Kelly Berger’s Gaming Contract for Players

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Kelly Berger’s Gaming Contract for Players is the gaming contract for players in campaigns run by Kelly Berger.

Kelly’s Current Groups GM’d in the Steel Realms Steel Realms

i20 assumes you are familiar with the 2014 DnD 5.0 SRD and the PHB it is based off of.

Please note my general approach: Play-Style Expectations of Kelly Berger GMing… I generally subscribe to the documented Character Concept materials for players making new characters.

"But, it’s what my character would do!" - These types of character aspects are not an excuse to be disruptive to the point that it constantly endangers the safety of the group or the story continuity. Find creative ways to work through situations and do not manifest them to extreme levels of Behavior for your own amusement and to the detriment of the group.

Character Storage: I DO keep a character page on the Incarna web site with history, Character Stories, and basics of what I, as a GM, need. Unless you want the GM to manage your character on the site, I don’t use templates or much formatting and the specific stat block is yours to maintain. Any place you have stored your character, I DO expect you to share with me – Office online, Google Docs, etc. I do NOT use DnD Beyond, though i have a campaign you can attach a character to.

Best Practice starting (@Character Inception) i20 Characters begin play with a PC Race/Species, a Background, and a Pathway of Experience all appropriate to their setting and no other CP unless noted by the Game Master.

UNLESS NOTED, I REQUIRE Best Practice ADHERENCE AND ALLOW A Committed Pathway:

Are you using Best Practice guidelines? (ask your Game Master) – I like Chicken Dinner for Point Buy! Human variant = Changed (no Feat – see the Character Page).

Is your Game Master allowing a Committed Pathway?

Dunstrand Rising Campaign Specifics
Ancient Blood Campaign Specifics
Orrish Hunting (ongoing) Adventure Specifics
Archeological Pursuits (ongoing) Adventure Specifics

Group Gatherings

  • Speak Up: If there is something you need addressed, or you are uncomfortable with, let the group know. Le the GM know ahead of time if there are sensitive personal subjects, but realize this IS roleplaying and a game. The realities of more brutal milieus may be unsettling, but that’s part of the challenge.
  • Communication/Discussions: There is a designated online group (page or messenger) to handle each campaign. Use it.
  • Commitment: For primary campaigns, the group will meet every 2 weeks. Every primary campaign will have an online presence. This group may have posted calendar events, but in your own calendar, you should assume every 2 weeks. This commitment must be matched to have a permanent character in the campaign.
  • # Players: No more than 7 active players (prefer 5, 6 max) at any given session; exceptions may be made at GM discretion. Do not bring friends without 1) asking other players, and 2) asking GM. Post it in the online Group. If you can play a whole session vs. part of one is the first consideration in determining who gets a seat; Seniority in group is next.
  • Be presentable: Do not just roll out of bed after a 2 day binge partying and show up; be clean and affable.
  • Respond: Confirm to whatever online calendar event is there so the host and GM can plan appropriately – If you do not and show up, the GM can force you to play an alternate character or NPC for the game session. Please call, message, and email if its last minute and you will not be able to make it though you have responded ‘yes’ – we want to know you’re safe and not have to waste time waiting.
  • Absenteeism: Players who fail to show up for more than three consecutive sessions will have characters removed from the game in any way the GM sees fit – generally the tendency is to write spectacular deaths for characters who have ended their game-time.
  • No Drinking: Respect the time and effort put in by the GM and other players – this is not drinking time, its gaming time.

The Gaming Space

  • The ONLY use for electronic devices is to manage a character sheet, make checks, and look up rules. Anything else clutters the space and is a distraction and disrespectful to everyone else.
  • Gathering: All parties shall gather around a single central area to participate as a group; exceptions can be made with space limitations but if there is space in a single place, use it.
  • Sit with the group so that making checks can be observed and its easy for the GM to address the group. If its not possible (see gathering), make sure you can show those nearest the results of making checks if needed with a minimum of movement – i.e. roll on a book you can pass to the nearest player to witness.
  • Clean Up: Help whoever hosts to clean up dishes, trash, recycle and anything else before you leave.
  • Pets: If the gathering is at a place with pets and you have strong allergies, skip on it if you can’t get meds or bear it out.

Making Checks

You must have clearly marked indicators. If digital, the display must be viewable from all angles or be approved by GM. All “dice” must have a high contrast between the numbers and background – i.e. white dice with black numbers. All resolution checks for players are to be made only on a character’s turn or when GM specifies, where people can see them. The spirit of this is to avoid questions of integrity and confusion in order of action, and make sure the GM and Party are all aware of each party members and opponents actions.

  • For % dice rolls, there must be a distinct tens (with double digits) and ones (single digit) dice or be declared ahead of the roll.
  • If you have multiple attacks or multiple checks for the same thing done in one roll, specify which dice is first. A fumble generally precludes any more actions so you must be able to determine which order they resolve in.

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 at the send of the session.
  4. Quarter-Master: This role can be federated or centralized into one player. Regardless, individual players or a single one tracks the loot that is on characters.

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. Standard Incarna rules and approach for Character Concept unless otherwise noted.

  • Players must accept there are setting limits on race and pathway/class availability, and their combinations. This is part of the challenge of Roleplaying – the cultural constraints on free expression. This is not a free-for-all, each setting has its own unique options and configurations. The limits reflect the world setting’s unique evolution. Part of your RP challenge is to work within the framework to make a Character Concept a reality. The emphasis should be on active character traits and play as RP, not passive race and class as RP.
    • Knowledge is sometimes worth more than combat power in resolving conflict. Assume an emphasis on proficiency (skills, tools, weapons, armor) that may not be part of a more traditional game where power and combat tactics alone dominate. Assume skills, etc. can be creatively applied in principle to solve more situations than is listed – ask your GM in any given situation.
    • History: A well done and approved history as part of their Character Concept may grant additional starting elements (skills, languages, feats, modification to powers or gaining them ahead of their normal level, lores [skill bonuses] ) – especially if the players work these out as a group that incorporates them all.
  • Group Review: Please consider the many things that affect group cohesion. “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. CONFLICTS ARE TYPICALLY FOUND IN:
    • Alignment/Code of Conduct
    • Race/Species Relations
    • Character Motivations
    • Social/Cultural Issues
  • GM 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 features creating unfair vulnerabilities for the entire group and will be painfully exploited by the GM.
  • NPCs: GM controlled characters WILL NOT COUNT IN ASSESSING GROUP REWARDS.

Creating new/Replacing dead Characters in an Existing party

Replacing Characters: I prefer to script character ends and not leave characters “hanging around” unless there is a plan for them long term. This generally means the character demise unless a good reason is provided. IF you are voluntarily giving up a character of 6th level or higher, the new character will get +1 on their primary attribute, and an extra Character Weave.

i20 Characters

  • Starting Level: The character level will be 1st, or whatever the rest of the party is, less 1, or 3rd level.
  • Power Boost: With a Character Story explaining it, the 3rd level characters will get to take a Attribute Score Increase that a single class character would normally get at 4th, regardless of their multiclass or single class status. These advanced characters will get 2 Character Weaves, and 2 Lores at level 1 to represent their experience.

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