy/Paste the link to a 150x150 image and click "Link Image".
The website will update the avatar image on the left, showing what your new avatar will look like.
Click "Save Avatar Changes" to save the avatar. (If you do not click "Save Avatar Changes", the avatar will revert to the last saved avatar or the default avatar.)
If you'd like to use a preset forum avatar...
Click on the "Pick One" link.
A popup will come up asking you to select a forum avatar, with a list of the current forum avatars.
Click on the avatar you'd like to use.
The website will update the avatar image on the left, showing what your new avatar will look like.
Click "Save Avatar Changes" to save the avatar. (If you do not click "Save Avatar Changes", the avatar will revert to the last saved avatar or the default avatar.)
Tab: Personal
Field: Display Name - Fill out what you would like your name to show as.
Select: Gender - Select your gender. (OPTIONAL this doesn't show anywhere on the website)
Field: Location - Fill out with your location. (state/country only, please) (OPTIONAL)
Field: Website Name - If you have a website, you may put the name here and the link in the following field. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Website URL - If you have a website, you may put the link here. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Most Recent Status - Fill out with a quote, status update, personal text, or any other short text. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Signature - Fill out what you'd like your signature to show as. This can be BBCode. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Mini-Profile Background - Fill out with the link to a 250x250 image to serve as a background image to your mini-profile (behind your avatar)
Filed: Discord Name - Fill with your name in Discord (so we know it's you!). This can be either just your display name or your name with the numbers after (YourName#1234)
Field: Gender Identity - Fill with your gender identity.
Select: Pronouns - Select the pronouns you would like to be used for you.
Tab: Social
These fields are optional.
Tab: Settings
Select: Show Participated - YES.
Select: Show Signatures - If you would like to hide signatures, select NO.
Select: Show Avatars - If you would like to hide avatars, select NO.
Dropdown: Forum Theme - Select the theme you'd like to use. If left blank, your theme will change with the Default theme.
Select: Enable Drafts - YES.
Select: Posting Default - BBCode recommended, allows you to set default BBCode in your posts.
Select: Smiles Default - Enabled recommended, shows all smilies.
Dropdown: Display Group - Should be set to OOC account for your main account, and the member group for your Character account.
Dropdown: Dates and Times - How you would like timestamps to be formatted and displayed.
Tab: Privacy
These settings are up to you.
Tab: Notifications
Make sure all boxes under "Forum" are checked. This ensures you receive forum notifications for everything.
Email settings can be set to whatever you'd like, however, I recommend the following:
Tag - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Bookmark - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Participated - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Personal Message - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Mass Email - Instant. (Please do not set it to Never. We limit Mass Emails to only important notifications for everyone and important updates about the website, so you shouldn't get these very often.)
Tab: Badges
This section is up to you.
Character Creation
Once your account is registered and you've set up your profile, you're ready to start with Character Creation. Here you can find a step-by-step walkthrough of the character creation process. This section will cover everything from the types of characters we accept, any rules surrounding characters, any forms or applications associated with characters, to creating your character's account.
Important Links
Below are links that are important to the creation of a character, or anything that is associated with character creation. This includes creating a New Dragon Species and Canons. The links below are listed in the recommended reading order to give you a good idea of what we're looking for before you start your character application.
Character Rules This post contains the rules for character creation, helpful links, and the current Banned, Discouraged, and Encouraged character types.
Request a Rare or Titan Wing Dragon Rare, Very Rare, and Titan Wing dragons are limited throughout the website to preserve their rarity. If you would like your character to have a Rare or Titan Wing dragon, you will need to fill out this request form.
New Dragon Species Application If you would like to create a new dragon species that is not listed in the Book of Dragons, you can submit this application to create a new dragon that can be used by anyone on the website.
Face Claims & Voice Claims In this thread, you'll find the current list of taken Face Claims and Voice Claims, as well as the application to reserve an FC or VC. Any FC or VC should be reserved before you submit your character application for review.
NPCs This is a list of all current NPCs with their bios. You may also add NPCs from your character application to this list.
Character Application This post shows the Character Application Form formatting and the information required for a character application. The formatting for the application is handled by the website, so you just need to fill the information into the application form.
Allegiances This thread contains a list of all current characters, their dragon, and who they are played by.
Navigate to the Character Applicaitons thread and scroll down until you see the application form.
Copy/Paste the information into a word document (recommended) and fill in the required fields.
