On Blood of Dragons, each character is assigned a Type and a Tier. See this FAQ entry for a discussion of why we have chosen this system. The Type determines the availability of a character as well as what sort of application is needed. There are eight Types: Closed, Feature, Extra, Elite, Limited, Restricted, Open and Cameo. Out of these, Limited, Restricted, Open and Cameo can be applied for, and the vast majority of PCs are Open.
Closed characters are unavailable. They may be deceased, too young, located outside of Westeros, or otherwise unsuitable for play.
Feature characters are defined as individuals who have been named by GRRM in the body of A Song of Ice and Fire literature or elsewhere, such as in fan correspondence. In rare cases, a character classified as a Feature may not have been identified by name; for example, the canon may mention the holder of a particular office without giving them a name. For the time period of Blood of Dragons MUSH, examples of Features include all Targaryens, all acknowledged Targaryen bastards, some of the Kingsguard, Cregan Stark, Lord Tyrell, the Grand Maester, the High Septon and Ser Arlan of Pennytree.
No player will receive a Feature character to play on a permanent and regular basis. In many cases, Feature characters are not well suited to being played on a regular basis. Instead the Admin will use these characters on occasion for the purpose of advancing plots and adding general atmosphere to the game, and at times some players may be asked to play some of the roles temporarily for specific plot purposes.
Extra characters are individuals who are made available for players in general to make use of. They are, as the name suggests, extras that you can use in scenes, in roleplay posts and in rumors. Some examples of Extras include septons, guardsmen, merchants and serving wenches. Players should always take care to read the information entered about a specific Extra before making use of them and to send in updates for the characters via +jobs (see +HELP JOBS) when such are needed. Players are also invited to suggest more Extras.
Elite characters are individuals that are considered important, influential or skilled enough that they cannot be requested by players. Instead, they are awarded to players by Admin decision. Some Elite characters are concepts that, like many Feature characters, are unsuited to being played on a regular basis. These can be used by the Admin in the same manner as Features.
Examples of Elite concepts: Tier I characters (a tier I character is automatically Elite, but not all Elite characters are tier Is), some Kingsguard, some Small Council members, extraordinarily influential individuals.
Limited characters are individuals that are considered important, influential or skilled enough that players have to submit an application that includes logs of roleplay prior to being allowed to take such a character through CharGen. Unless the player is already known to the Admin, from Blood of Dragons or another game, the initial approval is also for a probationary period.
Examples of Limited concepts: Tier II characters (a tier II character is automatically at least Limited, but not all Limited characters are tier IIs), major house Heads, exceptionally influential individuals.
Restricted characters are individuals that are considered important, influential or skilled enough that players have to submit an application that includes logs of roleplay prior to being allowed to take such a character through CharGen.
Examples of Restricted concepts: Tier III characters (a tier III character is automatically at least Restricted, but not all Restriced characters are tier IIIs), most lords, heirs to major houses, notably influential individuals.
Open characters make up the vast majority of characters on the game and they require only a very brief application that easily can be completed in less than 5 minutes.
Examples of Open concepts: Anything that doesn’t fall under Feature, Limited or Restricted. It is important to keep in mind that Open characters are not ‘nobodies’. They can be quite skilled and quite influential, and the Type of the character does not necessarily have anything to do with what sort of plots they can get involved in.
Cameo characters are CGed characters available for the purpose of trying out the game and they require no application.
Examples of Cameo concepts: Anything that is suitable for a tier V character (almost all Cameo characters will be tier Vs) and which can easily be slipped in and out of by inexperienced and experienced players alike. They are intended as characters that can give someone a taste of the game but they are not intended to be anyone’s permanent character.