Being a writer, I tend to favor story over rules and roleplaying over
roll-playing. I tinker with the rules when necessary, whether it's in
reverting to an older version of a rule or creating house rules to cover
official rules that don't seem to fit. You'll note that my expectations for the group's behavior is mixed in as well here. I've found that such things do tend to intertwine.
The GM is in Charge: As the GM, my word and judgment are first
and final, period. We're here to have fun, not pixel-bitch about rules
and canon. If I make a mistake or someone has a question, please say so.
I'll usually either make an on-the-spot correction and fix the mistake if possible, or make a temporary ruling and look into it after the game has concluded. We can then address it at the beginning of the next
session, or I might address it to the group by email. The
fastest way to annoy me to the point of blacklisting is to be a rules lawyer or canonista and bog down the game.
Rule Zero is in Effect: To steal a page from a
previous version of
Bruce Gulke's Mythosa website:
"Every
[game element] is subject to change or removal at the discretion of the
GM. Even if a game element is initially permitted, if it is later
deemed incompatible with the campaign, it will be modified or removed.
Any characters (PC or NPC) that use that element may be required to
adjust to the change (in other words, grandfathering is not guaranteed).
[I] will attempt to keep this sort of thing to a minimum (if at all),
but sometimes this may happen in the process of keeping the rules
appropriate to the campaign setting."Tinkering and House Rules:
No game system is perfect. I have yet to find a game system that I
haven't tinkered with or amended with house rules. In conjunction with
Rule Zero, though I try to keep this to a minimum I will keep players
in the loop with regard to changes from the rules as written.
Story First: I
run RPGs in order to tell heroic stories. I'm not in this for
Player-vs-Player deathmatches, evil campaigns, socio- or psychopathic
PCs, lone wolves, edgelords, or murderhoboes. At the start of the game we will
discuss character concepts and the kind
of story you want to tell - but it must be a heroic story. While I'm
happy to have the players steer the story, I'm not above taking a firm
hand to keep them on the right track. Don't deliberately dead-end the
story, slaughter NPCs left and right, or otherwise act like a bunch of
psychopathic nutbags.
Intraparty Conflict: While I feel PvP activity can sidetrack a game, sometimes it
is allowable - but only at dramatically appropriate times. These exceptions include:
- Certain games where betrayal is expected - e.g. Blade Runner, Cyberpunk 2020/Red, Shadowrun, Paranoia, etc.
- Campaign finales, particularly if old grudges come out with sudden - but inevitable - betrayal.
- PCs being tempted to betray the party by NPCs.
- A PC getting their "just desserts" for a past misdeed.
Drama:
The stories in my games have highs and lows - victories and defeats;
ambushes and escapes. Just because the characters are heroes doesn't
mean the cavalry will be there to save them at the last minute; bad
things do happen to good people occasionally. However, good redeems its
own in that the characters have acted to better others' state of life.
Conversely, evil eats its own. Though an evil overlord may rule for
years in a game world, they will fall, either at the hands of the
heroes, a vicious minion, or through self-destruction.
Fears and Traumas: If there are specific fears/phobias, traumas, preferences, etc. that you have, you can let me know privately (and even anonymously) before the game and we can address how to handle them. If you know another player's triggers and attempt to traumatize or otherwise upset them, you will be given one warning. Further offenses will result in ejection from the game, possibly the group (ejection from the group requires a unanimous vote by the group).
Disturbing and Explicit Content: This aspect is dependent upon the players (see "Fears and Traumas", above) and so is not a constant. Because we are telling stories of heroes, the
villains in some -
but not all - of my games are
equally horrible - cultists, traitors, murderers, slavers, outer gods,
and things that go bump in the night - those are some of the things the
PCs will face. I also don't shy away from some adult situations. A
character's family and friends might incur tragedy at the hands of a
villain or his minions. I'm not one to revel in gore or distressing
situations. I will fade to black to indicate the gravitas of the situation.
Character romance and intimacy is also a possibility in my games, but not to the point of gratuitous sex scenes. I don't believe such things necessarily make for good storytelling. As with disturbing content, I will fade to black in such situations.
No Harassment: As detailed in a previous blog entry,
I will not tolerate players harassing their fellows or otherwise making
them to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. This includes describing
explicit and unsettling courses of action by a character or otherwise
harassing a player through the game. Offenders will be given one
chance to straighten up and fly right before being told -
not asked - to leave.
No "Isms": We're all equal here and we're here to have a good time. Lay your politics at the door. Anybody refusing to do so will be invited to leave. Such things are expected to (possibly) be confronted by your characters – the heroes – not the players.
Run!: A lot has been made in the past about game balance. Though
I'm not one to kill characters wantonly, their players have to use their
common sense and brains to stay alive. Still, if they wander into a cave and
start poking a dragon with a ten-foot pole or wade into the midst of a
charging horde of orcs, they'd best be prepared to run - and maybe have
another character at the ready.
