3. Digimon and Digivolution

[Legion]

On-Site Digimon Rules

There's a lot to say about the lore of Digimon, but you may be wondering how they work on site. Luckily, the process is surprisingly simple.

First, you pick your Digimon partner. We allow choosing a partner you know you want, but for those who want a little bit of spice there are a few randomization options on the character app. None of these options will be incentivized or penalized. We want you to pick what's most fun for you, after all.

Next, you pick your Digimon's Digivolution line. We allow any and all canon Digivolution sources here: shows, games, vpets, and even the card game. If the line can be found on Wikimon, it'll be accepted without any fuss. If none of those are to your liking, picking an unrelated Digimon with strong similarities in appearance or theming also works. With how strange Digivolution lines can get in canon, we're not going to be very picky, though we ask you at least try to keep your lines sensible and coherent.

We also allow a degree of level shifting on site. If you like a design but don't think it's at the right level for your Digivolution line, you can move it up or down by one level to slot it into place. There is already canon precedent for this in many Digimon, such as Gatomon, Whamon, and most Armor Digivolutions, so we see no harm in allowing it. The main thing we ask is that, if running a Digimon as a Rookie, you pick one that feels like a Rookie. Many Champions are simply too big or detailed to have the right feeling.

You may wonder if any Digimon are off limits. The answer is no*. If it's a Digimon, it can show up. This extends to their spinoff cousins, Applimon, as well (with their four Grades of Standard, Super, Ultimate, and God roughly corresponding to Rookie, Champion, Perfect, and Mega already). Only non-Digimon entities, such as the D-Reaper or Cyber Sleuth's Eaters, are flat-out banned.

* The only digimon we'd regard off limits would be the five digimon who were created as part of the crowdfunding campaign for the Digimon Adventure 20th Anniversary Memorial Story Project. These digimon are Aequcedramon, Ganvivormon, Pyontomon, Madomon, and Rurimon. Reason being that these digimon were personally made rather than being made as an official new digimon - and as a result, making one would feel closer to stealing and reusing someone else's OC design. If these digimon ever appear in official media, this ruling may be reconsidered.

Keep in mind that this means the species isn't banned. Some Digimon species are tied to lore heavy roles, such as Royal Knight, Sovereign, or Demon Lord. Being a member of that species does not make you one of these by default, and does not give your character any more weight in the site canon than others. In addition, you still need to follow our moveset creation rules. A Digimon's lore may be overpowered as all hell, but here on site it'll be as balanced as any other Digimon of their level.

We also allow custom Digimon. These must either have a written appearance description or be art intended for use as a Digimon. We do not allow characters from outside media, adoptables, or non-Digimon OCs to be used as Digimon on site. If you are using a Digimon design that isn't your own, please only do so with the creator's permission! This goes for both fan designs from other corners of the internet and for custom Digimon made by other members of the site.

For the most part, Digimon have a favored line that they naturally develop into. However, some Digimon are capable of obtaining a variety of forms. We allow Digimon to have up to four Digivolution lines on site, unlocked via purchases from the site store.

[Legion]

What Is A Digimon?

That's the question on everyone's minds as sightings of strange beings become more common throughout the greater Lumen City area. Holograms throughout the city behave in ways that don't seem to fit their programming. Mysterious shadows creep through Goldenview's wilderness when the moon hangs high in the sky. Avatars without ties to any known account roam Neoscape, blending in with the diverse, colorful crowds. Mysterious happenings spread across website comments, newspaper columns, and the whispers of the particularly curious. Something strange is afoot; cryptids? Hackers? Or perhaps something more? Amongst those in the know, one name has started to consistently surface here and there: Digimon.

Very little is currently known about Digimon. The current sum of knowledge about them is pictured below:

Digimon are known as Digital Monsters for a few reasons. The first is that, rather than being made of flesh and blood, Digimon are composed of data and information. A Digimon's body is basically a solid construct of light projected from its core, an organ possessed by nearly every Digimon that serves as its heart, brain, and stomach alike. Despite this, Digimon look and feel surprisingly lifelike, to the point where you'd be forgiven for thinking you saw a weird animal or particularly sophisticated hologram upon encountering one. Due to the odd nature of their bodies, Digimon can appear in almost any shape and size, even ones that seem not to make sense at a first glance.

The term Digital Monsters also refers to their strange relationship with technology. To a Digimon, unlocking electronic locks is as simple as a human picking a lock by hand, and turning off a camera is as simple as closing a window. Human world technology has a tendency to malfunction when around Digimon, especially if it's getting in the way of a Digimon achieving its goals and desires. This is part of what makes documenting Digimon especially frustrating: if a Digimon doesn't want to be seen, it has ways of making sure you can't get a clear record of it.

