Group Rules

Much of this page will be discussed within Session 0, but can be updated as we go. Please speak up if you want any of this changed. This space should be a judgement-free zone.

# Social Contract

By participating in Ichlope, you and the GM will follow these understandings:

* The GM will respect the players by running a game that is fun, fair, and tailored for them. The GM will allow every player to contribute to the ongoing story and give every character moments to shine. When a player is talking, the GM is listening.
* The players will respect the GM and the effort it takes to create a fun game for everyone. The players will allow the GM to direct the campaign, arbitrate the rules, and settle arguments. When the GM is talking, the players are listening.
* The players will respect one another, listen to one another, support one another, and do their utmost to preserve the cohesion of the adventuring party.
* Should the GM or a player disrespect each other or violate the social contract in some other way, the group may dismiss that person from the game.

# Expectations

Below are topics needed to be discussed before the first session. This will help your GM design the game.

## Interests

During our discussion, please rank what parts of Ichlope you are most interested in from first to last. Consider these topics: Acting, Exploring, Instigating, Fighting, Optimizing, Problem Solving, Storytelling.

Do you enjoy solving in-game puzzles and riddles?

## General Expectations

What sort of things do you want to take out of this experience? What do you expect to see? What do you want to see? How can the GM make this experience rewarding for you?

## GM Expectations

What do you expect of the GM?

What does the GM expect of you?

* To fully explore your character and embrace their flaws.
	+ Embrace your character flaw even if it messes things up in the story.
	+ Though, don't continuously and actively work against your party
* To expand the world with me.
* To embrace improve
	+ to say "yes, and ..." / agreeing with everyone and not shutting down ideas

## Tone

A darker/horror game with mixture of humor.

# Changing Rules

Ichlope is a home-brewed D&D game. Naturally, all rules and expectations are in flux. We will be working together to make this game as fun as possible. Therefore, as we go forward, the rules will be changing. The GM will update when a rule has been changed in the Change Log -- or at least do their best to. When they find it super important, we will discuss it either before or after. In the case that it comes up during a session, we will make a snap judgement and at the end of the game we shall address it once more -- and determine how the rule should be.

Keep in mind: everything will be altered slowly. The classes will even change throughout. Though, these rule changes will not be to inhibit you, but rather encourage and make the game more dynamic.

# Safety

## Lines and Veils

**Lines.** Limits that should not be brought up. Some players may have hard lines to avoid certain themes such as no sexual violence, no harm to children, or no character-driven torture or harm to animals.

**Veils.** Topics that can be touched upon lightly, but to not hone in on. Some players may prefer to have themes "veiled" — keeping the details off-screen. Torture, slavery, sacrifice, and NPC-based harm to animals may be ok but only if they happen off screen. During the game, we don't dwell on veiled themes.

As a group, let's talk about lines and veils for our campaign. Check out this check list if necessary.

### Lines and Veils

Sexual Assault
Bestiality
Pedophilia
Slavery
Spiders
Racism
Real-world religion
Sexism
Explicit Sexual Details
Incest
Torture
Classism
Kidnapping
PTSD
Suicide
Terminal Illness
Child Endangerment
Murder
Horror
Body Horror
Dismemberment
Drugs/Smoking
Bugs
Blood
Demons
Eyeballs
Gore
Rats
Genocide
Natural Disasters/Severe Weather
Paralysis/Physical. Restraint
Terrorism
Childbirth/Abuse of pregnant woman
Alcoholism
Animal Abuse
Prostitution
Terminal Illness
Pandemic/COVID/Plagues
Nudity
Domestic Abuse
Child Abuse
Sex/Romance
Cultural issues
Freezing to death
Gaslighting
Heatstroke
Police Aggression
Pregnancy/Miscarriage/Abortion
Starvation
Thirst

## "Pause for a Second"

This is the verbal way of letting the GM know you're not comfortable. It's a way for players or GMs to stop what's going on in-game and pop out of character to make sure things are going in the right direction or steer the direction.

While this phrase is in natural language, GMs should clearly define it during a session zero so everyone knows that when someone says it, we all need to break out of character and pay attention to what the person asking for a pause is saying. If we must change the phrase, let's talk about it during session zero.

The person calling for the pause can bring up what they need, the others agree, and the game moves forward. Here are a few examples:
> *"Pause for a second. Let's skip the details on the sacrifice."*
>
>
> *"Pause for a second. Can the spiders be something else?"*
>
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> *"Pause for a second. I don't need the details of the sex scene, can we skip forward?"*
>
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> *"Pause for a second. I'm not comfortable beating this goblin for information."*
>
>
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> *"Pause for a second. I'd like to slow down and make sure we're all cool with the decisions we're making."*
>
>

The person asking for the pause need not explain *why* they're asking. It's important that the group respect the privacy of the person asking and recognize that they simply don't want something or want to steer the game away from certain subject matter.
"Pause for a second" can be used for numerous purposes. If the characters are having a conflict about what to do with a potentially dangerous magic item, we can say "Pause for a second. Out of character, are you ok destroying the item if the others vote that way? Do we need to do something else?" Not everything needs to be about big traumatic experiences, we can normalize its use by ensuring everyone's on the same page in lots of circumstances. This makes it less confrontational when someone *does* use it to check in on a potentially traumatic situation.

