Here are the rules and expectations I have when running a tabletop roleplaying game.
Participate
Take part in the game. Get involved in conversations.
Have a character
…not just a set of numbers. Give them likes and dislikes. Give them a personality.
Most importantly, give them a motivation (the reason they left a safe life and became an adventurer).
Know your character
Memorise or write down your character's abilities. When I ask for your Armour Class or Hit Points or the range of your spell, you should be able to answer in a couple of seconds.
Of course, the newer you are to the game, the more slack you will be given on this.
Let people play their characters
Don't tell people how to play their character. Suggestions of tactics are fine (especially if the player is new to the game) but let them decide their own motivations and beliefs and alignment.
The words "but your character wouldn't do that" should not be uttered at the table. If you think someone's character is acting inconsistently then address it in-character, in-game.
Technology
Pay attention to the game, not your smartphone.
The only reason you should be looking at a smartphone or computer is if your character sheet or rule books are stored there.
Don't stress about first-person
It doesn't matter if you use first or third person. Whether you say "I insult the bartender" or "Barby McBarbface insults the bartender" doesn't matter. This is a tabletop RPG not an improv performance.
You also don't have to use an accent. You can, if you like, but you don't have to.
See AngryGM's article Through a Glass Darkly: IC, OOC, and the Myth of Player/Character Seperation.
Don't Be A Dick (Wheaten's Law)
Every one of us at the table is responsible for the gaming experience of everyone else at the table.
This is a Safe Space
While the game world is definitely not a safe space (see the trigger warning below), the table we are sitting at is. My games are harassment-free zones.
Trigger Warning
The game situations may include addition, drug-taking, slavery, abuse, and other unpleasant topics. There will be gore and graphic violence. The really nasty activities will happen off-screen but they will still be happening in the game world.
Rulings
If a ruling is needed at the table I’ll then make it and we’ll continue.
After the session has finished we will have a more in-depth look at the books and the forums. If I was wrong then we’ll play it correctly in the future, but that evening’s ruling still stands. We only have two-to-three hours – we can’t afford to spend 20 minutes discussing rules.
Dice
No rolling of dice until I asks for a roll please.
Reroll off-table dice.
Table-Talk
Anything you say, your character says. Very little retraction is allowed.
Your enemies are listening to what you say during battle.
If you listen carefully, you can hear what they are saying.
PVP
Attacking or betraying another character requires the prior permission of every person at the table.
Missing Players
If a player is not present then their character takes no action during the session. It is assumed that they are present but in the background or off-screen.
None of their abilities or gear are available for the session, with the exception of plot-important items (letters, maps, keys, etc).
They suffer no consequences from the session, unless the consequences apply to the entire party. For example, if the entire group gets captured then missing characters also get captured. But if the party is fighting rust monsters then none of the missing character’s gear is destroyed.