No matter what species they look like, all Digimon are born from eggs. These are also known as Digitama, and are basically the purest form of Digimon data. The fact that something as simple as an egg can give rise to the countless forms Digimon take on is one of the most fascinating aspects about them, as well as the potential that they possess. These Digitama are also what Digimon return to upon death, regressing back to the egg before starting their life cycle from the beginning. Some Digimon have lived countless lifetimes, their forms, attitudes, and outlooks changing with each turn of the cycle. Others seem to have been formed very recently. True death is something incredibly uncommon among Digimon: it only occurs if a Digimon's core is absorbed, corrupted, or irreparably damaged.

The transmission of data is of massive importance to Digimon, every bit as important as eating and breathing are for humans - and while most digimon can suffice simply on data accumulated by time and from the world around them, many desire more. Sometimes this data is gained through fighting, the clashes between Digimon driving both participants to grow stronger as a result. Between the essential role of conflict in a Digimon's lifecycle and death rarely being the end of their story, Digimon tend to be a lot more comfortable with conflict than humans are! At other times, this data is gained through bonds, especially in regards to human-Digimon partnerships. When the willpower of a human is channeled into data through their Digivice, Digimon can reach heights of power they've never dreamed of.

Do these bonds exist to serve the strong, or does strength exist to protect these bonds? To some Digimon, this question defines their very existence. To most Digimon, that kind of philosophical question is the last thing on their minds.

Between Two Worlds

There are two categories of Digimon appearances in the human world. The first type are the most common, and tend to be little more than echoes. These Digimon, known as Cryptic Digimon, have yet to fully emerge into the human world, instead seeming to exist in a strange limbo between ours and theirs. These Digimon are almost like ghosts or mirages, with a very limited ability to make themselves known or interact with the world around them. However, other Digimon, as well as humans that bear a Digivice, can see them with ease. If a Digimon exerts enough power, typically through the use of one of its signature moves or abilities, it can impact the world around it. In these moments it may even end up making its presence visible to others. These moments are fleeting, but have left a wave of rumors sparked in their wake.

The second category, and the category of greater note, is Manifested Digimon. These Digimon have attained enough power, and resided in the shadows of the human world for long enough, to pierce through the barrier between worlds. Alternatively, they've formed a partnership with a human, their bond together allowing them to skip past that entire process and manifest with ease. Manifested Digimon are now full denizens of the human world, becoming tangible and visible to all This is a one-way process: a Manifested Digimon can no longer enjoy the anonymity it once had while it was Cryptic, and needs to make a greater effort to blend in. However, it can also more freely interact with the world around it, a privilege which can be very dangerous in the hands of the wrong Digimon.

With all the talk of the human world, you may be wondering what the world of Digimon is like. Unfortunately, this has proven one of the most difficult subjects to find information about. There has been no recorded human knowledge of a Digital World, to the point where many doubt whether one even exists. Even those who have managed to ask Digimon themselves tend to get a different answer each time, if the Digimon is even interested in giving a straight answer. Is this just reluctance on their part to speak? Or is the nature of the Digital World so variable that the experiences of many Digimon can't even be compared? Perhaps the only consistency in answers is that Neoscape "feels close, but not quite." The implications that this holds about the nature of the Digital World are unclear.

Mixed Signals

Digimon passively give off a 'signal' - something that serves a similar purpose to scent for animals, as a way of identifying one another. Each digimon's signal can give others an idea of who they are, what species they are, and their overall strength - even if a digimon is in an otherwise lower stage. A digimon at a higher stage typically gives off a much stronger signal than a digimon at a lower stage, and digimon of vastly different stages may sometimes find a stronger digimon's signal to have pressure to it, and often find it instinctively intimidating. Much like how a multitude of scents can muddle one another, a signal can be harder to read when there's a bunch of digimon around - unless the source digimon is nearby - and obstacles such as walls can help obscure one's signal, too.

However, digimon can also choose to give off a more active signal - 'broadcasting' it to make themselves known. This typically isn't something that weaker or younger digimon can do - although stronger digimon, or digimon in the midst of intense situations like Digivolution, are able to make their presences known over proportionally long distances. This broadcasted signal tends to have more pressure than a passive signal, and can communicate (less through words and more through feeling,) a digimon's intent and emotions at the time. As a result, a digimon might broadcast their signal for things such as intimidation factor, as a cry for help, to rally others to them, or even to soothe younger digimon.

