The core of the Code of Conduct is respect. Respect for others (not just the DM, but for the fellow players and for others around us who are not playing the game) is expected from all gamers of this campaign. Without respect, the game is lessened, and that reduces the fun we all have.

Respect the Environment: Please clean up after yourself. If you bring food or drinks to the game, throw your trash away at the end of the night. Flush the toilet when you're done; that kind of thing. If it's my house, I'd prefer not to have to clean up after everyone. If we're gaming somewhere else, I'd hate for us to lose the ability to game at a particular location because we didn't give the host the respect of cleaning up after ourselves.

Respect your Fellow Gamers: Show your fellow gamers the same respect you'd like them to show you. When you're not in a scene, please keep your comments to a minimum. They interrupt the flow of the scene, and ruin the fun of potentially good RP. A good laugh is wonderful medicine, but a well-played scene is much more satisfying and memorable than a quick one-liner. Also, pay attention during the game, even if you aren't involved in the scene. Part of the game is enjoying the RP of your friends as well as allowing them to enjoy your own interactions.

Respect your Dungeonmaster: Keep your focus on the play of the game. Combat lags when people are reading books instead of watching the fight, and the quality of RP drops considerably when a player isn't paying attention. I easily put in twice as many hours into game prep as we spend playing, and running an enjoyable game is my only reward for it. Please don't remove my reward by finding your "Harry Potter" novel more enjoyable than the climactic battle against the Beholder Cult.

The primary law for Face-To-Face games: Everyone's on their honor in the game. Many of the following suggestions are to help maintain player-player trust within the group, but in general, everyone's on their honor to track their hitpoints, spells, magic items, equipment, et cetera.

No player may reference non-player-oriented tomes (ie the DMG or the various Monster Manuals) during the game without express permission of the DM. It ruins the full impact of the scenario for you and for the DM.

All rolls must be witnessed by at least one other player. No rolls may be made ahead of time, but only when the DM requests it. No warm-up rolls will be accepted.

Please try to avoid non-game conversations once the game has started. If you must do so, then I ask that you take non-game conversations away from the table. It disturbs the game.

Once the campaign has started, new members to the gaming group require unanimous approval of current group members, after one session to get a sample of how they roleplay.

I will not run a game based in the current campaign if more than 50% of the players are not present. (We may still run an isolated one shot, but it won't be to the detriment of the normal campaign.)

During periods where there is a waiting list to play in the campaign, any player that misses three sessions in a row is considered to have voluntarily resigned their seat at the table, and offers to play are extended to those on the waiting list. This resignation can be overridden by unanimous approval of the current group.

Ability Scores: All characters ability scores will be created using the Nonstandard Point Buy method (DMG, pg. 20), at the High-Powered Campaign level (32 points.)

Classes: All core character classes from the Player's Handbook and Psionic Handbook are available, with the sole exception of the Paladin, which is a Prestige Class in this campaign setting. The standard (non-Rokugan) classes of Oriental Adventures are also available.

Hitpoints: Every character receives full hitpoints at first level. For each additional character level, the character receives a number of hit points according to the new class by taking half the maximum value for the class and adding one (i.e. d4=3, d6=4, d8=5, d10=6, and d12=7), plus their Con modifier.

Starting Wealth: All first level characters start off with maximum gold for their class. Everything (equipment-wise) needs to be written down on your character sheet. If it isn't written down, your character doesn't have it.

Concept: It is the player's responsibility to create a character that can work and play well with others. If the character can't, then the player shouldn't be playing that character in this game. If the party has to split up, the amount of time each "side" gets will be proportional to the number of members in that group, modified by the importance of the group's activities as they relate to the group's goals. For example, rogues that are always going off for breaking and entering that isn't in line with the party's goals will get very little "air time," compared to the rest of the group and their pursuit of the party goals.

Multiclassing At First Level: The optional variant for creating 1st-Level Multiclass Characters (DMG, pp 40-41) may be used in character creation, to avoid the lengthy training times required for advancing in a new class in mid-game.

Second and subsequent characters: Characters do die, unfortunately, and a player may choose not to have that character Raised from the dead or Resurrected. Sometimes, a player abandons a PC to create another one, wishing to explore another concept. In either case, second and subsequent characters follow the rules for creating new characters in mid-game, as given below.

New players entering characters after the party achieves 2nd level or higher: Characters created at this point follow the rules for creating new characters in mid-game, as given below.

