What are your table rules?

[Jeff Wilder]

Monte Cook did a column recently about codifying "table rules" for a game ... i.e., those rules that apply to players, rather than to characters. It inspired me to codify my own -- included below -- and I'm curious as to how other folks' table rules differ, if they're codified, and why or why not.

Jeff’s Table Rules
I. Attendance
A. Absences
1. Notification – Please notify the group as soon as possible of an absence. With a day’s notice, email is fine. With less than a day’s notice, call the other players.
2. Characters – Please have an updated character sheet available to the DM. If possible, your character will be removed from the current action – and removed from danger – but will receive no XP. If that’s not possible, your character will be played by the group, with the DM as final arbiter. The character will be at risk, and will earn one-half normal XP.
3. If two players are absent, the game will be cancelled. It’s the responsibility of the second canceling player to notify the other players by phone and email that the game is cancelled.
B. Punctuality
1. Notification – Please call the host if you’re going to be substantially late.
2. Carrot and Stick – The first player to arrive on time (other than the host) will receive a 50 XP per level bonus. The last player to arrive, if late, will receive a 50 XP per level penalty. In both cases, people who arrive together will split the award or penalty.
II. Comestibles
A. Food – Please plan on eating before or after the game, and refraining during the game. If necessary, a break can be called for food, but we won’t play and eat at the same time. If absolutely necessary, bring raw vegetables or the like.
B. Drinks – All drinks are fine.
C. Cigarettes – Please smoke only outdoors.
D. Drugs – Drug use is your business, as long as it doesn’t have a significant negative impact on the game. If you’ve got good stuff and are willing to share, feel free to ask around. (You did bring enough for the whole class, right?)
III. Etiquette
A. Dice – Any die rolled off the table doesn’t count and will be re-rolled. Any die that is even questionably cocked will be re-rolled.
B. Laptops – Please no laptops at the table, except for the DM. PDAs or tablet PCs are fine.
C. Out of Character Comments – Because we’re all friends and like to socialize, it’s would be counter-productive to ban OOC chatter. But try to keep it under control. Anybody at the table can call “enough” on OOC comments, which means cut them out completely for a half-hour or so. Be especially mindful of breaking the mood when people are making attempts to roleplay, and be seriously mindful of it when people are “in voice.” Even if you’re not involved in a particular instance of roleplay, be respectful and don’t distract from it.
D. Time – Players should begin definite actions for their characters within 15 seconds after the character comes up in the Initiative Order. If not, the character will be assumed to be delaying. Some allowance will be made for players with less familiarity with the rules.
E. Advice – Out of Character advice on tactics should only be given if solicited.
F. Metagaming – Metagaming is rude and reduces the fun for everyone. Eliminating it completely is impossible, but limit it as much as possible.
IV. Projects for Players
A. Background – A good character background or introduction (typically one or two pages, from an In Character perspective, or in short story form) earns the writer a one-time-per-character 200 XP bonus.
B. Logging – Writing a detailed log of a session (typically one to two pages, from an In Character perspective) earns the writer a 50 XP per level bonus. Only one log per session is needed; if two or more players want to log, they can rotate sessions.
C. Creating – Designing a detailed NPC, location, magic item, spell or something similar (typically a page or so) will earn a bonus of 25 to 50 XP per level, if useable by the DM, and depending on how useful it is. This is limited to once per player per session.
V. Disputes
A. Rules Disputes
1. The DM is Right – If the DM makes a final ruling, it stands, and ends all discussion until after the game.
2. Finding Rules – If a rule can’t be found within 30 seconds, the DM is free to make a ruling and move on.
3. Sicilian Clause – If death is on the line, the DM will almost always be more lenient with both rules above.
B. In Character Disputes – Please be very clear when an argument or dispute is between characters. A dispute between characters should never be taken personally by the players, and all players involved need to take every step to be sure it is not.
C. Out of Character Disputes – We have very rarely had these. If one arises, immediately put it aside until after the game. Period. Then, preferably, grab a mediator to talk things out.

 

[Li Shenron]

In the groups I've played or DMed we didn't have codified rules, but we always agreed on the fact that the DM has the right to make a rule on the spot when something isn't covered (or no one knows where to find it), and to adjudicate circumstances.

