Games Masters of Parhelion
Games Mastering is a difficult job and one that we are overjoyed that you're considering helping with. Still, it can be a very satisfying, fun activity, creating a story and walking a group of chaos goblins through it without going insane.
While most roleplay is run as play by post quests, there are also voice quests and short PBP roleplay encounters in non-quest roleplay areas. The player base has a wide range of interests in quest focuses including quick combat slogs, long explorations and travel adventures over land, sea, and void, mystery and intrigue games, socal and skill-based quests, dungeon crawls and the occasional horror - there really is room for all types of story focuses for GMs to run.
Expectations for Games Masters
There are a few things we expect from our GMs, although we try to give you as much freedom as we can manage to run the games you want.
We require a GM to run at least one game or social interaction every month. These don't have to be big, epic quests or the like, and can be as simple as running a tea party in one of the roleplay channels. If you are unable to run for a month, please do contact us. If you cannot run and do not inform us, you will be removed as a GM, but can return at any time as a Trial GM.
While we encourage creativity and allow custom/homebrew for our GMs, we require GMs to run games fairly, without blatant favouritism or bias. Challenges should be beatable or avoidable. This does not mean players need to be coddled from the consequences of their actions - it simply means you shouldn't drop a tarrasque on a level 3 party and say 'Go for it'. If they insult the guards and kick a puppy they're likely to be hurt.
GMs must keep content within the BBFC 15/PEGI 16 content limit of the server and when advertising a game should make sure to warn players of any themes or difficult, sensitive content so players can make an active, informed choice when signing up.
We expect players to be rewarded fairly. As a very loose rule of thumb, a quest should reward around 1/4 of Wealth by Level per player, although shorter games or games where the rewards are lost may reward less, and exceptionally long or difficult games may reward more. If we are told you are constantly over or under-rewarding we may ask for a 'why'. GMs are allowed to vary the amount of reward due to actions within the quest and amount of participation. As a note, item quests can see a character aquire an item worth 50% of there WBL.
All items and experience, along with the character's name, and the player's username using the tag function for the player's username so it auto-updates and a short summary of the events of your quest needs to be added as a GM Summary in the correct channel. Please do try to include as much detail as you can in your summary, especially for voice games where we don't have a written record, as it will go on the Timeline of Parhelion. When you finish a quest in a void area, close the quest with a line like this: ------------------------ to show the game is complete and the channel is available. Closing a quest and logging are required for a game to count as done for the monthly running requirement. When running for a Guild quest, please mark it as a 'Guild Quest to enable us to track Guild requirements.
In line with the server rules to not have any political or real-world religious content, please do not include any in your games. Yes, a fun game themed after a real-life holiday or celebration probably does not harm, but we prefer to nip this in the bud. No raiding Santa's grotto.
Games should be completed in a timely manner. A typical game should run anywhere from a day to a week - if a game takes much more than two weeks we may have to ask you to hurry things along or wrap up earlier than intended.
As a GM, you have final say in your quest as long as no server rules are violated, including server canon. If arbitration is required, tag or contact a member of Staff not in the quest. Rulings on quest are not universal across the server. If you need assistance or just want a gut check on a situation, feel free to ask in gm-assistance.
Equally, we have a few things we do
not expect:
GMs are not required to run or take any player or character they don't wish to. There does not need to be a reason or excuse provided to the player, although a staff member may inquire. Because we're nosy.
GMs are not required to continue running for any player or character that causes issues within a quest. If you need assistance with a player or to discuss an issue around a player, tag staff within gm-assistance with details and link to the game in question.
GMs are not required to give out mechanical information on enemies or any other similar behind the scenes information. If a player demands this and thinks it is unfair, point them to the feedback section to contact staff.
We do not expect GMs to put their games before their real lives. If you need a break while running a session, have an emergency and need to stop short, or anything else, just keep us informed. We are (probably, mostly) human.
Do not run more than two games or events at anyone time. We value our GMs time and sanity, and running too much is not something we expect or want.
