Each entry should consist of at least two sections. For a sample entry, please see the Aufhocker entry.
Optional: You can start your entry with a short vignette that shows how a character in a role-playing game would interact with the topic of the entry. See the garbage dump entry for an example.
Basic Information
This should list all sorts of factual information about the main topic of the entry, mostly gathered from other sources instead of being made up by the author of the page. Citations and links to the sources used are also highly useful, although a Wikipedia-level accuracy in using sources is not required - sometimes the most dubious sources make for the best gaming.
Game and Story Uses
This section consists of adventure and campaign ideas and suggestions. These should be divided into several subsections if the main topic of the page can be used in different genres ("medieval fantasy", "space opera", and so forth). Below these, all ideas should be listed in bulleted lists, and ideas branching out from "main ideas" can be added by other users into higher-level lists. Example:
- The ambiguity of its nature also allows game masters to keep players on their toes.
- If it is a fairy (appropriate in light of its shapeshifting abilities), it might be affiliated with the Unseelie Court.
- If it's undead (corporeal or otherwise), maybe it drains the life force of its victims, making it similar to vampires
- This could be a general drain of "vitality", or maybe the victims will suffer from diseases or supernatural curses.
This part of the wiki is intended to be fairly free-form, similar in spirit to the TV Tropes Wiki. Contributors are strongly encouraged to expand on the ideas of other users.
Note that while referring to specific games and campaign settings is perfectly acceptable, writing game stats is not - the Arcana Wiki is intended to be mostly system-independent.
Other hints and suggestions
- Unlike the Wikipedia, the Arcana Wiki does not have a Notablity Standard. The primary criteria for inclusions should be that entries are interesting and useful in gaming and creating stories. Even the most obscure topics can be useful to others.
- This doesn't mean that contributors shouldn't cite sources if possible, however.
- If an entry about the same subject exist on the Wikipedia, use the same spelling of the subject for consistency's sake. This will help avoid multiple entries for the same subject.
- Use tags! On the navigation bar to the left there is a so-called "tag cloud" with which you can find popular categories. You can add tags to an entry through the "tags" button at the bottom of the page.
- Don't forget to add internal links to your entries - even if they go nowhere. Internal links without pages attached to them show up when you click on the "site tools" button and then on "wanted pages". If you don't know what to write for the wiki, take a look there for suggestions!
- Articles tagged as stubs could use expansion and cleanup, so feel free to work on them.
- Drop by the Forum for discussion on the development of the wiki from time to time!
- Take a look at this thread for additional resources to plunder for inspiration.