Session Zero

Written by VexUnchained

Session Zero

All players must abide by all rules and regulations set by United We Stand and United We Stand Dungeon Masters (DM).
Respect of others and their play space is paramount; intentionally causing a disturbance will not be tolerated.
Leave real world politics, events and religion out of the DnD areas.
If you feel uncomfortable in any way; please contact any Dungeon Master as soon as possible. Even if that requires pausing a session.
Share the spotlight with your group members.
Resolve PLAYER personality conflicts out of game. You are free to request a Dungeon Master as a mediator if needed.
The DM is the final rules arbitrator.. Rule Zero

It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.” – Gary Gygax, AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide (1979), Afterword.

Players are encouraged to communicate with the DM about what they do not like about the game, so the DM can make adjustments if warranted.
Basic microphone etiquette. I.E. If you plan on using Voice Activation ensure you do not have constant background noise
Players are expected to pay attention, this is at the benefit of everyone; you may miss an important plot changing detail and engagement with the story shows your Dungeon Masters you appreciate the effort they put in
Show up to session on time and prepared with your DnD Beyond Character sheet pulled up and Roll20 accessible. (Breaks will be given as needed)
Avoid lengthy debates while in session unless it is needed for a plot line. Character Arguments can easily lead to a break in game flow.
When making a decision, do your best to be descriptive of what you/your character would like to do and how they accomplish that task.
You decide how your character thinks, acts and talks. This is a Fantasy Role-Playing game, however this is not a catch all to be inappropriate, malicious or judgmental of others because "That's what my character would do"
This is a COOPERATIVE game, not a COMPETITIVE game. Work with each other not against.
Doing your best as a player to keep the game flowing in a forward direction, Players interacting and making decisions is the basis of DnD and the game does not feel "Railroaded" if you as a player explain what you want to do before being asked by the Dungeon Master.
Not all fights are meant to be fought, If you encounter something and your first instinct is to run…..RUN!
Any character once introduced can be killed and resurrection is not always an option.
All sex scenes will quickly fade to black. Non consensual sex/sexual acts will NEVER be tolerated and will result in immediate dismissal from United We Stand sponsored DnD sessions with the possibility of community removal.
Limit distracting behavior and the "Out of Character" conversations.
Fudging numbers will be punished . (All players will roll through their D&D Beyond character sheet to Roll20 using the "Beyond20'' extension)
Do not intentionally sabotage the party in an effort to ruin their game/session.
Critiquing (rules-Lawyering) to be kept to a bare minimum at all times. If a DM is blatantly wrong you are free to speak up, however always remember "Rule zero"
All players will be required to have a one on one session zero with a Dungeon Master prior to their character being allowed to enter the world. This will include covering rules, checking character sheets, answering questions and giving a base overview of how this specific style of campaign works.
No take backs. I.E. "Oh I didn’t really say that or do that", "I was just kidding".
Dungeon Masters utilize an in-depth note taking system as well as communicate verbally on a regular basis to include session recaps. Do not attempt to ask something of one Dungeon Master, get an answer you did not like and then ask another.
Most game sessions will be designed as a "One-shot", meaning you will accomplish a questline in one session that affects the rest of the world.
Players will get an equal level of XP per quest line pertaining to the style of quest taken. XP is not awarded via combat rather by completing tasks.
This is a living world, it changes with or without you. The game by design is centered on the world and not you as a player meaning you may not get the large character arc you are accustomed to with a traditional campaign. That means what you do or do not do one day may affect others around the world or in your guild.
A DM will contact players before session and ensure we compile a list of "No go's" to ensure everyone is comfortable while playing
Natural 1's and 20's are a thing that DMs have fun with; It should be equally as exciting to roll a Critical Fail / Pass in and out of combat. However; a natural 20 does not always mean you succeed on a task. I.E. The bard asks the king to give him his kingdom and rolls a natural 20, If the King would not logically be compelled to do that. He wouldn't.
This game is meant to be fun, to be enraging at times, to be emotional and sometimes to make you question your perception of situations as both a character and as a player… Let the DMs know what you enjoy and what you don't so we can make the best game possible for you!
Last but not least; HAVE FUN!