Game Masters

**Purpose**

The purpose of a game master is to function as a dungeon master would in table top roleplaying, keeping new plots flowing, new events occurring, and people interested, except that at AL they have the benefit that each player can act totally independently, and without any need of mechanical assistance from the game master.  This means that the game master focuses mostly on creating new plots and getting people involved.

**Abilities**

Game masters will need to be able to create npcs for interesting scenarios to occur, as well as items.  They will obviously also need to be able to command the npcs, and eventually to return the npcs to vnpc status (essentially take them out of the game)

Being a GM \*does not\* mean you have free rein to go around teleporting players, resurrecting them, or using other creator powers.

**Ethics**

First off, scenarios must be approved before they are run.  If you dream up an

idea and it sounds fantastic to you, you may not have considered the others interacting.  I guess this wasn't specified more clearly initially since we have other files governing roleplay, so I want to make a point of it here.  If you wish to run a scenario with a tiger just showing up out of nowhere and nothing else, well, you are out of luck... unless that is in the approved scenarios directory as something you can run.  And to be honest, that sounds rather lame, so it would not get approved.

No scenario may be created where the players that get involved have no chance of escaping with their lives/limbs if they act appropriately.

Scenarios may not be constructed which "give away" services or items without some kind of fair exchange.  Though if that exchange is a fight that is won, then that's fine.

Of course, IC and OOC separation must still be observed.  If you want to track down a bunch of criminals for their crimes, you can not find out where they are beforehand OOCly.  You create the troupe and hunt them down ICly, not knowing where they are, and asking for their whereabouts.

When you are running the RPE, you must log what happens and immediately make that log available upon completion, and set things up so that other game masters can participate in offshoots of that event by giving them enough information.  This means that you write up (or use an existing) file beforehand detailing the major events occurring.  Someone experienced must review that file and approve it before the event to make sure it is in theme.

You are not to admonish players in any way for poor roleplaying, the exception being that they are breaking the IC/OOC barrier in some way.  One example would be that they are using present day speech expressions such as 'cool', which would be an anachronism.

If someone easily knows that they are receiving creator rp, obviously there has been a breach in the IC/OOC barrier.  Unfortunately, to some extent this can not be avoided as if you are animating an animal, it will obviously have better interactions than an npc, however you should try to make it fit into the way the standard animal would behave as much as possible.  You should also not use strange room echoes liberally (unless we make this a player ability also).  Another thing that needs to be fixed is fetishes... if you create an npc, please give them a fetish until we get the whole fetish issue resolved in the long term by getting rid of them, or making it a default item.

**Philosophy**

Plots may not be set up which can be "ruined".  If someone comes in and makes the plot turn in a way that was not expected, then you deal with it and create a new plot around that.  If you can not construct a plot that is malleable this way, it should not be run.

Create a plot that \*you\*, as a game master, will have fun running.  If you are not going to enjoy doing it, then don't.  If you want to play a king and will really enjoy that, then fine, go for it.  It's not abuse of power, it's fringe benefits for putting in the work to shape the world. -- Just do it well, and within ethical limitations.

Try to create plots which can be run within the game's current limitations.  Of course it would be nice if you had a fantastic idea which required some extra code support, and there was a large code team with time available and everything worked out, but that is not the case at the time of this writing.  You can always make a suggestion, but do not set an expectation that it will be met or depend on it.

Try to be as inclusive as possible for rp plots.  Of course, some plots will by their nature not be able to involve everyone, but it's a good goal to aim for in general.

**RPT**

When an event is going to be run, you will ideally post a 'recommended playing time' on the OOC forums, and if it fits into the plot, you can post on the IC boards that a certain thing will be going on at a certain time.  This would help a large amount of players to show up at the same time.

It is recommended that there be at least 1 RPT per week, and it is also encouraged that creators who are not involved in running it participate as players to enjoy the game they are building and see how well it is doing.

Didlog that the rpe ran when done!  It's inspiring to see that people are getting things done. :)