Table Rules

Below are the guidelines I'd like every player to keep (also known as the 10 DnD Commandments).

1. Don't cheat.
I don't think anyone here would cheat but it's worth jotting down as a rule anyway. Cheating in DnD means looking up stats for the monsters you're fighting, changing your inventory without having actually gained anything ingame, simply botching rolls, etc. As per the last one: I know some players prefer rolling physical dice over using the digital functions, and I do not mind that at all despite me not seeing the rolls myself and trust you to tell me the actual number you've rolled. However, you'll have to excuse me if I ask you to take a pic of that clutch Nat20 you rolled in a big boss fight.

2. Respect each other.
Everyone is spending their free time playing this game, which means long hours that could be spent on other hobbies, real-life friends, or simply just chilling. So please take that into consideration and listen to each other.
That means not getting distracted on your phone while it's not your turn in battle, not interrupting other players, and also showing interest in characters that are not your own. Everyone loves their own character, their proverbial baby, and wanting to get to know the other PCs can make your party members just so happy.

3. Respect the DM.
Everything from Point 2 also applies to me, the DM.
Please let me speak and try not to interrupt me too much (exception being scenes where you're interacting with living beings, in which case I'll take the interruption as something between the characters, not between you and me as friends), please pay attention to what I'm saying and dear Lord please don't discard all my NPCs either.
On top of that comes the fact that for every hour we actually play, I put in an average 2-5 hours of prep time (if you divide up the total prep-time on the single sessions). So, yes, while I'm not asking for thanks or praise or anything (God, no) I'd also like for my efforts to not be totally ignored.
Lastly, I should point out that I as DM (and thus the storyteller/"god" of our game-world) hold a certain authority. That doesn't mean that I get to tyrannise you guys or you have to do everything I say, not at all. It merely means that I'm also the person who decides over rules, and sometimes I might deviate from the set rules of the PHB (which is a Guidebook, not a Rulebook). So please, do not argue over rules with me.
The exception to that is if I'm forgetting about something that had previously been an established fact. An example being me overlooking advantage attacks during a battle - in which case, please do remind me, since it's more likely that I've forgotten about them rather than consciously ignored them.
But at the end of the day I'd rather you tell me if you think anything is unfair. Just don't pummel me around every corner.
4. We're all beginners.
Again, I do not think anyone would do this, but I'll say this anyway:
Please don't make fun of others for their skill level and understanding of the game. Please don't make fun of the voices or sound effects others make, none of us are professional voice actors. Also, half of the group are foreign speakers and audio quality can suck – so please be understanding of that and have patience when things need repeating.
5. Don't hog time.
Players who want to constantly be in the centre of attention are exhausting. Of course every character will have their special moments occasionally, but apart from that take care that no one takes up too much time in a session. And again, play heed to actually let characters have their special moments when it's their time and don't try to divert attention to your own.
6. Read the table.
Pay attention to other players and how they react to what you do and say. DnD is a game that's supposed to be fun for everyone. Are the players constantly annoyed at you? It might be that you're hogging too much time, or you're playing your character in an unsympathetic way. Does somebody seem uncomfortable with something you've said? It might be that it's a difficult topic or maybe even a trigger to them. Most of the time I as a DM will have my eyes on that and reach out to the players after a session, but it's good if you can catch yourself while we're still playing.
7. Try not to metagame.
I quote:
In role-playing games, a player is metagaming when they use knowledge that is not available to their character in order to change the way they play their character (usually to give them an advantage within the game), such as knowledge of the mathematical nature of character statistics, or the statistics of a creature that the player is familiar with but the character has never encountered. In general, it refers to any gaps between player knowledge and character knowledge which the player acts upon.
Examples for this would be:
- You as a player know that werewolves only take half damage from non-silver weapons, but your character wouldn't know that without doing research first or rolling well on a check to see if they do know weaknesses. Metagaming would be buying a silver swords despite your character not knowing.
- The party has been split! Logically, your character wouldn't know what's going on with the rest of their friends, so they would act independent to what is happening on the other end. Metagaming would be you as a player listening to your friends when they tell you what to do, and having your character do just that.
8. Don't succumb to character stereotypes.
I as a DM personally find it very annoying when players let the way they portray their characters be affected by „popular“ online tropes. Examples for that would be the rogue that always steals, bards fucking their way through the world, or a super uppity paladin. Of course none of these behaviours are prohibited, but if they're the go-to behaviour it will quickly become redundant and I will put us two through the embarrassing reality of having a talk about originality and the expiry date on bearable behaviours.
9. Have fun!
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
DnD doesn't have to be serious, just have fun. But: mind all the table rules!
Also, this rule #9 is a bit for me. Have fun, but be mindful of the others too so that they may have fun too. That includes me, the DM. Please let me have fun too lol. Don't turn into murder hobos, don't just ignore the plot morsels I give you, don't let me have to pull everything out of y'all's noses. Keeping track of everything while we play is quite exhausting (you have to keep track of the current goals and your single character. I've got a whole world going on me noggings), so I'd be very grateful if I didn't have to constantly lead you by the hand and every now and then you guys could just have your characters talk among each other, so that my brain can have a thinking break.

10. Speak up.
If something's bothering you, tell the party. If I myself as DM have broken one of the table rules, crucify me. Deck me in the digital face.

In all seriousness, though, please talk to the party (or to the person who made you uncomfortable, or to me if you want me to be a middleman) if anything has rubbed you the wrong way in- or outside our sessions. I want this group to be a safe space where we can play together, laugh together, love together. So please don't bottle up if something bothers you, but talk it out with us (or bring it to my or another player's attention if you're not comfortable confronting somebody personally).
Also, I as DM am sometimes also guilty of breaking some of these rules. If I treat somebody wrong or make them uncomfortable, please point that out to me.
Love you guys.