The GM's code of Ethics? What should it include?

[genshou]

There is that word again! Nobody seems to be able to tell me where it is possible to do a proper threadcrap. I really need to threadcrap.

On the threadjohn?

 

[Mark Hope]

Thou shalt announce house rules before they come up in play. Thou shalt not spring them on the players out of nowhere in the middle of combat, lest ye be smitten about the head with a large brushed steel Crystal Caste d20 until ye repentest the error of thy ways.

No, seriously. This drives me crazy. How hard can it be? Make a list. Show it to the players. Everybody happy.

 

[genshou]

Thou shalt announce house rules before they come up in play. Thou shalt not spring them on the players out of nowhere in the middle of combat, lest ye be smitten about the head with a large brushed steel Crystal Caste d20 until ye repentest the error of thy ways.

No, seriously. This drives me crazy. How hard can it be? Make a list. Show it to the players. Everybody happy.

When I first started I had a few incidents where I was guilty of this. Luckily I had a forgiving group, and from then on I wrote down any ideas I got of rules changes mid-campaign, and brought them up once the campaign had ended.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Thou shalt announce house rules before they come up in play. Thou shalt not spring them on the players out of nowhere in the middle of combat, lest ye be smitten about the head with a large brushed steel Crystal Caste d20 until ye repentest the error of thy ways.

No, seriously. This drives me crazy. How hard can it be? Make a list. Show it to the players. Everybody happy.

The problem is that those rules changes don't exist until the DM thinks of them when he ponders how he can make things bad for the PCs in this fight.

 

[Mark Hope]

The problem is that those rules changes don't exist until the DM thinks of them when he ponders how he can make things bad for the PCs in this fight.

No! You don't think that's what's really going on, do you? But... but... that would be simply dreadful!!!

When I first started I had a few incidents where I was guilty of this. Luckily I had a forgiving group, and from then on I wrote down any ideas I got of rules changes mid-campaign, and brought them up once the campaign had ended.

Well, to be fair, I think most DMs have done it at some point. I'd even be happy to accept house rules mid-campaign (like "Guys, I'm not happy with the way the Nictitating Ninja spell has been working out - from next session onwards on it only affects one ninja per level, is everybody OK with that?") if there is some discussion and agreement on the topic. Just not, y'know, in the middle of some critical encounter where the rule in question is of crucial importance. Oh well. It's not like I have issues with this or anything...

 

[genshou]

Just not, y'know, in the middle of some critical encounter where the rule in question is of crucial importance.

Right, that's what I was guilty of.

 

[DonTadow]

Err... just one rule. To make the game fun for all involved.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

http://home.earthlink.net/~duanevp/dnd/manifesto.htm

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

This probably is more a moral tenet than an ethical one, but personally I believe GMs have a responsibility to present a world with some degree of karma. That is, those with good actions/intentions should receive their just rewards eventually, and those with evil actions/intentions should receive their comeuppance eventually.

(I don't believe the alignment system is the best way to do this, but that's another thread altogether.)

 

[shilsen]

This probably is more a moral tenet than an ethical one, but personally I believe GMs have a responsibility to present a world with some degree of karma. That is, those with good actions/intentions should receive their just rewards eventually, and those with evil actions/intentions should receive their comeuppance eventually.

(I don't believe the alignment system is the best way to do this, but that's another thread altogether.)

Ah, so that's what makes it fantasy!