HiBRiD/Ite Gaming Etiquette Rules

I was recently listening to a new podcast, Dungeon Master's Dojo,  when they began to discuss etiquette in roleplaying. I found it interesting because I actually wrote a baseline set of rules of etiquette into the game book. I present them here for your own enjoyment:

ETIQUETTE RULES

 

For the game to flow easily and naturally, there is one requirement when playing demanded of all the players and Directors:

 Be courteous!

 While it may seem simple as a concept, defining exactly what it means to be courteous can be surprisingly difficult. Many people from many different cultures often gather at the gaming table, and it's almost certain that many if not all players will have different ideas of what being courteous and respectful entails. To help bring all players on the same page, there are four minimal expectations of etiquette defined herein that are essential in an improvisational game such as this one to ensure action stays organized and everyone can enjoy the game.

 

Expectation 1: Pay Attention

 

When playing the game, you will need to pay close attention to what is being said and described by your Director and the other players at the table when they take their turn  and your character is “off-screen”. This will enable you to base your character’s actions on those of others and changes in the environment so that you can take the best possible advantage of the situation, create excitement, and obtain flair bonuses. This will also prevent you from asking, “What happened again?” when it is your character’s turn to be “on-screen”, which would slow down the action and detract from other players’ enjoyment. Paying attention also helps maintain the excitement and pace of the game as well as creates fun for the other players who are excited to share their character’s antics with you.

 

Digital Devices

 

While digital devices are a fact of life and can add to the gaming experience, they can also be distracting to the game and deserve special mention. To prevent distractions at critical times, do not have your cell phone or digital device screen visibly active during an action scene if it is not necessary. The pace of the game can be slowed if you are staring at a digital device when your character is supposed to be on-screen and everyone is waiting for you to take your turn. If you have something on your device that you think might either add to the game or your device holds a resource specifically required by you or someone at the table, it should be prepared prior to the beginning of the scene or during your character’s off-screen time when possible. A digital device should never be a cause for a slowdown during an action scene or get in the way of paying attention. That is not courteous

 

Hujraad’s Hacks: The Lethality of Not Paying Attention

 

Be aware that if your group or Director determine that you are not paying attention on a regular basis, your Director may decide that since you were not paying attention, your character was not paying attention as well, which could result in loss of an action or even your character’s life.

 

Expectation 2: Limiting Table Small Talk

 

Try to limit your small talk not related to the current scene amongst yourself and other players during exposition scenes in which your character is not involved and eliminate it altogether during action scenes. Everyone at the table deserves a moment to be in the spotlight on-screen. It is rude and selfish to take that away from them, so don’t drown out their descriptions with your small talk.

 

Expectation 3: Practicing Dice Etiquette

 

Do not fiddle with your dice, clatter them, or roll them loudly on the table during an exposition or action scene when it is not your character’s turn to be on-screen. Doing so can drown out or distract from other players’ descriptions of their character’s’ actions. It can also make it confusing and difficult to know whose turn it is.

 

Also, do not roll any dice before your character’s action is acknowledged by your Director during an action scene. This can confuse the players and your Director, making it difficult to determine which die roll was legitimate and which die roll was just “fiddling around”. Also, rolling before the Director asks you to do so can steal the anticipation and excitement away from the other players who want to see how your character’s actions will affect the action scene.

 

Hujraad’s Hacks: The Lethality of Dice Discourtesy

 

Be aware that If you make a task roll before your Director acknowledges your character’s action, she may decide to make you reroll it if it was favorable or keep it if it was unfavorable at her whim, which could result in at best the failure of a task and at worst the loss of your character’s life.

 

Expectation 4: Know Your Character

 

You should know what your character’s concept skills reflect, how your character’s aspects work, and have all the calculations you need for the game completed before the gaming session. While it is certainly acceptable to have questions regarding your character’s abilities during play, completely stopping the game and changing an ability because you chose the incorrect ability during character creation or making everyone wait because you do not have a task roll modifier calculated on your character sheet is not courteous.