Rules of Conduct

“Knowledge is a Weapon, Jon. Arm yourself well before you ride forth to Battle.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse for violating them.

I. Core Principles

• Respect: Treat all members with respect, regardless of their background, beliefs, or playstyle. Harassment, discrimination, or any form of hateful speech will not be tolerated.
• Fair Play: Engage in fair and honest roleplaying. Cheating, exploiting loopholes, or intentionally scdisrupting the game for others is prohibited.
• Collaboration: Æther is a collaborative storytelling environment. Work with other players and GMs to create compelling narratives and a vibrant community.
• Communication: Clear communication is essential. Discuss your plans with GMs and other players, provide detailed descriptions of your actions, and be open to feedback.
• Maturity: While creativity is encouraged, maintain a level of maturity appropriate for a shared environment. Avoid excessively graphic, sexual, or otherwise inappropriate content.
• Character Creation & Advancement: Follow the server's guidelines for character creation, including point buy, race/origin selection, and allowed content. All characters must be approved by a GM before play. XP is awarded by GMs based on participation, contribution to the narrative, and successful completion of quests and challenges.
• Rules Adjudication: GMs have the final say on rule interpretations and rulings. Respect their decisions and address any concerns or questions through appropriate channels (e.g. ⁠staff-desk ).
• No Cheating or Exploiting: Fair play is essential. Cheating, exploiting bugs, or any attempt to gain an unfair advantage is forbidden. Report any suspected exploits to the staff immediately. Any attempts to exploit game mechanics, rules loopholes, or unintended interactions will be addressed by the GM and may result in penalties, character adjustments, or rule revisions.

III. Roleplay Rules

• In-Character vs. Out-of-Character: Clearly distinguish between in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC) communications. Use appropriate channels and tags (e.g., (( )) for OOC) to avoid confusion.- Metagaming: Avoid using out-of-character knowledge to influence your in-character decisions. This includes sharing information between characters that they wouldn't realistically know.
• Powergaming: Refrain from creating overly optimized characters or pursuing actions solely for mechanical advantage. Focus on creating compelling narratives and playing your character in a believable way.
• Godmodding: Do not control the actions or outcomes of other players' characters or NPCs without their consent. Respect the agency of others in the shared narrative. No Griefing: Intentionally disrupting other players' enjoyment of the game, such as through harassment, sabotage, or spreading misinformation, is not allowed.
• Character Death: Character death is a possibility in Æther. While there may be ways to revive a character, it should be treated as a significant event with consequences.
• Character Backstories: While encouraged, character backstories should not overshadow or contradict established lore. Work with staff to ensure consistency. In-Character Conduct: Maintain a consistent and believable portrayal of your character. Avoid actions that contradict your character's established personality or motivations.
• Post Length: Strive for posts that are at least 3-5 sentences long to provide sufficient detail and context. Avoid excessive one-liners.
• Posting Frequency: Be mindful of other players and avoid flooding the chat. Allow time for others to respond and contribute. Inactive players are expected to keep updated on the events of the thread.
• Exiting Threads: Characters are allowed to exit a scene or a thread at any time if a thread becomes difficult or inactive and are never locked into a thread unless they want to. Players should inform their groups if they are departing or must become inactive and why (if possible) so that they can account for absences. Sudden / repeated exiting of threads may result in less GM activity for a player or warning.

IV. Server Conduct

• Channel Usage: Use the appropriate channels for different types of communication. Keep out-of-character discussions in designated channels and avoid spamming or flooding any channel. Spoiler Policy: Avoid discussing sensitive plot points or information that could ruin surprises for others.
• Advertising: Do not advertise other servers, communities, or personal artwork with the intent for to commission players without prior permission from the server administration. Account Security: You are responsible for the security of your Discord account. Do not share your information with anyone and avoid suspicious links and messages.

Staff Authority & Dispute Resolution

• Respect for Staff Decisions: Staff members (GMs, Moderators, Administrators) have final authority on rule interpretations, rulings, and disciplinary actions. While open discussion and feedback are encouraged, disrespectful behavior towards staff, including arguing, personal attacks, or repeated challenges to their authority, will not be tolerated.
• Dispute Resolution: If you disagree with a staff decision, please address your concerns respectfully and privately through direct messages or a designated feedback channel. Publicly arguing or challenging staff decisions disrupts the community and undermines the collaborative environment we strive to maintain.
• Repeated Offenses: Repeated instances of disrespectful behavior or arguing with staff, even in private, may result in disciplinary actions, ranging from warnings to temporary or permanent bans.
• Taking it to DMs: If a conversation becomes heated or personal, all parties are expected to take the discussion to private messages (DMs) to avoid disrupting the public channels. Staff members may direct participants to do so at their discretion. Failure to comply with this directive may result in disciplinary actions.

