Post by Josiah on Jul 16, 2011 3:07:01 GMT -9
Rules for the Players
Rule 0: "The GM is always right." This is more of a guideline than an actual rule. Please follow it 90% of the time. The GM is the tie breaker and the judge, and is probably much more experienced than you. If you have a problem, and have tried to talk with the GM yourself, then come to the admins and we will address the situation.
Rule 1: Please reply in an orderly, timely manner. If you know you can't reply for awhile, please inform your GM (or GMs if you're in multiple games) specifically so that you can jointly write your character out (either temporarily or permanently). It's not fair if one person makes everybody else wait.
Rule 2: Be considerate of your fellow players. D&D is all about team mechanics. Don't try to do everything yourself - even if you can (Here's looking at you, 3.5 Cleric). Everyone deserves opportunities. Yet you will not be held accountable if you end up leading your party because of their inexperience, poor match-ups, etc.
Rule 3: Godmodding will not be tolerated, especially if you're fighting against another player character. If you're not sure if you're godmodding or not, here's a good rule of thumb: instead of using the present tense to describe the results of your actions, use the future tense (for example, "If I succeed on my attack roll, I'll slash at his legs." You can string a whole slew of actions together like that).
Rule 4: Follow the actual rules of D&D, excepting cases of Rule 0. Don't worry - there are a lot of rules, and everyone knows that. Everyone makes mistakes or forgets some obscure rule sooner or later. It's not a big deal. Just be willing to accept your mistake, learn and move on. This is a very loose rule, but flagrant disregard for it will have repercussions.
Rules for the Game Masters
Rule 00: "No players mean no games." This is more of a piece of advice than a rule. Abuse of Rule 0 will lead to people leaving and not wanting to play with you as GM again. It's common sense. Do you want people to play with you? Don't be a jerk about your authority.
Rule 1: Be. Fair. If you aren't sure if something is fair, consult the admins and we'll help make a ruling. If we rule against you, you must abide by it. However, if players bring up that you aren't being fair, we will also investigate the matter ourselves to hear fair testimony on all sides. The majority is not always right, and we know this.
Rule 2: Fudge the dice, within limits. As GM, you have the authority to overturn any dice rolls or call for rerolls. Do not abuse this authority. It should only be used in cases where the dice themselves have become unbalanced (if a player rolls a string of low numbers, for example), or to make the story more interesting (the monster actually DID make it's save, but you ruled it got turned to stone anyway).
Rule 3: Be around. Attendance is even more important for a GM than the average player. The GM is the beginning and end of every action. If you aren't around, there is no game. If you know you won't be around for a certain period of time, inform your players and the admins.
Rule 4: Unless you have cleared it with your players, do not be a "Killer DM." Should there be threats and dangers, including those save-or-die effects found at higher levels? Yes. Should you purposefully throw lethal spells, monsters, traps, or other likely-fatal mechanics at your players with the sadistic intention of killing them? No. See Rule 00.
Rule 5: Avoid making a PC of your own, for your own campaign, as much as possible. In some combinations, the PC's may need some kind of character to be with them a majority of the time, to overcome some missing component they have (usually, a member of the healing classes). It is better to treat these as redshirt NPC's than PC's, as this can easily lead to Mary Sueing. This is left to your discretion, but see Rule 1.
Rule 0: "The GM is always right." This is more of a guideline than an actual rule. Please follow it 90% of the time. The GM is the tie breaker and the judge, and is probably much more experienced than you. If you have a problem, and have tried to talk with the GM yourself, then come to the admins and we will address the situation.
Rule 1: Please reply in an orderly, timely manner. If you know you can't reply for awhile, please inform your GM (or GMs if you're in multiple games) specifically so that you can jointly write your character out (either temporarily or permanently). It's not fair if one person makes everybody else wait.
Rule 2: Be considerate of your fellow players. D&D is all about team mechanics. Don't try to do everything yourself - even if you can (Here's looking at you, 3.5 Cleric). Everyone deserves opportunities. Yet you will not be held accountable if you end up leading your party because of their inexperience, poor match-ups, etc.
Rule 3: Godmodding will not be tolerated, especially if you're fighting against another player character. If you're not sure if you're godmodding or not, here's a good rule of thumb: instead of using the present tense to describe the results of your actions, use the future tense (for example, "If I succeed on my attack roll, I'll slash at his legs." You can string a whole slew of actions together like that).
Rule 4: Follow the actual rules of D&D, excepting cases of Rule 0. Don't worry - there are a lot of rules, and everyone knows that. Everyone makes mistakes or forgets some obscure rule sooner or later. It's not a big deal. Just be willing to accept your mistake, learn and move on. This is a very loose rule, but flagrant disregard for it will have repercussions.
Rules for the Game Masters
Rule 00: "No players mean no games." This is more of a piece of advice than a rule. Abuse of Rule 0 will lead to people leaving and not wanting to play with you as GM again. It's common sense. Do you want people to play with you? Don't be a jerk about your authority.
Rule 1: Be. Fair. If you aren't sure if something is fair, consult the admins and we'll help make a ruling. If we rule against you, you must abide by it. However, if players bring up that you aren't being fair, we will also investigate the matter ourselves to hear fair testimony on all sides. The majority is not always right, and we know this.
Rule 2: Fudge the dice, within limits. As GM, you have the authority to overturn any dice rolls or call for rerolls. Do not abuse this authority. It should only be used in cases where the dice themselves have become unbalanced (if a player rolls a string of low numbers, for example), or to make the story more interesting (the monster actually DID make it's save, but you ruled it got turned to stone anyway).
Rule 3: Be around. Attendance is even more important for a GM than the average player. The GM is the beginning and end of every action. If you aren't around, there is no game. If you know you won't be around for a certain period of time, inform your players and the admins.
Rule 4: Unless you have cleared it with your players, do not be a "Killer DM." Should there be threats and dangers, including those save-or-die effects found at higher levels? Yes. Should you purposefully throw lethal spells, monsters, traps, or other likely-fatal mechanics at your players with the sadistic intention of killing them? No. See Rule 00.
Rule 5: Avoid making a PC of your own, for your own campaign, as much as possible. In some combinations, the PC's may need some kind of character to be with them a majority of the time, to overcome some missing component they have (usually, a member of the healing classes). It is better to treat these as redshirt NPC's than PC's, as this can easily lead to Mary Sueing. This is left to your discretion, but see Rule 1.