Shipping means wanting two (or more) characters to be in a relationship. In roleplay, a character's shipping preference tells partners whether they're open to romance, with how many people, and how explicit they want it to be.
This guide covers RPL's Shipping options on character profiles, plus the shipping words you'll see around fandom and roleplay.
RPL's shipping options
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Single Ship | One romantic partner for this character, across all your threads. Partners know the romance slot is taken, or that you're looking for one special pairing. |
| Multi Ship | This character can be paired with different partners in different threads or universes. Each thread is its own story. |
| Ships With Chemistry | Open to romance if it grows naturally from the writing, rather than being planned up front. |
| Maybe? | Undecided. Ask the writer. |
| No Smut | Romance is fine, but sex scenes aren't written, or fade to black. |
| Smut Required | Explicit content is part of what this writer is looking for. RPL is 18+, and our rules still apply. |
| None | No romance for this character. |
Not sure what "multi ship" looks like in practice? Multiship and Polyamorous Ships covers how to keep each thread separate, and the difference between multi-shipping and a polyamorous character.
Shipping words you'll see
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ship | A pairing you want together. Also a verb: "I ship them." |
| OTP | One True Pairing: your favourite ship of all. |
| NOTP | A pairing you can't stand. |
| Canon ship | A couple who are together in the source material. |
| Rarepair | An uncommon pairing few people write. |
| Crack ship | A pairing so unlikely it's funny, often written for fun. |
| Endgame | The pairing that ends up together at the end. |
| Slow burn | A ship that takes a long time to get together. See How to Write a Slow Burn. |
| Ship name | A blended name for a pairing, like combining both characters' names. |
| Platonic ship | A close, non-romantic bond: best friends, siblings in all but blood, partners in crime. |
| Poly ship / OT3 | A relationship between three or more characters. |
Choosing a shipping setting
- Be honest about smut. It's the question most partners want answered first. If you're unsure, "No Smut" is easy to change later.
- Single Ship protects a pairing. If your character is with someone, Single Ship tells others not to pitch romance plots.
- Multi Ship needs clear threads. Keep each relationship in its own story, and don't let one partner's plot spill into another's.
- Match your relationship status. A "Married" character set to "Multi Ship" makes partners wonder. Explain it in the bio. See Relationship Statuses.
Shipping etiquette
- Ask before shipping. Never steer someone's character into romance without talking out of character first.
- "No" is a full answer. If a writer says their character won't ship with yours, accept it.
- Agree on content levels. Levels of Consent in Roleplay helps you talk about it.
- Leave shipping wars at the door. Other people writing a pairing you dislike doesn't affect your threads.
- Rate and tag explicit content so readers can choose. See Content Ratings in Roleplay.
For building chemistry on the page, read Writing a Relationship Your Readers Will Ship.