Example: Repeatedly questioning a GM's ruling in public chat after they have explained their reasoning would be considered disrespectful behavior. Respectfully discussing the ruling in private messages, however, would be an appropriate way to address concerns.

Constructive Feedback & Suggestions

Feedback Channels: We welcome constructive feedback and suggestions on how to improve Æther. Please use the designated feedback channel (#ideas-and-feedback or #staff-desk) to share your thoughts. This allows for organized discussion and ensures your feedback reaches the appropriate staff members.

Respectful Communication: When providing feedback, please communicate respectfully and avoid personal attacks or negativity. Focus on specific issues and suggest concrete solutions rather than making general complaints.

Consideration of Others: When suggesting changes, please consider the potential impact on other players and the overall game balance. Staff members will carefully evaluate all feedback and make decisions based on what is best for the community as a whole.

V. Combat

• Detailed Actions: Players must clearly and concisely describe their intended actions during combat. Ambiguous or incomplete descriptions may be interpreted at the GM's discretion or result in a delayed action. Include specific targets, maneuvers, spells, and any relevant details.
• Action Declaration: Players are expected to declare their actions within a reasonable timeframe during combat encounters. Failure to do so within the GM designated "Combat Spotlight" period may result in the character taking a delayed or default action (at the GM's discretion). This is to maintain the flow of combat and prevent unnecessary delays. Initiative order is present for all players to see and prepare for their turns.
• GM Response: GMs will strive to resolve combat rounds promptly. However, complex situations or high player volume may increase resolution times.
• Intelligent Targeting: Intelligent enemies will prioritize targets based on perceived threat, tactical advantage, and their own goals. This may include focusing on spellcasters, healers, ranged characters, and likely avoid heavily armored and weaker characters. This is not considered unfair or targeting and is a natural part of tactical combat. Characters are encouraged to use strategy and teamwork to mitigate focused attacks.
• Environmental Awareness: Players are expected to be aware of their surroundings and consider the potential impact of the environment on combat. This includes utilizing cover, exploiting terrain features, and avoiding hazards. GMs do not have to strictly outline every detail of an environment for it to be interacted with (for example, players can write in their narrative that they utilize a tree in a forest to climb, or a table in a tavern, etc.)
• Interactive Elements: The environment can be interacted with during combat. This may involve manipulating objects, triggering traps, or using the terrain to your advantage. Such actions require appropriate skill checks. GM does not need to approve of every interactive element and players are encouraged to use their creative imaginations to utilize the environment around them. GMs reserve the right to deny attempts based on narrative or other elements.

VI. Disciplinary Actions

Violations of these rules and principles may result in the following disciplinary actions:

• Verbal Warning: A warning issued by a moderator or administrator.
• Temporary Mute/Ban: Restriction from participating in the server for a specified period.
• Permanent Ban: Removal from the server.

The severity of the disciplinary action will depend on the nature and severity of the violation.

VII. Rule Changes

These rules are subject to change at any time. Any updates will be announced in the ⁠updates channel. We encourage open communication and feedback. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding these rules, please contact a member of the staff team.

VII. Clarity of Actions and Abilities

To ensure fair play, transparency, and efficient gameplay, all players are required to clearly and concisely declare all active abilities, bonuses, and modifiers affecting their actions, both in and out of combat. Ambiguity or lack of clarity will result in the action being resolved at the GM's discretion, potentially negating unspecified bonuses or effects.

A. Action Declarations

When declaring an action, players must explicitly state:

• The specific action being taken: (e.g., "Attack with a longsword," "Cast Magic Missile," "Attempt a Diplomacy check to persuade the guard.")
• The target of the action: (e.g., "attacking the orc leader," "casting Magic Missile at the goblin shaman," "using Diplomacy on the city guard captain.")
• All active abilities and modifiers relevant to the action: This includes, but is not limited to: Feats: (e.g., "using Power Attack," "flanking with my ally for +2 to hit," "using Combat Expertise to improve my AC") Class Features: (e.g., "using Sneak Attack," "applying my Rage bonus to damage," "activating my Paladin's Smite Evil") Spells and Abilities: (e.g., "casting Haste on myself," "activating my Bloodletting ability," "using my Emerald Warrior projection to attack")
• Items: (e.g., "attacking with my +1 flaming longsword," "drinking a *Potion of Cure Light Wounds,") "activating my ring of protection" Situational Modifiers: (e.g., "taking a -4 penalty for shooting into melee," "gaining a +2 bonus from high ground")
• Spheres of Power Abilities (and other homebrew): For abilities not from the Pathfinder 1e core rules, players must specify the source and the specific effects. (e.g., "Using the Blast talent from the Destruction Sphere for 1d6 fire damage," "Activating Feral Mutagen from the Spheres of Power system for +4 Strength and -2 Intelligence"). Provide a concise summary of the ability's effects.