Creating new characters in mid-game: New characters are created with enough experience to begin play at two character levels lower than the highest level character in the party, minimum of 1st level. (First level characters follow the standard rules for character creation for a first level character.) These characters start with wealth appropriate to a character of a level two lower than the highest level of the party. For specifics, consult Table 2-24: Starting Equipment For PCs Above 1st Level (DMG, pg 43.) Starting characters are restricted to only Minor magic items up to 5th level, to only Minor and Medium magic items up to 9th level, and are no longer restricted on magic item types from 10th level up. Characters with the appropriate Item Creation feats can spend experience and gold to create their own items, reducing the item's monetary cost at the expense of experience. Such items are not bound by the standard Minor/Medium/Major restrictions that normally apply to starting equipment for new characters. (The character must still be able to create the item at their final level of experience.)

Experience will be awarded based on the FRCS alternate experience award system, which results in lower level characters getting more than higher level characters for facing the same challenges. Experience is awarded after a full day spent in downtime, where it is assumed that the characters are practicing their skills, researching spells, sparring with trainers and others, and basically spending time on their non-adventuring lives. Experience will be awarded no more than once per four hours of gaming session.

Experience for Absent Players: Characters of players who are absent for a gaming session will earn half the normal experience for that session. This is done to prevent too great a gap from building between the levels of characters. Remember, however, that three consecutive absences from the game is considered a voluntary resignation. At that point, the character becomes an NPC, unless the group unanimously decides to allow the player to continue to participate in the game.

Level Advancement Within A Previous Core Class Or Prestige Class requires mandatory downtime. For advancing within a class (whether core or prestige) in which the character already possesses at least one level, a character must spend a number of full days in downtime equal to their current character level, again where it is assumed that the characters are practicing their skills, researching spells, sparring with trainers and others, and basically spending time on their non-adventuring lives. These days do not have to be consecutive, and training days can be "stored up" ahead of time. However, once the character advances in XP sufficiently to gain a level, they are required to train at least one more day to gain their level. At that point, the character loses any days of training they'd accumulated for the previous level, and must begin training anew for their next level.

For Level Advancement In A New Core Class Or Prestige Class, a character must spend a number of weeks consecutively training under a tutor/mentor, based on the result of an ability check. (Use the sum of the ability modifiers from the three abilities listed under Abilities in the Game Rules section of a particular class. For prestige classes, consult the DM to determine which three ability scores apply.) Compare your resulting DC to the following:
DC 4 or less - 8 weeks
DC 5 - 7 weeks
DC 10 - 6 weeks
DC 15 - 5 weeks
DC 20 - 4 weeks
DC 25 - 3 weeks
DC 30 - 2 weeks
Note: Tackling the process of learning a new class (whether core or prestige) is very, very difficult without a tutor. Attempting to do so requires approval from the DM, and the amount of time determined above shifts from weeks to months.
Alternate Method: Taking on a new class without taking the prerequisite training time of 2-8 weeks as indicated above introduces a fifty percent (50%) penalty on gaining XP for the first level of that new class. The character still requires the normal training time in days equal to his or her character level before the benefits of the new class can be gained.

A Note On Multi-Class/Prestige Class Characters: Taking a new class, either as a multi-class or prestige class, must be based on in-character motivations (not game mechanic benefits) AND must occur within the context of the story line. In other words, it is the player's responsibility to seek out a mentor in-game, and work with the DM to create an opportunity within the game and storyline for that event to occur.

1. Attendance Point: Everyone who showed up to game gets an attendance point.
2. Gaming Point: Everyone who plays well, stays reasonably in character, and doesn't ruin the game for the DM gets the Gaming Point. This one is also almost automatic.
3. Learning Curve Point: The DM proceeds around the table and has each person state three things they learned about the game world or the campaign that evening, either as a player or as a character. They can't use items people have used before. This one is challenging, sometimes, but everyone usually gets it. It helps people pay attention to the story, which is why the DM uses it.
4. Roleplaying Point: Much like the original, people decide who made the game the most fun for them that evening. Everyone gets one vote, and anyone that receives two votes (and they can vote for themselves, if they wish) gets the Point. There are occasional nights when no one gets this one.
5. Heroism Point: People vote if they feel a character put themselves at significant risk to help out others in the party. This one promotes teamwork and general good-aligned activity, since that's the kind of game that the Nine Kingdoms of Arn campaign was designed to promote. There are often nights when no one gets recieves one point, due to the high roleplay nature of some of the sessions.