Table Etiquette

• Bring what you need.
• Only bring what you need. Keep it reasonable.
• If you're ordering food, order it to arrive as close to the decided "arrival time," as possible. You can't control the wait, but you can control when you place the order.
• Pay attention!
  • Think about what you want to do before your next turn arrives. One minute of in-game combat doesn't have to take hours of gameplay.
  • Respect others when they are speaking, even outside of roleplay. Clarification of rules benefits the entire group, and in other circumstances, multiple conversations just make it difficult to hear or pay attention.
  • Character sheets should be visible to you at all times…not buried under your other stuff, folded up, or closed in a binder or folder…Unless you have an eidetic memory, in which case go nuts, Dr. Reid.
  • Have your dice ready. If you don't have a separate container, or a rolling tray with a "staging area," built in that makes it easy to quickly find your dice, find one or find a solution…anything from an Altoids tin to a saucer will work…just don't leave them in such a state that it takes a bunch of time to find the dice you need.

Phone Usage

• Phones are OK for the following:
  • D&D character sheets, references, and spell books
  • Work or emergencies (emergencies can include things that absolutely cannot wait without inconveniencing yourself or the person on the other end of the line…use good judgement.)
  • Quick asides that relate to jokes that are being made, or things that could benefit from a quick illustration (e.g., "So…this is what a kukri looks like…"). Use your best judgement.
• Keep your phone on silent if possible
• If you need to take a call, say so and do so with as little interruption as possible.
• If you need to respond to an important text or email, keep it brief.
• If you need to buy a pair of shoes, you'd better be talking to an NPC.

Rolling Dice

• Roll in the open, on a level surface. Flat does not mean the same thing as level.
• Roll attacks and damage at the same time to speed things up. The homebrew critical hit rules will make this easier.
  • If you have the Extra Attack feature, roll separately for each attack and damage roll, and wait for the results…you might be able to attack a second target instead!
  • Don't dogpile other players…getting help with a big set of rolls / math from another player can be helpful. Getting it from 2 or 3 at a time is confusing.
• Announce your roll by declaring both the value on the dice, and the total after modifiers. Example: "I rolled a 10, and the total is 15."

Questions

Ask them as they come up, as long as it's not disruptive. Otherwise, indicate that you have a question (No, don't raise your hand!), and it'll be handled ASAP.

Sliding into the DM's...DMs

Sometimes you have a question for the DM, or an action that you don't want the group to know about and that they wouldn't otherwise be able to observe in-game. Other times, certain details or information would only be known by your character, and not the rest of the group. In these situations, feel free to DM the DM in Whatsapp, or pass a note. If I don't see it right off, just let me know it's there.

This can really help facilitate roleplay, temper metagaming, and allow for a character's unique build and skillset to shine. Being able to authoritatively say "I grew up in this area! I know for a fact that R.O.U.S.'s inhabit this swamp!" can play out a lot better than the entire group hearing "So...Crustacio, you grew up in the swamp. You know that there are big rats. Really big rats. Rats of unprecedented stature," because when that happens, everybody else suddenly knows it too, whether their character does or not.

Behavior and Roleplay

• Out of character:
  • No hate speech. This goes without saying.
  • Respect the group's fun
  • Respect the group's RP. Not everybody can do a voice.
• In character:
  • It is highly suggested to play to alignment, bonds, ideals, and flaws, unless it makes solid sense not to. These are integral parts of your character's personality and persona. Significant deviation from alignment may have consequences for your character as they grow and develop. Did the LG Oath of Redemption Paladin seriously lose their temper and commit murder because of intense goading from their enemies? Time for introspection!
• "Chaotic" means "I don't respect the laws of the locale/realm, nor do I necessarily feel the need to," not "Shitting on the drapes while starting fires is chaotically acceptable." The first is an ethical standpoint and basis for decision making, while the second is mental illness at work.
• "It's what my character would do," will be met with a request for reasoning. Psychopathy, sociopathy, kleptomania, nymphomania, etc. are some heavy psychological burdens to bear, and aren't the same thing as being a dick, greedy, horny, etc.
  • If your roleplay is making others uncomfortable or is outright offensive to the group, there's a civil conversation to be had.
• Respect "The White Card Rule."
• Roleplay is collaborative…No "God Moding." If you're doing something that affects another character or NPC, they're going to react, one way or another, to that action.
  • Consider how you phrase things. "I yank Shanda's wand from her hand," is very different from "I reach out and try to yank Shanda's wand from her hand."
  • Describe what you're doing, not the result, unless you have total agency over the situation. "I swing my club at the kobold," does not mean the same thing as "I hit the kobold with my club."

“Can I make a Perception check?”

No. You can peer into the darkness, sniff the air, listen for footfalls and so on, though! Use your senses!