Community Standards

It is my intention that everyone enjoys gaming in a safe and fun environment. I ask that everyone participating in this campaign respect one another and work together to create a positive and memorable experience for all. The following guidelines reference how we may achieve these goals. By sitting at a table for this campaign, participants are agreeing to the these terms and conditions of organized play, which have been adapted from the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guide.

This setting includes themes that some players may find uncomfortable. Prior to play, your GM will ask you to complete the New Player Survey. If at any time you feel a line has been crossed, or you are not comfortable with something that has been included in the campaign’s canon, please identify the issue to the GM as soon as possible. Participants that have been asked to stop any problematic behavior are expected to comply immediately or will be asked to leave the table.

Additionally, while moral ambiguity is expected, this setting is not intended for “evil” PCs. Some NPCs may engage in unethical and taboo behavior, but it is not acceptable for player characters to do the same. While the nature of this setting is meant for characters to explore their prejudices, it is never at any time meant to be a means for justifying cruel behaviors or demeaning worldviews. If for any reason your intended character concepts, backstories, preferences or personalities center on the themes listed in the "Stress" section of the New Player Survey in any way, please consult your GM before playing that character.

Cheating

It is expected that all players will maintain the integrity of the game and will not cheat. For the purposes of this campaign, cheating includes, but is not limited to: falsifying rolls, unauthorized altering of character sheets, using unapproved resources, using equipment or inventory not owned by your character, and lying to the GM under any circumstances. Participants caught cheating will be barred from participating for a span of time commensurate with their offense. Repeat offenders may be banned from participating entirely.

Metagaming and Meta Knowledge

While not necessarily cheating, metagaming has the potential to give players and their characters unfair advantages and disrupt gameplay for others at the table. The Pathfinder Game Mastery Guide describes metagaming as:

“...when characters act on information that they don’t have access to, but which their players know from the real world. Metagaming comes into play when players fail to maintain a divide between in-character knowledge and out-of-character knowledge, That could include anything from uncannily accurate in-character predictions from a player who’s already read the adventure, players recognizing monsters when their characters wouldn’t, low-Intelligence characters accessing well-educated players’ knowledge and talents, etc.”

What is clear in this description is the difference between metagaming and meta knowledge. Not all meta knowledge is a bad thing— in fact, the whole reason this guidebook exists is to provide meta knowledge to the players. In campaigns such as this one that take place in entirely homebrewed worlds, it is required to give players meta knowledge if they are also expected to create characters that will be immersed in the world.

However, it does come with risk. The more of the world that is shared with players, the more chances there are for that meta knowledge to become metagaming. As players, it is your responsibility to work with your GM to establish the kinds of information their character should realistically have access to. It is very difficult to do— especially in the heat of the moment— and we will all make mistakes along the way, but it is important that we all do the best we can to immerse ourselves in our characters and play them faithfully.

Keep Good Records

It is recommended that you only take notes that your character would take, or of things that your character would know, to reduce accidental instances of metagaming. Outside of your own personal notes, this campaign uses character sheets, inventory tracking sheets, and other documentation (such as this wiki!) to track character progression. Your GM relies on these documents to keep the campaign honest, fair, and fun for everyone. It is your responsibility to maintain accurate records. You must bring either paper or digital copies of your character sheet and all accompanying documentation for any character you wish to play with you to campaign events. Digital copies must be on a device you are comfortable showing your GM.

Character-Versus-Character Combat

In keeping with the cooperative theme of Pathfinder roleplay, character-versus-character combat should be avoided. Accidental friendly fire can happen, but players must obtain the consent of other players before deliberately targeting fellow PCs with damaging effects. This rule does not apply where a character is not acting of their own volition, such as being controlled by an NPC to attack a fellow party member.

This rule also applies to other harmful effects that are not strictly combative, such as stealing from, charming, drugging, or incapacitating other player characters. These actions all run counter to the cooperative spirit of the game and have a strong chance of reducing or eliminating a player’s agency, and therefore are not allowed at the table. Players who take these actions will first be given a warning, but repeat offenses will result in dismissal.

Cooperative Play

It is your responsibility as a player to create a character who wants to be here. Your GM will work to facilitate your adventures as much as possible, but at the end of the day, you as players are responsible for working together and for making characters that are willing to be in the campaign. “Lone wolves” have no place in a cooperative game and will not be welcome in this campaign.

Additionally, while party splitting will definitely occur (and, in some rare instances, be required), please do your best to remain with the group as much as possible. While you may feel that it is realistic for your character to want to independently pursue their individual goals, please have faith that your GM will give you opportunities to do so when the time is right and resist the temptation to strike off on your own. This is a group game, and the content is meant to be experienced together. If you frequently feel as though your character has a separate agenda that isn’t being met, it might be time to reconsider whether or not this character is a good fit for the party. Either way, it is important to let your GM know so they can work with you to either better integrate your character or help you create a new one.

Leave Some Details Open

When you have too many details set in stone, it gives your character an agenda-- which puts you in conflict with the GM, who may not be able to accommodate those details. This does not make for a fun campaign, and also makes it very difficult to play as part of a team. It is best to wait to determine what it is that motivates your character until after the campaign has begun, so that your character can want the things that advance the story.

Your GM will work to create opportunities for your character to have dramatic times to shine, but there will also be times when another character is having a dramatic moment instead. It is expected that you will take initiative to help find ways to make other players shine, and remain an active listener throughout all gameplay— even in scenes that might not feature your character. Being a good audience member is part of being a good player.

Moral Baseline

Sometimes, players don’t have much to say on the topic of objectionable content, and may just assume that general societal mores will keep the most uncomfortable topics out of the game. That’s not always enough, as that approach relies on shared assumptions that aren’t always accurate. The following is a set of basic assumptions that I will use for my groups, which can be modified to fit the preferences of the table:

1. Bloodshed, injuries, and even dismemberment might be described. However, excessive descriptions of gore and cruelty should be avoided.
2. Romantic and sexual relationships can happen in the game, but players should avoid being overly suggestive. Sexual activity always happens “veiled”. Because attempts at initiating a relationship between player characters can be uncomfortably similar to one player hitting on another, this should be avoided without prior explicit consent (and is entirely inappropriate when playing with strangers).
3. Avoid excessively gross descriptions.

In addition, the following acts should never be performed by player characters:

1. Torture
2. Rape, non-consensual sexual contact, or sexual threats
3. Harm to children, including sexual abuse
4. Owning slaves or profiting from the slave trade
5. Reprehensible uses of mind-control magic, including the direct control of another player’s character or otherwise removing their agency or consent

Villains might engage in some of these acts, but they won’t happen “on-screen” and/or won’t be described in detail. In some cases, instances that would logically include these activities will be skipped over entirely.