A digimon can have a naturally weaker or stronger signal than average, and a digimon may have an easier or harder time than others at detecting signals. However, the absence of a signal or the inability to detect other digimons' signals are seen as extremely unusual - and in the case of the former, can be seen as disturbing or uncanny to many digimon.

[Legion]

Digivolution

Digivolution is maybe one of the most essential aspects of what makes a Digimon a Digimon. Throughout a Digimon's lifespan it changes and develops, taking on a multitude of different forms at various stages of power. For most Digimon, this is a long, slow, and permanent change, the product of a lifetime's worth of growth, struggles, and triumphs.

However, this is not the case for all Digimon. A strong burst of emotion, willpower, and fighting spirit can trigger a temporary Digivolution far earlier than one would naturally occur. Typically, this is caused by a Digimon's bond with a human partner. With the Digimon's strength and their human's spirit flowing into one another through the conduit of their Digivice, a Digimon can transcend its Rookie form and turn into something far greater. Rogue Digimon can also Digivolve in this fashion, provided they've been given the right push, but it tends to require rather extraordinary willpower.

These are typically the standard routes of Digivolutions. However, no two Digimon are the same. Some need to be in perfect sync with their human partner. Others can guide one partner through the process while another falters. Some may outright need this pressure to Digivolve, unable to pass their Rookie form unless facing a crisis. Some, especially at their highest levels of power, may need to directly fuse with a human in a process known as biomerging in order to reach the pinnacle of their strength. Others may rely on an item of power, using it as a totem to focus their power. Others still may be downright parasitic, needing to taste an opponent's data before they can reach reach their pinnacle. How you flavor your character's Digivolution is up to you, so follow your heart (or favorite season) and embrace your creativity.

With the lore out of the way, here are some rules on the logistics of Digivolution:

Digimon can only Digivolve by one level at a time. When in hostile territory, consider timing your Digivolutions carefully. Being caught off guard and having to survive a few posts as a small, helpless blob is very far from ideal!

Digivolution takes effort and energy to maintain. Once a Digimon starts to tire, Digivolution can be harder to maintain. This process is easier for lower levels of power, especially as a Digimon's base potential rises over time. However, higher level forms such as Mega or Ultra can rarely be sustained for long. If a Digimon is defeated in its highest available form, it is often knocked out of the fight entirely. Even victorious ones tend to quickly regress to more comfortable forms, sometimes their In-Training or even Fresh stages.

Digivolution Stages

Digivolution isn't a one time process, and not all Digivolutions are created equal. A Digimon will change many times throughout its life, achieving new heights of power with each one. On site, this'll be shown by your rank, which updates automatically when your post count reaches the following intervals:

Rookie - 1 post
Champion - 30 posts
Perfect - 75 posts
Mega - 200 posts
Ultra - 350 posts

Fans of the dub may wonder what a sub term's doing slipped in here. Ultimate refers to two different levels across dubs, and due to Digimon's large international / sub-purist fan base, I want to make as little confusion across languages as possible.

Currently, the highest level you can Digivolve into unassisted is Champion. The human world simply lacks the data necessary to support higher levels for the moment. However, you can expect this to change as the Digimon phenomenon continues to unfold, and the two worlds come ever closer to one another.

Keep in mind that you only get one chance to debut a new Digivolution! Sure, you can access it once you hit the needed postcount, but it might be more fun to save it for a suitably cool, dramatic moment. Don't feel like you need to rush!

Fresh and In-Training levels, also known as the Baby levels, are developmental forms that a Digimon takes on when they don't have the energy to maintain their preferred form. Their combat potential can be charitably described as minimal. Typically, a Digimon at these levels has either just hatched or exerted a lot of energy fighting. However, some find the form more comfortable to adopt in the human world, as data is scarce and they can blend in. Any character can access these forms at any time.

Rookie level is where a Digimon truly comes into its own identity. In contrast to the small, harmless forms that come prior, Rookies are fully independent and capable of taking care of themselves. Despite this, they are also known as the Child stage, as they have a lot of growth ahead of them. Rookie level Digimon are more powerful than one might expect, so don't underestimate them due to their small size. Physically adept ones tend to be stronger than even the world's strongest human, and ones that lack this raw power tend to have many tricks up their sleeves. Many of the Digimon that have begun manifesting throughout Lumen City are Rookie level.

