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Preamble/Disclaimer: Theatre of Darkness, White Wolf, and WVU are not responsible for any injuries, mental or social trauma received at, or on the way to, or from our weekly game. We are exempt from any lawsuits that may arise over interpretations of actions of game. We are not accountable for the various actions of our players, storytellers, or bystanders, each individual is responsible for their actions ONLY! Remember, IT IS JUST A GAME. Participaiton in our game denotes that you accept these terms and conditions.
I. Offices
Main Storyteller: Main purpose of this position is rule arbitration. Has final say on interpretation of rules. In charge of establishing the overall theme and mood of the on going chronicle. Must oversee and guide the distribution and acquisition of experience, and has final say on experience nominations. His duties also include the maintaining of discipline and fair play (meta-gaming, twinking, and min maxing) (See below for disciplinary actions). Main Storyteller has the power to call for a no-confidence vote in any position defined below. In such a case, players may vote out said individual by a majority vote. The time and date of the vote must be pre-determined and the players and position holder given one week notification.
Venue Storyteller: Main purpose is the creation of plot and overseeing of the creation of new characters. Is in charge of approval of rare/unique characters, specific backgrounds, and paths. Duties also include running combat scenes and playing/creating NPCs for their specific venue. Oversees the creation or purchasing of specific items and weaponry. A venue storyteller shall be selected to substitute for the main storyteller in his/her absence. Venue Storytellers have the ability to call for a no confidence vote in the main storyteller, see the main storyteller description for the method. All other duties/powers specifically needed to maintain the integrity of the venue and the continuity of the storyline are given to the venue storyteller unless otherwise stated in another office description.
Venue Narrator: The main purpose of a venue narrator is to assist the venue storyteller with the responsibilities of his or her position. A narrator can substitute for the venue storyteller in case of absence. Narrators also assist new players in the learning and adherence to the rules of the game. Narrators may: run predetermined scenes, initiate spontaneous minor encounters for enjoyment of game play, assist venue storyteller by running necessary minor scenes (ex: feeding scenes).
Influence Narrator: Main purpose of this office is the monitoring and tracking of influences and their use. This narrator will work in concert with the Main Storyteller and Venue Storyteller to maintain a record of influence use and their purchase. Influence Narrator reports to the Venue Storyteller(s) the influence actions of the players. The INFLUENCE NARRATOR decides whether or not an influence action takes effect. The influence narrator should consult with all storytellers to ensure that influence actions results match with current plot movement and trend.
Storyteller/Narrator Council: This council includes the Main Storyteller, all Venue Storytellers, and all Narrators. This council does not include the Webmaster or Bitch-To-People.
Webmaster: Is responsible for updating and maintaining of the web-page. Monitors web-page for metagaming, and other forms of gaming abuse. This position is appointed by the Main Storyteller, and must be approved by a majority vote of the Narrator Council.
Bitch-to-people: To hear complaints and compliments of the players towards specific positions or events. Players should approach bitch-to-people before thy go to the Main Storyteller or Venue Storyteller(s) with complaints. Bitch-to-people MUST take these complaints to the appropriate storyteller and notify them of the situation. Bitch-to-people must maintain the confidence of the individual that registered the complaint if desired. This position will be appointed by the Main Storyteller, and must be approved by a majority vote of the Narrator Council.
II. Terms of Office
Voting for all positions shall be on the first game of October, and the terms shall be one year. All candidates for Storyteller positions must be at least 18 years of age. People under 18 may be considered for a Narrator position. In order to hold office, the candidate must me a member of T.O.D.
III. Member Requirements
In order to be able to vote you must satisfy the following conditions:
1. An active player in TOD for at least three months.
A. Active shall be defined as attending at least two games per month for a three month period.
2. Until an individual becomes a member they will be considered a visitor, which has all other rights except the right to vote or hold office.
3. In order to become a member the individual must maintain a good standing with no disciplinary problems. Examples of some discipline problems are, but not limited to: Metagaming and/or cheating.
4. Member status can be removed by a unanimous vote of the Storyteller/Narrator Council. The member in question has the right to appear before the council to state their case before the vote is taken. Reasonable effort must be made to notify the member of the vote. There will be a one week waiting period before the vote is taken.
5. After achieving member status, you must attend one game every two months to maintain your member status.
6. Storyteller/Narrator Council can maintain or rescind membership on those that are unable to meet the above attendance requirements if necessary by a simple majority vote.
IV. Voting Requirements
1. In order to vote you must be a member.
2. All votes for positions of office, venue addition/subtraction, and disciplinary action must be confidential.
3. Absentee votes must be given to main storyteller or venue storyteller before the vote, and storytellers must be notified in advance of an individual wishing to cast an absentee vote.
V. Adding or Subtracting a Venue
In order to add or subtract a venue from the T.O.D. game a vote can be called for by any voting member of the game with at least one storyteller backing. A majority must be reached in order to add or subtract the venue. The players must be given two weeks to decide how to vote, and the time and date of vote should be made as convenient as possible. If a vote to add or subtract fails for a specific venue then there is a two-month waiting period before that venue can be voted on again. If a new venue is added then there is a three-month probationary period in which the new venue is tested. At the end of this period the current storytellers and narrators decide whether or not the new venue is feasible within the current gaming structure; they decide this by vote, majority wins. Probationary storyteller and narrator does not have a vote. Subtracting an existing venue has the following guidelines. If a majority is reached to subtract a venue, then the storytellers and narrators must met privately and discuss what is best for the game. IF it is best to subtract the said venue, then the main storyteller calls for a vote of the storyteller council, and a majority wins.