I quite dislike mixing up IC and OOC behaviour. Just as I don't like metagaming (though it's sometimes tolerated when it doesn't go too far), I don't like DMs who give in-game bonus/penalties for out-of-game behaviour, such as doing extra work for the game or showing up late.

However, in general we didn't really need to codify much, players' politeness have been enough for us.

 

[Boddynock]

Jeff,

Well thought out and sensible rules. While I would differ with you on the subject of drug use (banned at any table I DM, and I would be very uncomfortable with it at any table I played on), I recognise that that is a matter of personal outlook and individual upbringing. Having said that, I have no problem with alcohol (in moderation) at the table.

Whenever I have DMed, I have had a house rule of no evil characters. It is just counterproductive. (It's more than that, but that is the bottom-line practical reason.)

I've had an unpleasant experience of dealing with a fellow player who insisted on playing very self-indulgently - always borderline evil, chaotic neutral, or actually evil characters - and a DM who couldn't adequately control him. In the end, it drove me away from that group.

Boddynock

 

[Jupp]

Those are almost exactly the rules our group plays with. Except that they are not written down anywhere. We play together since more than 12 years so writing down this stuff is not really needed anymore and should a new player join the group he will see over time what is possible at the table and what not.

 

[Kerrick]

We don't have any "written down" rules, but we do have a few...

You don't come to the game drunk, no drinking during the game, and you don't leave drunk unless someone else is driving (we often get together just to hang out instead of gaming, hence the last part).

Smoking is fine - the DM and his wife smoke - but try not to bum too many off someone else.

And this is a (partial) list of the Ten Commandments of Gaming that we came up with several years back...

1. Thou shalt not argue with the GM.

2. Thou shalt consider the consequences of thine actions.

3. Thou shalt bring thine own smokes (or munchies).

4. Thou shalt not be a lycanthrope.

5. Thou shalt bring thine own dice.

6. Thou shalt not split up the party.

7. Thou shalt not feed the DM.

8. Thou shalt not incur powers checks. (this is when we played Ravenloft...)

9. Thou shalt not be undead. (Again, RL)

10. Thou shalt not cheat.

A. Food – Please plan on eating before or after the game, and refraining during the game. If necessary, a break can be called for food, but we won’t play and eat at the same time. If absolutely necessary, bring raw vegetables or the like.

Dude, how can you NOT allow munchies at the table? That's like, part of gaming...

 

[Turanil]

My own rules: since we eat many different fat things when gaming, I forbid players to put their greasy fingers on my gaming books!!!

 

[johnsemlak]

I'm not DMing right now, but if I were, here's be my main rules.

1. Have fun.
2. See rule 1.


There are other things i'd like players to do (bring character sheets, not metagame too much, etc), of course, but I'd hate to put it all down as a set of rules.

I'd be uncomfortable in a group where people were using drugs at the table myself. It hasn't come up that much in my experience. When/if games are at my place, no drugs are allowed for sure. (alcohol/tobacco is a different matter)

 

[Numion]

Game evening is in great part a social function for our group. We order and eat pizzas in midsession, people might go out for smoke (even during combat, which annoys me), and we talk a lot of ooc stuff. Not very organized.

We don't even have a central gaming table - people are strewn accross the room on sofas and floor.

Still, it's great fun and people keep coming back week after week after week ..

 

[mhacdebhandia]

There are no rules per se in any of the groups that I'm part of - things like advising of nonattendance and whatnot are common courtesy to me, and I imagine to others. In Hong's game he drinks beer every so often, which means we get more XP, so no-one complains.

We tend to have a problem with OOC chatter in most games, but it's easily controlled. We eat and drink non-alcoholic beverages at the table (whether there's a literal table or not) . . . and no-one smokes at the game or uses recreational substances.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Some of those rules are draconian. No eating? Last person to arrive gets an XP penalty?

See, some of those rules, while interesting, are REALLY hard to institute in an existing group. My group is well established, very friendly and for the most part is well trainied on behavior, decorum, etc. If I decided to codify some rules that involved some of those things, I think my group would assume the worst about me and probably revolt at seeing me as a fascist or something.

Rules, while helpful, should really only be created if there is a problem or in response to certain bad behavior. Of course, I would rather create rules that reward good behavior than punish bad behavior as I think you would get more positive responses out of it.