Heroism: Even
though I've lived in this world for a good many years, I still possess a
shred of idealism, believing that good overcomes evil. I
despise evil campaigns. That being said, I expect my players to be playing the
heroes. I'm not saying the PCs have to be saints walking on water; they
could just as easily be antiheroes or rogues with hearts of gold, but
when push comes to shove they should be willing and able do the right thing, even if it
means walking a hard road at great cost.
Consequences:
This aspect is connected to the concepts of "Story First" and "Drama".
Characters have the agency of free will, and as such, all their actions (and failures to act) have consequences. Tracy Hickman wrote
an excellent series of essays regarding morality in RPGs. To paraphrase part of his
third essay,
games without consequences cheat their players. We expect things to
work a certain way in the real world - when you hit your thumb with a
hammer,
it hurts and you try not to do it again. In a fantasy
world, if you commit a crime, there should be lawful repercussions - to
have it any other way is to make the entire game a lie.
Character Death: I don't shy away from character death, but I'm not one to kill
characters willy-nilly, however. I believe a character's death must
serve a purpose in relation to the story - such as noble sacrifice - to
demonstrate the serious nature of a situation, or the lethality of a
dungeon, creature, or trap. If you are overly attached to your
characters, you may want to avoid my table.
Mirror:
Players have a part in building the world around their characters -
it's only fair. I'll mirror back any ideas I think are interesting in
the game. Feel free to fly by the seat of your pants and improvise on
your character's background. However, keep in mind that I reserve the
right to modify or completely veto any idea. You
may say your character is the heir apparent to a great merchant house, but that doesn't make it so. However, I
could always make it so, leaving you, the player, saddled with how best to handle the family business, its debts, its allies,
and its enemies. So be careful what you wish for.
Tactics & Teamwork:
I value teamwork and tactics in a game. I hate lone-wolf tactics and
grandstanding. I reward teamwork and ingenuity in all situations, not
just combat. Having a plan requires communication between players, and I
encourage you, the players to do so in-character. The same goes for
setting goals and objectives for your individual characters and the
group as a whole.
Improvisation: No plan survives its first contact with the
players. I welcome player ingenuity and the improvisation it requires
and I try not to railroad the players (too much). I have seen players
come up with some madcap ways of dealing with enemies and situations
alike - whether it's locking a tractor beam onto an asteroid to use it
as a flail to smash pursuing pirate fighters or using gold paint to
defeat an eldritch creature vulnerable to gold. More often than not, I
laugh my head off as the players make the wheels come off my villains'
machinations...
Pre-generated Material & Maps: I'm only human and sometimes I
run out of time, energy, or inspiration. As such, I do make use of
pre-generated material, including characters, maps, and adventures. I
will modify the material to work with the game I am running as
necessary.
Life Is Hard, Play Short: This was the theory/philosophy behind
my one successfully concluded campaign (“The Great (Old Ones in the)
Outdoors” for
Call of Cthulhu). If the group doesn't want a long
campaign, I can try to keep it short with one adventure per session.
Technology at the Table: While I understand that technology such as cell and smartphones,
tablets, and laptops can be a boon to tabletop gaming, I also know they
can be a distraction. I ask that laptops and tablets be used only to
refer to PDFs of rulebooks or online SRDs. Phones should be set to
vibrate or otherwise left alone. I have no problem with people answering
necessary calls (family and work, ordering food, etc), but that's the
limit.
Own A Rulebook (If Possible) and Know (At Least) The Basics: A big issue is groups relying on the GM to provide the rule (and source) book(s). Too many hands and too few books leads to worn out books and ill-prepared players (and GMs). Rulebooks aren't cheap and I don't loan mine out for players to take home. If you can't or don't want to spring for the hardcopy, I can set up an online library you can access during games. Knowing the basics keeps the game running relatively smoothly and applies not only to the rules, but also the setting.
No Cheating: Dice rolls will be made in the open. Individuals found to be cheating in dice rolls or in other forms (rules-lawyering, creative “book-keeping,” etc.) will be given two warnings. A third offense will result in ejection from the game. Repeat offenses following the first penalty phase may result in ejection from the group (unanimous vote by group required).
New Players and Kids As Players: Bringing new players into the group requires a unanimous vote by existing group members at the table, or, if away from the table, a unanimous group via chat or Discord.
Dovetailing from the new players rule, kids (ages 12-18) are welcome in my games, but they need to have a gaming parent (or a parent interested in learning RPGs) playing as well. The GM and other players are not babysitters, nor is the GM a video game console. Bringing kids into the group also requires a unanimous vote.
Everybody Helps: If there a player is unfamiliar with the game or is a newcomer to the hobby as a whole, we need to be welcoming and helpful.
No Alcohol, No Illegal Drugs: This is pretty obvious since we'll be
playing in a store or other area in the public eye. This rule is
especially in force when playing with kids and/or recovering addicts at
the table. [
EXCEPTION: If I'm running a game in a player's home or a game cafe/venue where alcohol is served, I have no problems with alcohol (and only alcohol) at the table if everyone else is consenting as well.]
