A Gaming Contract

A gaming contract is a sort of manifesto or agreement everyone in a game group adheres to. It documents table rules, off limit topics (romance, sex, etc.), pvp stance, acceptable behavior, use of devices, types of dice or devices, parameters for character creation, food and drinking at the table, vtt use, etc. For a GM, it has your expectations and what players can expect of you.

Content and Action Limits

What are the limits on sensitive subjects? Realize this IS roleplaying and a game. The realities of more brutal milieus may be unsettling, but that’s part of the challenge. How far can people expect the descriptions to go. What about romance, sex, PvP, etc.

Group Gatherings

  • Communication: Process to deal with in-game sensitive issues. Let the GM know ahead of time if there are triggering topics. How are Out of Game communications to be handled?
  • Commitment: How often will the group meet. Is this a commitment that must be matched to have a permanent character in the campaign? How are sessions scheduled? Is their a group page and/or calendar? Expected response time? Absentee policy?
  • # Players: Maximum and drop-in policy.
  • Hygiene: How much of “Be presentable” matters? Is it ok to roll out of bed after a 2 day binge partying and show up?
  • Food and Drink (including alcohol); Respect the time and effort put in by the GM and other players.

The Gaming Space

  • Electronic device use.
  • Gathering: What areas are available and off-limits.
  • Making check – trusted or untrusted and out in the open?
  • Clean Up
  • Pet notice and handling

Player Roles

  1. Caller: A group representative who will answer to the GM as the voice of authority when the GM needs to know what the party is going to do.
  2. Initiative Tracker: One player of the gaming group will be designated to track the initiative of the PCs and the NPCs (as determined by the GM).
  3. Time Tracker: One player will be designated to tack the passage of time and turn it in to the GM a the send of the session.

Character Actions In-Game

It is the players responsibility to know their character to the degree that keeps game play smooth.

Determination of Intent: The GM’s determination of a characters/players intent will stand unless it was specifically spelled out by a player, so long as the GM can explain it within the context of the characters code(s) or outlook. Its not the GM’s job to second guess the players.

End of Character Turn: After a character has ended their turn and the next character’s (PC or NPC) has begun to resolve there is no going back and applying effects or changing outcomes.

Track Character Supplies: As your character uses equipment and resources, be fair and mark off what is used. Just as you do not have a endless free supply of items, neither does your character. This includes mundane supplies and special ones (magical, etc.) If the GM catches an abuse of this, they are free to impose penalties such as automatic failures or equipment breakage.

Character Creation

Players are responsible for creating their own characters using the rules DnD 5th edition, filtered by the general Incarna limits and adjustments. NOTE: “My character would do that” is no excuse for creating unwanted chaos inside the PC party, or for dragging the party into volatile situations unwanted. Comedic effect is one thing, forcing the party into fights and confrontations that threaten to get them killed repeatedly is unacceptable.

Character Review: The GM will approve them outside of game time, before they get used in game. The GM will disallow or may penalize obvious min/maxing and attempts at taking minor disadvantages to get a few more perks. Negative traits creating unfair vulnerabilities for the entire group and will be painfully exploited by the GM.