With the new world and message board format starting up, I just thought I would reiterate and clarify the procedure for using the boards in game.

1. The message boards generally will not be relied upon to advance major plot to any great degree. However, it may be used on occasion to set up plot for an upcoming event.

2. It is not mandatory for any character to be involved in board activity, although it is recommended as it is an excellent forum to maintain momentum between live games and further plot that is personal to individual PC's.

3. Characters who use the boards are subject to the same risks and rewards that may be encountered in a live setting. This includes gains and losses of items and wealth, risk of death, etc. XP may be gained from board participation in cases of exceptional role-playing, though it will never be at a level that is gained from a live event. XP gained in this way is at the sole discretion of the GMs, and should be considered a bonus rather than something to be expected.

4. A character that is involved in a thread that requires either GM adjudication or response from another player may only take one action per post before waiting for a response. An action in this sense may mean a physical attack, a spell, the use of a skill, or any movement more than ten feet. The GMs will have final call on what constitutes an action and anyone violating this rule will be asked to edit their post accordingly.

5. For any action that requires the use of 'Paper, Rock, Scissors' to resolve, the following rules apply: The higher level character will succeed in the action. In cases of a tie in level, the characters' skill levels will be checked, with the higher skill level winning. Example: Grag, a 3rd level character with a stealth skill level of 3 attempts to use hide on Hiera, a 3rd level character with Spot and a general skill of 1. Grag succeeds, because although his level is the same as hers, he has more points in Stealth (under which Hide falls) than she does in General (under which Spot falls). In cases of ties in skill levels, a GM will make the final call based upon circumstances and/or a random outcome (ie coin flip done by GM).

6. In cases of combat on the board, all rules for damage, armour and spells still apply. Each attack employed is assumed to automatically hit its target and the target takes the effect. There is no such thing as dodging or avoiding attacks.

7. All posts are asked to be timestamped (placing in game month, day, and time) in the title bar of the thread or at the beginning of the post itself. If any significant amount of time passes within a thread (ie more than an hour) , the participants are asked to put a new timestamp in the post where the time change occurs.

8. Any player involved in a thread that requires adjudication from a GM (and any instance of player vs. player combat falls under this distinction) may not become involved in another thread until their previous one is resolved.

9. Any threads that require responses from either other players or a GM will be considered 'on hold' until those parties make their responses or until a GM deems the thread may continue or be abandoned, as circumstances dictate.

10. All players are asked to limit their described actions on the board to what could reasonably be duplicated in a live setting. For example, posts in which the character jumps ten feet into the air and does a series of backflips may be seen as somewhat excessive unless the player himself is an Olympic gymnast. By the same token, players are asked to limit their dialogue to what could reasonably be accomplished at that point in time. Throwing down a three page diatribe on the perils of evil while engaged in pitched battle with a dragon, again is a bit excessive.

11. The message boards are considered to be adult content and thus may contain language and imagery that is inappropriate for children. Players are permitted the use of any language in-game, provided it is not used excessively or in a manner that is inconsistent for that character. Players are asked to limit such language in the out of game forums, and any uses of hate speech and/or racism, sexism, etc employed in a serious manner will not be tolerated. Those who violate this policy will suffer immediate explusion from the board and game.

12. As with the live events, the GMs are here to provide challenging and fun role-playing opportunities. It is not our intent to 'railroad' characters, or kill them, or put them in situations that are unfair or unenjoyable. The boards will be adjudicated as much as possible, and we ask your patience if things are not resolved as quickly as you may like. As with the live events, it is far better to roll with a decision and move on than to argue about it and hold up gameplay demanding explanations. Asking for clarifications of rules is perfectly acceptable - asking for motivations behind plot is not.

Any questions about the above rules may be directed via PM's to myself or Darren. This thread will be locked.