TABLE RULES
The purpose of this document is to familiarize you with my play style and my style as a GM. Feel free to discuss these policies at the table with everyone else or to ask questions.
1: Don’t be a jerk.
You know when you or someone else is doing it. So does everyone else. Let’s agree that we’re all going to observe the basic standards of conduct expected of adults in our society.
2: When in doubt, see rule #1.
Most of everything else here can be summed up with rule #1. The rest is basically clarification. Starting at #1 will answer most questions or resolve most conflicts.
3: Communicate.
Respond to emails, even if it’s just to say “yes” or “no.” If you’re not enjoying the game, say so. If you don’t understand a rule or situation, ask about it. If you don’t remember something, say so. Don’t harbor grudges about the game, it’s supposed to be fun—we’re all here to enable fun.
4: Respect people at the game and venue.
This applies to both players and whoever else is at the place we’re playing at. Don’t touch other people’s dice, books, phones, food, or other property without asking them first. Watch your language if there are children present or people are sensitive about it. Observe the basic tenets of good taste, at least when interacting with people who aren’t playing the game. If we’re playing at someone’s house, be a good guest. If we’re playing at a store, buy something—even if it’s just a drink or a candy bar.
5: Respect the game and people’s time.
Keep in mind that we’re here to play the game. Whatever we can do to play more is a good thing. “Punctuality is the foundation of all ethics,” so please make every effort to be on time. Call the GM or the host if you’ll be delayed for more than ten minutes or so. Be prepared for the game. Have your character leveled, if need be, and familiarize yourself with your character’s abilities before the game starts. Know what your character is going to do before your turn comes up. If you’re able to make it to this week’s game, inform the group by email to the entire group once the proposed schedule goes up. I’ve dealt with too many “x-factor” players over the years to rely on word-of-mouth scheduling. If we don’t hear from you, we’re not counting on you being there.
6: Make some arrangements for absent characters.
Dealing with absent characters is a bit annoying. If you anticipate that you’ll be absent for a session, arrange for another player to get your character sheet and play the character for you. There’s a basic expectation that the character will be played in their best interests and we’ll avoid blatantly asinine situations for the character. If you are unwilling or unable to make arrangements for your absent character, they are entirely at the mercy of the GM.
7: Your character is a team player.
While any character concept is fine in and of itself, there is a basic expectation that everyone will make a character that is reasonably socialized and capable of getting along with others. Don’t play a “loner” character that constantly wants to do their own thing, it’s incumbent upon you to find reasons to make your character work with the party. Conversely, don’t try to declare yourself the party leader and browbeat the other players into doing what you want—especially if your justification is your character’s Charisma score or alignment.
8: Keep it simple.
When trying to explain something that your character wants to try, keep it as simple as possible. If it takes you more than a sentence or two to justify what you want to try, the answer is probably no.
9: The GM is impartial to the players.
As the GM, I won’t take sides in personal arguments. Bluntly put, it’s not my problem if someone owes you money or is dating your ex and I won’t deal with it at the game. I won’t harass other people for you, so don’t ask. If your business outside the game with another player is a problem for you, excuse yourself from the game until you get it worked out.
10: The GM is impartial to the characters.
As the GM, I play things straight. I will not fudge rolls for or against the characters. I will not use only “balanced” encounters, because you’re not necessarily supposed to fight every creature that you meet. I will not adjust encounters on the fly to account for poor tactics, planning, or luck on the part of the characters (remember, smart people don’t rely on luck, they stack the odds in their favor). I will not confirm speculation. I will not necessarily assume the most favorable outcome for the characters in a given situation. In short, I do not see the GM’s role as an “enabler of fun.” I see the GM’s role as being an arbiter or referee between the characters and the world around them.
11: Actions have consequences.
Generally, I’ll allow you to try anything you like, but I won’t guarantee success, or even necessarily make the odds in your favor (see rule #10). I will interpret your actions and decide the consequences logically based on the situation. For example, you’re free to make a lawful good crusader-type in a party of mostly neutral scoundrels, or a secretly evil assassin in a party of good-aligned crusaders—but don’t expect me to give you any special treatment to “protect” your character. The other characters may well boot your character from their group or even kill you. If you mouth off to an officer of the city watch, he may well have you pilloried. If you try to hammer a silver coin into a werewolf’s hide, you may well smash your fingers with your own warhammer.
12: Use motivations and descriptions, not justifications and game terms.
When your character’s actions are questioned, tell me why your character thinks that it’s a smart idea. When your character does something, tell me what the character does, not what the player rolls. If you want to track some orc raiders, tell me that your character is scrutinizing the ground and looking for broken plants and footprints, not “I roll Survival to track.” If your character wants to kill an orc, tell me what is going through your character’s mind at the time, not “cuz’ they’re evil-aligned and we’re good-aligned.” (Because if it’s an unarmed orc prisoner, you won’t “be good-aligned” if you kill it in cold blood.) In short… I want you to interact with the game through its fictional narrative as well as its mechanical aspects. I don’t want to ignore narrative or mechanics, but players tend to ignore narrative before they ignore mechanics.
