Roleplay Server
IC/OOC separation, character profile forum, lore archive, and a mod structure that keeps the meta drama out of the story.
Roleplay servers fail when in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC) conversations bleed into each other. A great RP scene gets killed when someone replies in OOC voice mid-scene, and meta drama (real grudges between members) leaks into the story and ruins the world. This template enforces the split structurally: every IC channel has an OOC counterpart, character profiles are a forum (one thread per OC, not a flat channel), and there's an explicit #ooc-drama channel where members can air real grievances away from the story. The lore archive is read-only — write access only via mod approval — so the world stays coherent as new players arrive. Pair this template with a character-proxy bot like [Tupperbox or its alternatives](/alternatives/tupperbox) so members can post in-character with custom names and avatars.
Channel structure
- #
rules - #
lore-primer— World basics — read before joining - 📢
announcements
- 📋
character-applications— One thread per OC, mod-approved - 📋
approved-characters— Read-only directory - #
relationships-map— Who knows who, ICly
- #
ic-main— Primary scene channel - #
ic-side-scenes— Smaller group scenes - #
ic-private-dms— Channel-based "DMs" between characters
- #
ooc-general - #
ooc-plot-planning - #
ooc-drama— Real interpersonal stuff, kept away from IC
- #
lore-archive— Read-only, mod-curated - #
maps-and-references
- 🔊
IC Voice Scenes - 🔊
OOC Hangout - 🔊
AFK
- #
staff-chat - #
character-review— Mod review of new OCs - #
mod-log
Role structure
@gm— Game master / lore lead@mod@approved-player— Has at least 1 approved OC@applicant— Awaiting first OC approval@lurker— Read-only, no IC accessRules starter
- Never speak OOC in an IC channel. Use OOC equivalents.
- No metagaming — your character only knows what they've learned ICly.
- New OCs require mod approval before they enter scenes.
- OOC drama stays in #ooc-drama. Not in scenes, not in DMs to other players.
- Respect lore — if you want to break a world rule, propose it in #ooc-plot-planning first.
When to use this template
Use this template for any persistent-world roleplay: fantasy, sci-fi, modern, historical, fandom-based. For one-shot collaborative fiction or short-arc storytelling, the overhead of IC/OOC separation is too much — use a simpler structure. For RP-heavy gaming servers (DnD groups, GTA RP), keep this template but add game-specific channels (#sessions, #character-sheets, etc).
Common mistakes when setting this up
Skipping character approval. If anyone can post a new OC and immediately start scenes, you'll get power-creep characters and lore violations within a week. Require a mod review on every new character thread, even if it's a 30-second skim. Other mistake: letting OOC drama spill into the IC channels. The moment you see a player ICly attacking another player's character for OOC reasons, separate them — pause the scene, kick to OOC, deal with the real issue. The story can't survive being a proxy for real fights. Also: a unified #ooc channel for everything is a mistake. Split into #ooc-general, #ooc-plot-planning, and #ooc-drama so the planning conversations don't get drowned out by feelings.
Build this template in 30 seconds
Describe your server in plain English and VibeBot creates every channel, role, and permission for you. The roleplay server structure above takes ~30 seconds to spin up.
“Add to my server” invites the VibeBot template bot (Manage Channels & Roles only). It previews what it will add, then builds it — additive only, never deleting or changing what you already have.