Character Type The type of character you are creating. This can be a Canon from the franchise (such as the main or side characters in the movies/TV shows), a Story Canon that the staff has created for the purpose of the plot (such as a villain or important character that moves the plot along), or an Original Character that you create.
Image Link The URL to a 250x200 image of your character. I suggest hosting through imgur, Photobucket, or any other free image hosting websites that will generate an image link. (The image link should contain .jpg .jpeg .gif .png at the end to actually show up as an image).
Age The age of your character, in numbers. Dragon Riders should be at least 16-Years-Old, otherwise, they must be a trainee. There are no other age requirements for characters, so you could have a child character or an old character. However, keep in mind that very young or old characters will be limited in their roleplay capabilities.
Sexuality The sexual or romantic preference of your character.
Location Where your character currently lives.
Occupation The job of your character. If you are planning on your character being a Dragon Rider, please enter this field as "Dragon Rider" rather than their hobbies. This makes it easier to tell that your character is a Dragon Rider and not a Gatherer/Merchant/etc.
Face Claim & Voice Claim If your character has a Face Claim or Voice Claim, please be sure to reserve your FC or VC before you submit your character. These fields should be entered as Person from media (TV show, movie, comic, celebrity, etc.). If you do not have a FC or VC, leave this area blank.
Dragon? Yes/No. This tells us that you have a dragon and should have a dragon application attached to your character application, and if your character does not have a dragon, we can remove the dragon application from the thread.
Playby This should be your OOC name (the same name as your OOC account).
Appearance In this section, you can describe the physical appearance of your character. This should be at least[ a good paragraph long. Keep in mind the general aesthetic of Vikings and the HTTYD franchise.
Personality In this section, you can describe the personality of your character. This should be at least a good paragraph long.
Family Tree The members of your character's family tree, such as their parents, siblings, children, etc. As many family members as you'd like to add can go here.
History In this section, you can describe the history of your character. This should be at least 2-3 good paragraphs long. It's recommended that you keep the History & Plot open in another tab or page to keep your history consistent with the Timeline and series of events throughout the site history.
(The section below is OPTIONAL. If your character does not have a dragon, you may leave this section blank and mark "Dragon?:" as NO.)
Dragon Image The URL to a 250x200 image of your character's dragon. I suggest hosting through imgur, Photobucket, or any other free image hosting websites that will generate an image link. (The image link should contain .jpg .jpeg .gif .png at the end to actually show up as an image).
Dragon Name The name of your character's dragon. I suggest using Fantasy Name Generators to find a name. They even have a HTTYD Dragon name generator.
Gender The gender of your character's dragon. (Male/Female)
Class The Dragon Class of your character's dragon, based on the Book of Dragons.
Species The Dragon Species of your character's dragon, based on the Book of Dragons.
Appearance In this section, you can describe the appearance of your character's dragon. This should be at least a good paragraph long.
Personality In this section, you can describe the personality of your character's dragon. This should be at least a good paragraph long.
Once you have your character application written up in a word document, navigate to the Work in Progress board and click "Create Thread".
Enter your character's first and last name as the subject line, then fill out the application fields provided.
When all required application fields are entered, click "Create Thread" to submit your application. (You may also create the thread and come back and edit it later, however, you will be editing the thread in BBCode rather than the form you filled out the first time.)
If your character application is finished and ready to be reviewed, post in the Help Desk board.
The Help Desk board can be accessed from a few different places.
Home Page > Category: Getting Started > Board: Help Desk
At the top of the welcome table with the site navigation buttons
In the welcome table, under the Information tab, there are quick links to the left
Once on the Help Desk board, click "Create Thread".
Enter the subject (this can be the character name, "Review Application", or anything else that tells the staff what the request is about).
Fill out the form.
Request Type: Select the request type from the dropdown. (In this case, it would be Character Application Review).
Link: Enter the URL of the thread needing an action applied to it, aka your character thread.
Description: This can be anything that gives the staff information on what needs to be done for the request. (In this case, you can enter something along the lines of "Charactername is ready to be reviewed!")
Forms: This field is only required if a thread specifies a form. (In this case, we would copy/paste the form from the Character Application thread).
Click "Create Thread" to submit your request. A member of staff will reply to your thread when they are ready to review your application.
Once staff has reviewed your character application, they will reply to the character application thread letting you know that your character was accepted, or that something needs to be changed.
If your character has been accepted, you will receive a PM and your character will be added to the list of active characters and you can begin roleplay.
If something needs to be changed, you will receive a PM from a member of staff letting you know what needs to be changed and how long you have to make the changes.
