Rule Zero: Don't Be a Jerk

[Fukurokujin]

Folks.

This is a game.

It's supposed to be fun.

Don't be the reason other people don't have fun.

Yeah, your PC might be a jerk. Some NPCs might be jerks. But the people playing them shouldn't be jerks.

If your PC needs to be a jerk to another PC, check in with the player involved. If an NPC needs to be a jerk to a PC, there'll be warning in story. (If your PC needs to be a jerk to an NPC, that's okay.)

If you think another player's being a jerk, reach out. Sometimes, things come across other than intended; sometimes, folks aren't aware they're being jerks; and we're all friends here.

If the jerkiness continues, reach out to a GM. (If one of us is being a jerk, reach out to the other.)

If we see it, we'll call it.

There's enough jerkiness in the world. Let's not add to it.

Far better to roll dice, tell lies, and have fun, right?

[Fukurokujin]

Related to the above:
If one or the other of the GMs sees something that we feel needs to be addressed, we'll address it. Those involved will receive either a friendly warning, an unfriendly warning, or an ejection.

Warning text will be in red and bold. This is an example.

If a friendly warning does not suffice (i.e., the behavior continues or resumes), it will become an unfriendly warning or, if sufficiently egregious, an ejection.

If an unfriendly warning does not suffice (i.e., the behavior continues or resumes again), it will become an ejection.

If a particular person garners what the GMs consider an excessive number of friendly warnings, it will become an ejection.

This applies to IC and OOC materials on the boards, as well as to Discord (for those on the FallenAsh Discord).

Again, we're all friends here, and we're here to have fun. Don't be the reason others don't have fun.

[Saibankan]

“Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.”

Before I was a GM, I didn't understand why I couldn't complain about game actions that upset me. "Look, I'm just saying that that player sucks. They're not privy to this clan chat, so who cares? I want to vent because I'm passionate and invested in the game."

The thing is, all negative, toxic energy, whether it's released in OOC, or PFs, or Discord or wherever, eventually drifts up to the GMs...who've put their heart, soul, and free time into trying to share their vision and build a fun little bit of fiction to share with you all. And invariably, the negative energy then rains back down on everyone. We're all (hopefully) passionate and invested in the game. But it's a shared vision (with the gms leading the way).

We're not uncaring tyrants. We're happy to discuss nearly anything with the players. We'll consider suggestions. We modify things on the fly if we feel it better serves the game. We'll even admit to being wrong when we're wrong. But there are limits. We're not going to fundamentally change the core of the game during the game (the rules laid forth when you applied were agreed to by both sides). We're not going to play favorites, or make your particular character the main character of the story.

In the end, however, GM decisions are the final word. If that final word does not match your vision of the rules, or the setting, or the game, your choices are to yield to the decision and continue playing...or discontinue playing. If we tell you to stop doing something (such as creeping on another player, or using language in ooc that is hateful), this is not a polite suggestion, it is to be followed, or the game can be exited.

We don't want to lose players. We want a large group of people enjoying a shared vision. But if you find you cannot enjoy this shared vision, nothing is keeping you here. Alternatively, if your idea of enjoyment is ruining other people's enjoyment of the shared vision, then you will be kicked out. The banning will not be a surprise, you will have ample warning....but we cannot and will not tolerate those who make this a worse time for all involved.