VI. Amendments to the Constitution
The storytellers and narrators shall construct future amendments to the constitution. Any amendment must be approved by a majority vote of the members. Votes for amendments must be given at least one week notice.
VII. Disciplinary Actions
1. These actions may be taken by the Main Storyteller and Venue Storytellers, and Venue Narrators.
A. A warning for various offenses, players allowed one warning per night.
2. These actions may be taken by the Main Storyteller and Venue Storytellers.
A. A timeout, consisting of either a 15 minute, 30 minute, or 1 hour increments in which the player in question is not allowed to play or interact with game play.
B. Suspension from game play for the night.
3. These actions may be taken by the Main Storyteller only.
A. Suspension from game play for a month.
1. Any suspension longer than a month requires a vote of players.
B. A call for a vote to ban the offending person from the game for a determined amount of time, or permanently.
VIII. The Players Bill of Rights
1. Entitled to have a narrator/storyteller at any scene.
2. You are entitled to request a character sheet be audited by a storyteller if you have justifiable (in the opinion of the storyteller) reason to believe they are cheating.
3. You are entitled to have questions of meta-gaming investigated.
4. You have the right to vote (if a member) on any new rules and/or changes to this constitution.
5. You have the right to have a scene stopped if it makes you uncomfortable.
6. A right to petition for a rule call by the Storyteller council (Main storyteller, and venue storytellers).
7. You have the right to address the game as a whole (after you have received the HSTs permission) before the game starts.
8. You have the right to participate in a game that does not involve favoritism, and where all rules are applied fairly and equally to all players and Storytellers.
9. When a player is suspended for any amount of time, they have the right to address the venue storytellers and the main storyteller in private.
10. When a vote for a ban or suspension has been called, the player shall have the right to address the game as a whole. And the players of the game as a whole shall have the right to respond to the player. During this time, order WILL be maintained, if necessary by enforcing Robert’s Rules of Order.
IX. By Laws
These are the following by-laws of Theatre of Darkness, they are not debatable.
1. No touching. Players may touch other players ONLY after they have gotten their permission to do so. Guidelines: Do not be stupid, handshakes are one things, grab ass is another.
2. No Stunts.
3. No weapons/Props of a dangerous nature.
4. No Drugs or Drinking.
5. IT IS ONLY A GAME.
Remember not to take all of this too seriously, if we feel that you are going over board with your character or the events of the evening we will tell you to go home, period, no discussion.
6. Be respectful of others.
X. House Rules
The storytellers and narrators decide house rules. Players can suggest possible house rules for discussion to the people in these positions.
Distinctions: A permanent house rule is one that has either been play-tested or decided upon by main storyteller. A house rule that is denoted as “play-testing” is currently under review and subject to revision or removal at the end of a gaming session.
General House Rules
1. Experience Caps: The numbers represent how much experience a player may have in a single character before he/she becomes limited by the various caps. 0-100 exp, possible 8 a month. 101-200 exp, possible 6 a month. 201- exp, possible 4 a month.
2. Banking: A player may choose to bank experience at the end of a gaming session. Once experience is banked it may not be used again until the player chooses to make a NEW character. When the player creates a new character, he/she may use banked exp as though it was earned (important note: banked exp does not count as Freebies). Players still have to obey all new character requirements with banked exp. There is no limit to the amount of exp that may be banked, however a player may only take 20 exp out of his/her bank at a time. If a player wishes to permanently retire a character, then they can receive banked exp. The player receives 1 banked exp for every 5 earned within the character. A player must have at least 50 earned exp in a character to do this, and the max they can receive for the retirement is 20. Banked exp is not factored into a character when retired, so if a character has earned 39 exp in a character and has 12 banked exp in it as well, that character would not be able to be retired and receive banked exp.
3. The Inigo Montoya Clause: No player may play two or more character related to, allied with, or otherwise possessing knowledge of each other at creation. This clause is intended to cut down on players sharing knowledge from character to character, and is also meant to prevent players from bringing in characters whose goals are to avenge their last character's death. ("You keeled my father! Prepare to die!") Note that characters may eventually gain knowledge of each other, but players should never be allowed to turn their multiple characters into a tag team, for example using a Child of Osiris character to remove another of their character's beast traits.
4. Influences: No character or player in TOD may ever have an influence that numbers over five in one category. Influences may be spent to achieve the level of action/result that is listed in LON (Laws of the Night, Laws of Ascension). Or the player can choose to spend influences to block or trace influences of another character. Influences block at a one to one basis. In order to trace influences the player must have equal to the specific influence that was used by the opposing player and this costs one level.
5. Sacrificing Humanity/Path Traits: A NEW character may sacrifice one path or Humanity trait for 2pts. These points do not count as negative traits, bringing the total amount allowed at character to 19. 5 Freebies, 5 Negative traits, 7 Flaws, 2 Path/Humanity trait= 19pts.
6. Character Adjustments: A Player has the option to change his/her character after their first gaming session with that new character. This may be done only after that first session with the new character, the player must get the changes approved by the VST and should provide a new character sheet for the HST by the beginning of the next game. If the player does not get approval, or does not provide a new character by the beginning of their next gaming session then the changes are invalid, and the old character sheet stands.
7. Priviledges of Membership: Only members are allowed to play rare and uniques from the selection list.
8. Eligibility of HST: In order to hold any office in TOD, the individual nominated must be a member. The HST can not be a HST of another game. If the HST is elected to the head position of another game he/she must either choose to turn down that position or resign their position as HST in TOD. If a member is already a HST of another game then they are not eligible to run for the HST position.