Hello players in my channel! Feel free to ignore everything above here, I took over the channels from a prior GM that had to go inactive for health reasons.
My GMing rules: I want players to be comfortable and have fun above all else. The number one server rule is 'respect one another' and I want to respect you and I expect you to respect me and your fellow players. This is a game, but it is a game that everyone is spending lots of time involved into and people can inhabit their characters very deeply. But I don't need to say that server rules apply, because of course they do! Here are some of my personal basic guidelines:
1. If at any point you are uncomfortable with a topic in the adventure, another player, or even something I'm doing, you can private message me an ✖️ (X) with a link to the offending message. Links don't work well on mobile, so if you're comfortable doing so, you can ✖️ (X) the message directly. If I understand what the problem is, I will do my very best to shut it down, move on, change focus, or resolve it. If I do not understand what the problem is, I will probably follow up with questions. You do not need to justify, argue, defend, or explain your discomfort with the situation, simply tell me what it is. I have had people X critical hits and the like, which is a funny joke that I will be amused by, but the purpose is to identify and steer clear of triggering or sensitive topics. This is a safety tool and I would appreciate it if you treat it with respect.
2. I like the rules. The rules allow everyone a baseline understanding of what their character can do. However, the rules are not god. They cannot predict every situation, and there are some times that your character may like to try to do something not otherwise allowed. If you would like to try something crazy, ask me and I will tell you what I would allow. You want to jump up and hit something at the top of your leap, even though the RAW is that you fall before you drop down at the end of your jump? I'll probably allow it, with an increased DC on your Athletics check! You tell me what you want to do, I'll tell you the odds. The odds may not always be great, but I will likely never tell you that you flat out cannot do something.
3. Encounters I build will vary in severity and style. Just because an encounter is in front of you, does not mean that you can expect to beat it. You have recallers, you have legs. If the tide looks like it is turning, run away and fight another day!
4. I post a lot and am prolific on the server. I will try to be mindful of players with a slower posting schedule, but I am human and will likely screw that up. If you missed something that your character would have done, because you the player were away, let me know and we can work that into it, even retroactively. We are forging a world with the power of our imagination, nothing is set in stone!
5. In combat, I expect a minimum 1/day posting schedule. This an important sticking point for me to respect both my time and the time of the other players in the quest. If you know you're going to be slow for a period, let me know and we can work around it. But I reserve the right to enforce posting time limits in combat. In these cases, I may have your character delay, take your turn for you, or in extreme cases, force your character to recall. I would rather you tell me in advance if you expect a period of downtime than for me to have to reach out to you. Communication is key!
I am looking forward to the stories we will tell together!