Out of Character

Synonyms:	OOC, (antonym) In Character, IC
See also:	ATG, meta
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In media and fiction

"OOC" or "Out of Character" is a designation sometimes applied to fanworks in which characters act, think, or feel in dramatic discontinuity with their canonically established history.

Sometimes, fans feel that The Powers That Be have misunderstood their own creations, and may refer to character actions in canon as OOC. (See also Jump the Shark.)

The opposite of "OOC" is "IC," or "in character."

In role-playing games

The term is used in an entirely different way in LARP and online Role-playing_games. In those, OOC indicates an action or conversation not intended to be part of the game itself. In LARPs, this can include announcing time constraints or offering rides to people after the game; in online and email games, it can include conversations about the game itself, or questions about what's permitted. However in many Character and Celebrity-based RPGs, this alternate-level discussion is known as meta.