Champion level Digimon are the first "true" level of Digivolution past the Rookie level base, and are the easiest to attain. As even the weakest, most peaceful Digimon can naturally grow into this stage with little trouble, it is also known as the Adult stage. Champions are bigger, stronger, and overall more dangerous than Rookies, which also makes them a lot more difficult to hide. It is a form that should be used responsibly, even if it's just the tip of the iceberg. Champion level is where a Digimon's fate begins to diverge, as a Digimon's upbringing, emotional state, and envrionmental circumstances can cause the same Digimon to take on different Champion forms. It is said that Champions make up most Digimon in the Digital World, with comparatively fewer remaining at lower levels or ascending to higher levels.

Perfect level Digimon have surpassed the limits of their Champion form and achieved what appears to be the pinnacle of power. For many Digimon, Perfect is the end of the road after countless battles. For many partnerships, it is a key turning point in their bond, requiring far more of a push than the simple burst of willpower needed to achieve Champion level. As with the prior levels, a Digimon's power and maximum size only continue to increase.

Mega level Digimon are seen as a chosen few, thought by most Digimon to be mere myth. Many believe only a chosen few have the capability of even reaching this form, blessed by the ability to transcend perfection itself. Whether this is true, or this potential lays dormant in the cores of all Digimon, is unclear. Even in the Digital World, too little about this form is understood to judge.

It is said some Digimon can break through any and all limits placed upon them, leaving even the Mega form of legend behind. It is unknown if these Ultra level Digimon are even real, or simply a belief that there always has to be another peak.

Corrupted Digivolutions

When a Digivolution goes right, it is one of the most awe-inspiring things to behold. But what happens when it goes wrong? Maybe the partnership between human and Digimon is strained, and the tension between them interferes with the process. Maybe they are trying to Digivolve before they can handle the level of power they seeks to control. Maybe they're in a paritcularly ugly headspace, and their desire to hurt resonates all too deeply in a Digimon's core. These, and many more factors, can lead to a Digivolution becoming corrupted. There are two types of corrupted Digivolution on site:

Dark Digivolutions are born of emotional or moral weakness. These are often little more than rampaging berserkers, although at times their malice has a frightening intelligence behind it. These corrupted Digivolutions tend to be stronger than their counterparts, but are impossible to control and make little to no differentiation between friend and foe.

More literal weakness instead leads to a Junk Digivolution, a garbled mess of junk data that tends to turn into a form which can barely be referred to as a Digivolution. These junk Digivolutions are treated as a level weaker than they nominally are, and they tend to be gross, cartoonish, or otherwise undesirable in nature.

While there are two types of corruption, the rules for achieving them are the same. You do not need to purchase a corrupted line with a store item, instead serving as an extra "bonus" line on top of your standard three. In addition, corrupted Digivolutions unlock earlier than regular ones, as per the information below:

Champion - 20 posts
Perfect - 50 posts
Mega - 125 posts
Ultra - 275 posts

Your full line doesn't need to be corrupted. If it fits the story you want to tell, you can have a dark line "redeem" itself with a more noble Mega, or a junk Champion turn into a powerful Perfect if treated well. You can even take a form that was previously corrupted and, after some much-needed character development, treat it on par with a Digimon's standard Digivolutions. However, you must buy these levels instead of getting them for free, and they will be treated as normal Digivolutions instead of being stronger or weaker.

Armor Digivolution

If Dark Digivolutions represent moments of weakness, and Corrupted Digivolutions reflect a duo's insufficiencies, Armor Digivolutions are their opposite. These are born from when a human (or Rogue Digimon), no matter what obstacles stand in their way or what challenges they face, chooses to embody their truest self. This choice is represented in the form of a Digimental, a Digimon's egg reinforced and modified to reflect their human partner's innermost nature. Sometimes these are discovered after an arduous trial. At other times they seem to appear spontaneously when they are needed most.

Traditionally, Armor Digivolution is most associated with a character's driving virtue; think the crests from Digimon Adventure and their corresponding Digimentals in 02. However, these do not need to be so specific. They could also reflect a character's driving ambition, or the innermost struggles that they seek to triumph over. If you were to distill a character down to a single defining trait, that would be the catalyst of their Armor Digivolution. As tempting as it may be to pick a vice for a more antagonistic character, think very carefully before choosing to do so. Even antagonists have virtues, values, hopes, and dreams, which may lead to a more well-rounded character and more interesting exploration than giving them the Crest of Evil.

Rather than relying on post count alone, or being purchased by shop items, Armor Digivolutions are earned by engaging with and developing this defining rate. This occurs as follows:

Armor - 2 completed threads developing or embodying your character's defining trait, access to Champion Digivolution.
Golden Armor - 5 completed threads developing or embodying your character's defining trait, access to Perfect Digivolution.
Transcendent Armor - 10 completed threads developing or embodying your character's defining trait, access to Mega Digivolution.

