By Whump Factor

Search for whumpage based on severity. Worried about running across something outside your comfort zone? Search by Whump Factor to make sure you don't get in over your head.

A note for contributors: Having trouble deciding which factor to assign a particular piece of whump to?

1. Keep in mind that the description of each factor is not a list of required criteria (i.e. "the whump must be all of these things to be factor X"). Rather, they are guidelines to help you put each factor in perpsective. There will naturally be exceptions and contradictions - often, a very minor case of physical whump can nonetheless have tremendous emotional consequences for a character. In these cases, try to weigh all the aspects of the whump and assign it the factor that majority fall under. Think of it as a movie rating - a film being rated R means it potentially could contain graphic sex or violence, but it doesn't mean that it definitely has both.

2. Also keep in mind that the purpose of this number is to help people browse the whump without stumbling across something too graphic or disturbing for their tastes. Consider an example where an MC is held hostage, and experiences only minor physical whump - perhaps they are subdued by a blow to the head and locked in a closet. If the incident continues to affect them in that the character has to walk around with a bandage on their head or has headaches for the rest of the season, this should be factor 1. If, on the other hand, the incident continues to affect them in that it calls up buried memories of being abused as a child by getting locked in a closet for days on end, you probably want to bump up the rating to take that into account - it doesn't have to be filed under factor 4 just because it has lasting repercussions, but it should not be under whump factor 1. When deciding how much to adjust the rating, think about what will be most helpful to browsers, and go with your gut.

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Whump Factor 1: The injuries may be not very graphic, cause minor observable suffering, or involve little blood. The whump may be significant for only a scene or two. The whumped may recover fully and quickly (often within the same episode). Whump Factor 2: The injuries may be slightly graphic, cause moderate observable suffering, or involve medium amounts of blood. The whump may be significant for the majority of an episode, though it is usually not the focus. The whumped may recover fully, though not necessarily immediately.

Whump Factor 3: The injuries may be graphic, cause considerable observable suffering, or involve heavy amounts of blood. The whump may be significant for an arc of episodes, or may constitute the premise of a full episode. The whumped may recover neither fully nor quickly.

Whump Factor 4: The injuries may be highly graphic, cause life-changing obeservable suffering, or involve excessive amounts of blood. The whump may be significant for the remainder of the show, and may constitute the premise of a full episode or arc of episodes. The whumped may never fully recover, or may take a long time to partially recover.