Any group activity will require the members thereof to agree to abide by a certain set of social rules in order to ensure that everyone gets along in the end. Gaming is no different from anything else in this regard, and you should take care to ensure that players interact with one another with adequate respect and courtesy. Over time, you will find that you have to extend normal social courtesies to cover situations that do not normally pop up in the real world. No one list of rules will apply equally to every group and every game, however the ones listed here may be useful as a starting guide for your group.
Example Game Table Guidelines
Talking at the table should be in character, to another player and related to current game events, or directly to the DM. You should not be cracking jokes,' talking to people not involved in the game, or carrying on non-game conversations with other players. This is highly distracting and makes it difficult for other players to hear.
Do not criticize the actions of another player. If you believe that someone is doing something stupid, chances are you should keep that opinion to yourself. There are respectful ways of questioning a character's action in character. If you cannot be respectful, or your character would not try to advise the other character, be quiet.
It is always a good idea to ask the DM if it is an appropriate time to leave the table when you need to step away. This helps avoid table hang-ups when a character is suddenly absent at inopportune times.
Do not correct the DM unless your correction will benefit the player. Do not mention judgement errors that do not affect the outcome, or that are in the player's benefit. Some mistakes may even be intentional: the DM reserves the right to make world specific adjustments.
Try to have your action ready by the time the DM gets to your turn in combat. This helps keep things moving and keeps people from getting bored. Try to have any applicable rules text ready if your action uses a new ability or is mechanically complicated.
Remember why we are here. Nobody comes to the gaming table to be miserable. They come to have fun. Nothing at the table is important enough to get upset or argue over. As soon as we start doing that, we have missed the whole point of coming to the table.
Do not interrupt another player's interaction with the DM. Raise your hand and wait for acknowledgement from the DM. He will get to you in turn. Players wait patiently for their turn with the DM, and it is rude to steal that time away from them.
Try to work together. It can be tempting to play a character that does not get along with others. These “lone wolf” type characters are often the hero of our favorite books, and we want to have the opportunity to play characters with similar traits. This can become a real problem in games however, as your caustic personality causes rifts in the game and arguments erupt. Playing a character that is socially awkward or who is standoffish is fine, but playing one who is uncooperative or who disrupts every well-intentioned plan the party has is not. The DM will not defend your character's right to be disruptive.
Play your character, not theirs. Do not under any circumstances tell another player what he should do with his character, or tell the DM what another player's character does. This is not your place.
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