+rumor is a system that allows rumors to be started, spread, quashed and investigated by characters. How effective characters are at doing this depends on their skills.
Any rumor has an 'arena', which defines the audience among which that rumor spreads. Each arena has a lore of skill associated with it, this skill is used along with appropriate attributes to determine if you hear a rumor, and how effective you are at spreading, quashing or investigating the rumor. The City Secrets ability lets you hear rumors in _any_ arena, although it grants no ability in manipulating those rumors.
Rumors decay, they get weaker as time passes, unless people keep spreading them. After a few VR days, they begin to decay faster. All rumors will eventually die out. +rumor has a few surprises coded in, beware.
| Commands | Function |
| +rumor | list the numbers of rumors you've previously heard that are still buzzing around, and shows you any new rumors you hear. |
| +rumor/show <number> | +rumor/show <number> (or <list of numbers> or (<low>-<high>) show you the details of a rumor(s) you've previously heard. |
| +rumor/verbose | Lists a big spammy list of everything. |
| +rumor/search <text> | Searches PRE-HEARD rumors for <text> |
| +rumor/mine | Shows rumors YOU started. |
| +rumor/watch <#> / +rumor/watch | Adds # (if specified) to list shown via +rumor/watch for you. |
| +rumor/investigate <number> | attempt to find out who started, spread, quashed and investigated a rumor. More recent activity is easier to pick up on. |
| +rumor/arenas | list all the arenas that you can hear rumors in, and the abilities associated with them. This will be a LONG list for characters with City Secrets ability (and Architects) |
| +rumor/arena <arena> | Shows a summary for that arena. |
| +rumor/start <arena>=<text> | attempt to start a rumor with <text> in <arena>. |
| +rumor/start <arena>/overt=<text> | as above: attempt to start a rumor with <text> in <arena>, but it will list you as originator. |
| +rumor/spread <number> | attempt to spread a rumor. Limited to one attempt per rumor per VR day or so. |
| +rumor/quash <number> | attempt to quash a rumor. You can quash your own rumors. Limited to one attempt per rumor per VR day or so. |
| +rumor/share <#>=<char> | Try to show someone online a rumor. Similar to /spread. Monitored. |
Configuration
We recognize that some players do not like the default colors used with outputs of rumor strengths. If so, you may configure your rumor-output by the following commands:
| Commands | Function |
| &rumorstrength me=0 | This command eliminates rumor-strength colors |
| &rumorstrength me=<ANSI CODE> | Allows you to choose your own color output. See 'help ANSI CODES' for available ANSI codes. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I lie subtly, or even outrageously, in my rumors?
A: Yes, certainly. In fact we even encourage this time-honored practice. However, if you are praising or denouncing someone with Status or Clan Prestige, we recommend staying within the realm of reason. "My broodmate saw So-and-so meeting with Sabbat spies!" is something that other vampires might pick up and whisper about. "My broodmate saw So-and-so meeting with evil space aliens!" would get you laughed out of the Elysium, and is not a good justification for a +status or +prestige denounce. Well, except perhaps for Malkavian Prestige, but other Malkavians might find evil space alien dealings something to praise.
In general, though, keep your lies for praises and denounces at most on the level of the Sun, Star, or Enquirer - not the Weekly World News.
Q: What sort of content is appropriate in a rumor?
A: There are few restrictions, although it should be remembered that +rumors are not the same as entire society columns (though the kinds of blurbs you'd find within such a column are perfectly acceptable). They should never be more than a succinct paragraph in length, and should be something that can easily be passed on through word of mouth.
Q: That Toreador behaved so abominably at that awards ceremony! I'm going to comment on it in the Society arena rumors.
A: If you wish, although you had better keep any mention of anything but their mortal identities out of it, unless you want the Sheriff knocking on your door about a Masquerade breach. Please remember that the rumor arenas are locked to certain abilities, not to whether or not someone is a vampire. It is safe enough to assume that no human will have vampire, camarilla, or anarch lore, or city secrets, or the various clan and domain lores. On the other hand, they certainly can possess etiquette and streetwise. So when you're spreading word on the street, keep the bloodsucking on the Q.T.