# Running the Game

Below are some ways in which your GM will operate the game as it goes on. We will list things that are not a part of general rules; however, if you have any questions about how the game will operate, please let the GM know.

## Repeating

Due to the fact that this game is going to be recorded, there might be times that we will all be talking over each other. In those instances, the GM might back you up and ask you to repeat it like you said it the first time. While the whole purpose of doing a D&D Podcast/Audio Drama is for it to seem authentic, it's also important that story being told is clear, understandable, and enjoyable to listen to.

## Recapping

At the beginning of each session, the GM will ask the players to recap the previous session. You can do this as a group or as a singular person. If you are missing an important story, the GM will inform you.

## Describing the World

Below are several methods in which the GM will bring you further into the world of the game. This will likely take some practice, but remember: this is a way for both the GM and the players to expand the world. We do understand that the Ichlope world is already pre-establish, but we invite you to make it even bigger.

### Describing the Killing Blow

When a player makes a fatal blow, the GM most of the time will ask the player to describe how they kill the enemy in any way they please. This is a great exercise to build upon your character. If the blow doesn't kill, the GM will likely describe it -- or inform you and ask you to describe a less-than-fatal blow.

### Describing Enemies

Before a combat session, the GM will ask you to describe a physical aspect of the enemies you are fighting. This answer will also build the world into a larger place as well as make each enemy unique, fun, and memorable. Additionally, while in combat, it will allow you to distinguish between the multiple enemies.

### Describing Locations

When the players enter a new setting, the GM will often ask to join in in describing the setting. What sort of specific details do you notice? Expand the world. Make it feel real.

### What happens on the journey?

When going on long journeys, the GM will describe the overall journey. They will then ask you what sort of events happen along the way. What do you encounter? What sort of bonding goes on during the trip?

# The Game Itself

Below are ideas, themes, and concepts that will be seen within the Ichlope Campaign. We can discuss how your characters will fit into this world, what you want out of the pre-established world, and what sort of Ichor characters/scenes you want to see.

## The World of Ichor

The Ichorverse is a world of strange, confusing, and cringy tones. Humor and horror and melodrama dance a messy dance in these worlds. The art of Ichor is not taking yourself too seriously.

Keeping that in mind, the events of this campaign will take place in the current alternate timeline being expanded upon by the channel. All 111 original videos take place in a different timeline, but some variation of their events have happened within this timeline. For example, Penguino Scene will have happened, but it's likely that all the characters weren't there. The campaign itself will be starting in 2025, a long ways away from where the channel is on the timeline.

In this time period, the people of this universe are aware that they have been stolen away from their original world. Often, people have been stolen away from our own reality. They are all trapped in the Ichorverse, forced to play out an absurd (and often scary) life. Due to this nature, growing tensions have cause the world to be submerged into inky politics. Froth is frowned upon (and soon going to be criminalized). The right to Self-Ichor is illegal due to the unprecedented court case, Jarnoth v Jarnoth. Times are growing dark.

Despite everything, the world is still drenched in absurdity. It's difficult to go anywhere without walking into nonsense conversations and childish games. Every minuscule detail in this massive (yet tiny) world is filled with drama and humor. Lurking between these situations, are creatures from a hell abyss and living stuffed animals that want to just be accepted into society.

The world of Ichor is constantly evolving -- nothing is ever the same.

## Hook

For the sake of this campaign, there is going to be one-overall goal/hook:
> **Stop spacetime from collapsing.**
>
>

## Six Truths

To help define this world (so you get a sense of what you're getting into), these are six truths about it. Use these facts to inform your characters backstory or what you want out of the game. Are there other things you want me to touch on:

* Everyone can tell that something is different. Time has changed, but they’re not sure how. Think Mandela effect.
* Every ichorverse is ruled by a deity. This one is ruled by a dark god with sinister intentions.
* Every character is aware of what ichoring is: reincarnating at will to another life in any place in time or space.
* Froth is heavily looked down upon in society now. Self-Ichoring is illegal as well.
* Near the town of Larriston, there is the world’s largest prison (Winter Ridge Prison), holding every criminal imaginable.
* Underneath Larriston, there lies winding catacombs filled with horrible truths.

# Character Creation

For this last part of this page, please explore the Character Creation Steps. That should allow you to expand and find the type of PC you want to explore. Be sure to keep your roles diverse so everyone can feel included.

### Party Meeting

As a group, how did you all meet? This will help create interesting dynamics. Explore this list and see if it helps inspires some backstory. We can have your characters meet this way in the story -- or perhaps it already has happened:

1. Grown up together. Known each for years
2. Have united to overcome a foe
3. Brought together by a common benefactor who wishes to sponsor their adventures
4. A funeral brings them together
5. A festival brings them together
6. Find themselves trapped together
7. Siblings
8. Saved each other
9. Served with
10. Protected by
11. Adventured with
12. Friendly rivals
13. Magically bound to
14. Survived with
15. Escaped with
16. Apprentice of
17. Acolyte of
18. Idolizes
19. Drinking buddies
20. Business associate
21. Lost a bet to
22. Indebt to
23. Trained by
24. Dueling partner
25. On the run

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://slyflourish.com/safety\_tools.html