Armor Digivolution gets its name for the unique way in which it stabilizes and protects the Digimon utilizing it. Effects that prevent Digimon from Digivolving do not effect Armors. In addition, a Digimon defeated in its Armor form will often have enough energy to keep the fight going in a weaker form, banged-up and battered as they may be. This is in stark contrast to full Digivolutions, which tend to require and expend far more energy. However, this comes at the cost of pure power. By default, Armor Digivolution can be considered about a half-step between Digivolution levels. Standard Armor Digivolution is stronger than Champion, yet weaker than Perfect. Golden Armor is stronger than Perfect, yet weaker than Mega. Transcendent Armor is stronger than Mega, yet weaker than Ultra.

However, this is not always the case. When a human truly embodies their innermost self, pushing past any fear and doubt, their heart resonates with the Digimental. For a brief yet critical moment, the Armor Digivolution is capable of unleashing its full power. This is most commonly seen with Transcendent Armors, allowing them to stand toe to toe with full-powered Ultra Digimon. However, the effect can also be noted with weaker forms. This lasts for as long as the human embodies their defining trait, and once deactivated cannot be used for the remainder of a thread or event. A good rule of thumb is around 3 posts; enough time for a good back and forth, while capturing a particularly significant character moment in the process. However, this is not a hard rule. Inexperience or a faltering heart can end it prematurely, while in a particularly climactic moment a character's Digimental may shine particularly bright.

DNA Digivolution

The bond between Digimon and partner isn't the only bond of importance on a tamer's journey. Equally important are the bonds they forge with their fellow humans and Digimon. When two become particularly close, their hearts beat as one, their Digivices sync up, and they become capable of achieving the impossible. This is through DNA Digivolution, a phenomenon where two Digimon join together through the strength of their bond with one another. They become one being in every sense of the world, with a shared body, a shared conscious, and enough power to the surpass the sum of its parts with ease.

DNA Digivolution requires a very close bond, and is not something to be taken lightly. Each account can only form two such bonds: think of them as the two most important people in your character's life. We have a thread minimum requirement to reach each level of DNA Digivolution to help give this some gentle enforcement.

Perfect - 2 completed threads developing or emphasizing the bond between your character and another, access to Champion Digivolution.
Mega - 4 completed threads developing or emphasizing the bond between your character and another, access to Perfect Digivolution.
Ultra - 7 completed threads developing or emphasizing the bond between your character and another, access to Mega Digivolution.
Something Extra? - 10 completed threads developing or emphasizing the bond between your character and another, access to Ultra Digivolution.

Please bear in mind that this is the barest minimum for achieving DNA Digivolution. These should really be the closest bonds your characters form, so please make sure that the moments leading up to DNA Digivolution have weight and significance. It'd be a disservice to you and your character alike to waste the story potential DNA Digivolution offers frivolously.

Naturally, DNA Digivolution has its strengths and drawbacks. The downside is that both characters need to be present in a thread to use it, and after fusing you'll only have one Digimon with you instead of two. The obvious upside is that the resulting fusion is a level above your Digimon's current potential. Two Digimon at Champion level with enough threads under their belts can fuse into a Perfect level Digimon, even if they don't have the 75 posts needed to reach Perfect level independently.

This allows you to pass the site's current maximum Digivolution level! While regular Digivolution can only reach Champion level, DNA Digivolution can go up to Perfect.

Other Forms of Digivolution

Corrupted and DNA Digivolutions are far from the only specialized forms of Digivolution. There are a few others that can be accessed, mostly with the help of site store purposes.

Permanent Digivolution refers to a form that's become so comfortable to use, it's become as effortless to maintain as Rookie. While older forms can still be de-Digivolved into, the Digimon can now remain at the purchased form permanently, treating it as their new base stage of Digivolution.

Warp Digivolution allows a Digimon to immediately skip to its highest form when Digivolving, instead of needing to take each form step by step. A Digimon cannot attack in the same post that it Warp Digivolves, however, so this technique risks leaving an opening for a canny opponent.

Slide Digivolution allows a Digimon to shift between their alternate Digivolution lines, instead of needing to de-Digivolve back down to a lower level first. This greatly increases the amount of versatility and flexibility that a Digimon can bring to bear in a battle.

There may be other forms of Digivolution out there as well, tied to even stranger phenomena. Some say they may not even require data at all, instead depending on interface with strange Digital anomalies or even a Digimon's own tamer! Make sure to keep an eye out! You could be in for quite the surprise.