What are your player behavior rules in F2F games?

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I firmly believe it makes for a better and more enjoyable game - people don't take it as seriously, are more willing to laugh at their own foolishness, and are more willing to put their characters into ridiculous situations. (edit to add: that doesn't mean we get falling-down drunk)

I had to add that one as a rule because one player would show up to the game at noon on Saturdays already half in the bag. And he was not an amusing, foolish guy when he drank; one who had us all laughing with his in-game hijinks. He was obnoxious and since he kept drinking after arrival, would only rapidly get worse. I instituted a No Drinking for anyone rule (which somewhat unfairly impacted a player or two who drank, but DIDN'T get drunk.) He started showing up already quite drunk, and only got irritable as he sobered up during the game. Soon after I just kicked him entirely. Had he not been my cousin he'd have been kicked MUCH earlier.

Later, I had another player from the same group who was... dealing with work pressures by getting drunk nearly every weekend. He, however, managed to show up to games, play for at least some time without being disruptive, and then go quietly pass out in my living room and sleep it off. He did not need the rule enforced. But I retain the rule and the right to enforce it as necessary if I'm going to be the DM.

 

[Galendril]

Different strokes. My group are all former athletes, ex-military, and generally are used to active pursuits, and they need a bit more supervision..

I'm an athlete, ex-military and I never felt the need to attack other adults while playing D&D. Seems really strange to me.

 

[Bilharzia]

Is the OP 8 years old? That list is bizarre.

 

[MGibster]

Is the OP 8 years old? That list is bizarre.

Come on, we've all managed to be nice so far.

 

[cbwjm]

Is the OP 8 years old? That list is bizarre.

Many of the rules seem to relate to people with poor manners to the point where I can only imagine that his group is the worst image you can have of players at a convention.

 

[TheSword]

I had to add that one as a rule because one player would show up to the game at noon on Saturdays already half in the bag. And he was not an amusing, foolish guy when he drank; one who had us all laughing with his in-game hijinks. He was obnoxious and since he kept drinking after arrival, would only rapidly get worse. I instituted a No Drinking for anyone rule (which somewhat unfairly impacted a player or two who drank, but DIDN'T get drunk.) He started showing up already quite drunk, and only got irritable as he sobered up during the game. Soon after I just kicked him entirely. Had he not been my cousin he'd have been kicked MUCH earlier.

Later, I had another player from the same group who was... dealing with work pressures by getting drunk nearly every weekend. He, however, managed to show up to games, play for at least some time without being disruptive, and then go quietly pass out in my living room and sleep it off. He did not need the rule enforced. But I retain the rule and the right to enforce it as necessary if I'm going to be the DM.

So considering he got kicked anyway. Would it not have been better to deal with his behavioral problems and not punish everyone else.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Many of the rules seem to relate to people with poor manners to the point where I can only imagine that his group is the worst image you can have of players at a convention.

The thread isn't about convention play. And they're a list of what is not allowed, which seems to be confusing you.

 

[MNblockhead]

Many of the rules seem to relate to people with poor manners to the point where I can only imagine that his group is the worst image you can have of players at a convention.

Or, you know, a group of long-time friends who rough-house and joke around. Fun at a BBQ, but get's old quickly when you're trying to DM.

I also don't get that "I would never play at your table..." comments. Maybe I would not want to be part of a long campaign with certain restrictions, but generally, as a sociable, fairly well-adjusted adult, I can adapt to house rules that I might not think to put into place, and still manage to have fun.

Some house rules I've abided in gaming and in general:

• Shoes/hats off inside. Having lived in India, China, and Taiwan and having family who are dairy farmers who would never wear boots/shoes inside for obvious reasons, I always ask anyway. But at my house, my games are in a separate area downstairs and folks enter through the garage. I don't make people take off their shoes. As for hats, I could care less in my house. I generally don't wear hats habitually, but if I am wearing a baseball cap or toque/beanie, I'll take it off when I enter the house. Just how I was raised and its a habit.
  
  
• No food or drinks at the table (or use coasters for any drink). Some people play at fancy tables and want to keep them nice. So they break for food, etc. Personally, I bought an old conference table from a business that was downsizing off of Craig's List. It can and does take a lot of abuse. When not gaming on it, my kids do crafts that involve hot glue and Dremels. I'm not worried about water marks. The best table I've seen, that I would love to copy if I move and get the proper space, is a friend who made a very large table (could EASILY sit 12 people for dinner) out of a section of a bowling alley's lane floor from a bowling alley that was demolished. Not sure how she got it, but she had it cut to size and put sides on it and very heavy robust legs. That thing is indestructible. Bumping into it won't shake it, unless you have a running start and are a big person. No need for coasters, place mats, etc. The perfect gaming table.
  
  
• No meat. I know a lot of vegetarians. I can enjoy vegetarian food and skip meat for a meal. For my games, if there are vegetarians, I'll make sure to provide some vegetarian options if I'm preparing food, but they'll have to put up with me and other player's eating meat.
  
  
• Character restrictions. If a DM wants players to only play specific genders, classes, character ancestries, etc. You can even hand me a pre-generated character. I'm down with that, to a point. I have no interest in evil, grim-dark, shock-horror type games where I'm expected to play a character doing horrible things. In my games I've limited classes and races/ancestries, but not gender.
  
  
• No profanity. We allow light to moderate profanity in my home games. But I've played in setting with a zero-tolerance policy for any profanity.
  
  
• Some people don't want smoking even near their homes. I allow people to smoke in my backyard, but not in my front yard (mostly because folks will leave their butts in the street, which can upset neighbors, where if in the backyard people will put out their cigarette in a can and throw it away properly.
  
  
• Bringing kids/pets. Generally, I think the assumption should be that you don't bring your kids (or pets) unless invited to, or at least until you ask. Personally, I wouldn't even ask. If I can't make arrangements for my kids, I wouldn't go. As for my kids in my home games, they are old enough that they do their own thing and know to not be hanging around the gaming room if they are not part of the game. They do participate in lunch though. Pot lucks feed the DMs family on game day.
  
  
• Alcohol/drugs. If I'm not driving I'll drink and don't mind "beer and pretzel" games. But I won't game with people who drink and drive. While I personally don't care about marijuana use, I don't partake and won't join games where others are if it is illegal in that location. If its legal in the area and people aren't too annoying, I don't care.

 

[cbwjm]

The thread isn't about convention play. And they're a list of what is not allowed, which seems to be confusing you.

Oh I'm not confused, I'm just saying that the list makes me think that the players you tend to play with would be representative of the worst convention players, whether they play at cons or not. The people I play with, I don't need to lay out rules that are basic manners.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Oh I'm not confused, I'm just saying that the list makes me think that the players you tend to play with would be representative of the worst convention players, whether they play at cons or not. The people I play with, I don't need to lay out rules that are basic manners.

I don't consider it basic manners. We're friends; we rough house and cut up in a variety of social situations. I just put it off limits at the table because it was a distraction. That was fifteen years ago, more or less, and it has been obeyed all down the line.