Once the changes are made, reply to the PM you were sent and the member of staff will review your application again.
Register Character Account
Once your character has been accepted, you must make a separate character account to use in roleplay boards. Here we will walk you through how to create the account, what profile information needs to be entered, and the recommended profile settings.
Under the Dashboard tab of the welcome table, click the "Switch" button to switch to a different account.
You will be taken to a Proboards Switch Account page that shows a list of your current accounts on this forum.
Under your accounts there are four (4) links. Click the link that says "Create a new account on this forum."
The email address of the new account will automatically populate to your OOC account email address.
Enter the username as the first name of your character and click "Continue". (If the first name is already in use by another member, use the first name and first initial of their last name).
Fill out the Captcha (I'm not a robot) and click "Continue".
You'll get a screen telling you that you will receive an email confirmation shortly, and then you'll be logged in as the new account and brought back to the home page.
Edit the Character's Profile
Click the "Profile" button found in the welcome table under the Dashboard tab.
Once on your profile, click the "Edit Profile" button.
Edit Profile & Settings
Tab: Avatar
Select the bubble next to "Use only the Uploaded/Linked".
Click on the "Uploaded/Linked" link.
A popup will come up asking you to "Select Image" or to input a URL and "Link Image".
Click on "Select Image" to upload a 150x150 image from your computer to use as your avatar. OR Copy/Paste the link to a 150x150 image and click "Link Image".
The website will update the avatar image on the left, showing what your new avatar will look like.
Click "Save Avatar Changes" to save the avatar. (If you do not click "Save Avatar Changes", the avatar will revert to the last saved avatar or the default avatar.)
Tab: Personal
Field: Display Name - Fill out with the first and last name of your character.
Select: Gender - Select "Other / Decline to State".
Field: Location - Leave blank.
Field: Website Name - Leave blank.
Field: Website URL - Leave blank.
Field: Most Recent Status - Fill out with a quote, status update, personal text, or any other short text. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Signature - Fill out what you'd like your signature to show when posting for this character.. This can be BBCode. (OPTIONAL)
Field: Mini-Profile Background - Fill out with the link to a 250x250 image to serve as a background image to your mini-profile (behind your avatar)
Field: Gender Identity - Fill with your character's gender identity.
Field: Sexuality - Fill with your character's sexual or romantic preference.
Field: Relationship Status - Fill in your character's relationship status.
Field: Application - Fill with the link to your application thread.
Field: Plotter - Fill with the link to your Plotting thread.
Field: Tracker - Fill with the link to your Thread Tracker.
Tab: Social
These fields are optional.
Tab: Settings
Select: Show Participated - YES
Select: Show Signatures - If you would like to hide signatures, select NO.
Select: Show Avatars - If you would like to hide avatars, select NO.
Dropdown: Forum Theme - Select the theme you'd like to use. If left blank, your theme will change with the Default theme.
Select: Enable Drafts - YES.
Select: Posting Default - BBCode recommended, allows you to set default BBCode in your posts.
Select: Smiles Default - Enabled recommended, shows all smilies
Dropdown: Display Group - Should be set to OOC account for your main account, and the member group for your Character account.
Dropdown: Dates and Times - How you would like timestamps to be formatted and displayed.
Tab: Privacy
These settings are up to you.
Tab: Notifications
Make sure all boxes under "Forum" are checked. This ensures you receive forum notifications for everything.
Email settings can be set to whatever you'd like, however, I recommend the following:
Tag - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Bookmark - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Participated - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Personal Message - Smart, Instant, or Daily
Mass Email - Never (So you don't get duplicate emails.)
Tab: Badges
This section is up to you.
Roleplay
Once you have registered your Character Account and set up your character's profile, you're ready to hop into roleplay!
Roleplaying Guides
Here you can find some recommended guides on RPG-D that can help you become a better roleplayer, or walk you through the basics of roleplay if you are new to it.
Check to see if there are any site-wide events that you can participate in (located in the Announcements board, or in the welcome table under the Dashboard tab).
Creating Threads
Thread Subject
Post Labels
Most boards across the website have labels that can be applied to your posts. The roleplay boards have labels to make it clear that the thread is an open thread that anyone can join, or a private thread that you have planned with another member. We recommend using labels on your threads so everyone knows at first glance whether they can join the thread or not.
To apply a label, click on the gear icon in the top right (next to the subject bar), hover over "Labels", and select the label you'd like to use.
If your thread is planned with someone, let them know that you have posted by tagging them in the post, or by tagging them in Discord in the #thread-updates channel.