B. Skill Checks

When attempting a skill check, players must specify:

• The skill being used: (e.g., "Perception," "Diplomacy," "Stealth")
• The purpose of the check: (e.g., "to search for traps," "to persuade the merchant," "to hide from the guards")
• All applicable bonuses and modifiers: (e.g., "+2 from my racial bonus," "+5 from my skill ranks," "+2 from my circumstance bonus due to the darkness")

C. Examples

• Clear Action Declaration: "I attack the orc leader with my +1 flaming longsword, using Power Attack for +2 damage and flanking with my ally for +2 to hit. My attack roll is 1d20+7 (including my BAB, Strength modifier, and flanking bonus)."
• Clear Skill Check Declaration: "I make a Perception check to notice any traps, using my +5 skill ranks, +2 racial bonus, and +2 circumstance bonus from my Detect Magic spell, for a total of +9. My roll is 1d20+9."
• Clear Spheres of Power Declaration: "I use the Blast talent from the Destruction Sphere, targeting the goblin shaman. This deals 1d6 fire damage and allows me to apply my Charisma modifier to the damage roll as a bonus (for a total of +3). My attack roll is 1d20+5 (including my Dexterity modifier and relevant proficiency bonus)."

D. Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to adhere to this rule will result in actions being resolved at the GM's discretion. This may include:

• Ignoring unspecified bonuses or effects.
• Delaying the action to allow for clarification. Issuing a warning to the player.
• Further disciplinary action as outlined in Section VI.

This rule aims to promote clear communication, facilitate smooth gameplay, and ensure fairness for all participants. Players are encouraged to be proactive in clarifying their actions and abilities to avoid any misunderstandings or delays.

VIII. Variant Rules and Character Viability

Variant rules, such as Spheres of Power, Background Skills, Hero Points, and Automatic Bonus Progression, add flavor and customization options to Æther. However, to ensure long-term character viability and game balance, the following guidelines apply:

1. Core Rule Foundation: All characters must be designed to be functional and playable using the Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook as the primary foundation. While variant rules can enhance a character, they should not be essential to the character's core concept or functionality. Characters whose core concept or functionality falls apart without variant rules will not be approved.
2. Adaptability: Characters should be adaptable to potential changes in variant rules. GMs reserve the right to modify or remove variant rules as needed for game balance or other reasons. Players should be prepared to adjust their characters accordingly if such changes occur. This does not include Spheres of Power.
3. Approval Process: During the character submission process, GMs will assess a character's reliance on variant rules. If a character is deemed overly reliant, the GM will provide constructive feedback and suggest modifications. Approval may be withheld until the character meets the viability guidelines.
4. Collaboration: GMs are available to help players design viable and compelling characters that utilize variant rules effectively without becoming overly dependent on them. Players are encouraged to discuss their character concepts with GMs during the design process.

Example: A character whose entire combat strategy revolves around a specific combination of feats and abilities granted only by a variant system would be considered overly reliant. A character who uses a variant system to enhance an existing core class feature, however, would likely be considered acceptable.

IX. Character Concept Review (Pre-Approval)

To facilitate smoother character creation and avoid potential issues with variant rule reliance or other design concerns, players are strongly encouraged to submit their character concepts for review before completing the full character sheet. This allows GMs to provide early feedback and guidance, ensuring the character aligns with server guidelines and promotes a balanced and enjoyable gameplay experience.

1. Concept Submission: Players can submit their character concepts in the #character-concepts channel or through a ticket in the #staff-desk channel. The concept should include a brief description of the character's race, class, background, and intended playstyle, along with any specific variant rules or homebrew elements they plan to use.
2. GM Feedback: GMs will review the submitted concepts and provide feedback on viability, balance, and adherence to server guidelines. They may suggest modifications, alternative options, or resources to help players refine their concepts.
3. Not Mandatory: While concept review is not mandatory, it is highly recommended, especially for new players or those using complex builds or variant rules. It can save time and effort in the long run by addressing potential issues early in the character creation process.