Limitations of Trial Game Masters
Trial GM is where all our GMs start out. After you have run three games with members of staff on them you can be voted into a full GM roll. Until that time, your games will be more closely monitored, and - alongside following the limitation for full game maters - you should run by staff anything that could have an impact on the setting.
Limitations of Full Game Masters
Full GMs have a few less limits than trial GMs, having proven to be sensible and trustworthy enough to be given more freedom. There are still some limitations and things that need to be run by staff and other GMs first:
You are free to create islands in the Outer Ring you intend to break. If you run a game where significant damage seems likely to the Inner Ring are then please get in touch with the admins, so we can work with you to prevent it or to fit the current metaplot.
Please run potentially long-term issues, such as the release of a plague, by us and when doing something new with established setting groups and places, please discuss in gm general to ensure there isn't a conflict with other storylines and established lore. Remember that as a living world GM, your games aren't isolated into a bubble - they impact the characters, building their and others' knowledge and lore around the setting.
Please do not run any events that will destroy a significant population centre such as a town, city or island. Equally, do not introduce creatures with the potential to do so if left unchecked.
Deities and deific beings are not currently active in Parhelion, at least not directly. Please do not have any activities from deities, their avatars or their heralds.
Please limit the use of Proteans as much as possible, for storyline reasons even though we're part of the Maelstrom they are unable to full access or remain in the Parhelion for long. Also limit and inform staff of incursions or other breaches of the void in or out as for storyline reasons, certain groups are monitoring these types of events.
Please feel free to use NPCs listed on the World Anvil in your games, but do not maim, kill or destroy ones that are not your own.
Full GMs are allowed to make custom items to reward characters. These items should not be unbalanced or exceptionally powerful and must be character-locked to the player that they're awarded to.
Immutable Law of the Void: Once in this part of the void, no one cannot leave permanently without great effort. No single spell is powerful enough to defy the Void's pull, no item strong enough. Currently there is no known way, and the rumours regarding it suggests the method of leaving is unique to the person. Even the body, undead created from the body, or dust the body is reduced to are dragged back in no more than a month.
Immutable Law of the Void: The more someone leaves, the faster they are returned to the Void. There was once a proud wizard who simply Plane Shifted home each time he was drawn in. His time home started as weeks, then days, then hours. Then minutes. Then seconds. Only when he had remained in the Void for a year and more was he allowed to leave for longer.
Immutable Law of the Void: The Void can only be safely travelled with a void shield or void suit. Spells may make it so someone does not instantly melt, but will not negate the damage entirely. As the source of this danger is currently unknown, it cannot be negated.
Immutable Law of the Void: Technology is corroded by the Void. Anything more advanced than Steam Powered is destroyed within a month. Magical alternatives are being researched but are rare, unusual and not in common circulation.
Immutable Law of the Void: No one has ever entered the Lighthouse at the heart of the Void. It can be approached, but there is no known way to enter it. No one who has attempted to damage the tower for entry has ever returned, so no one knows exactly what happens when it's done.
So far, this is the only known exception to the above
Immutable Laws of the Void:.
If an island vanishes it takes its population with it. This is quite prevalent in the Outer Ring, but is generally not seen as a way to escape. Such populations are either unchanged when the island returns...or completely different. Or simply gone. An island leaving seems to rarely return to where it originally came from.
Setting up a Session
For guidance setting up a game, there is a pinned post in
#session-board this has instructions for creating a board posting, and you can use
this link. The post should contain:
A brief description including location (a particular island, train).
Whether PBP, voice, Roll20, or other roleplaying type
What level range are allowed to sign up
Any other relevant info that you feel should be there including optional rules, any potential alignment issues or difficult content.
An Overview of Parhelion
To try and keep everyone more or less on the same page, here is a quick summary of the setting and its location. This will be expanded as more lore and islands become 'stable'.
The Void is a dangerous, mysterious area located somewhere within the Maelstrom. Despite this, the islands each count as though they are part of their own Planes - for most this is the Material Plane, although some, like Senka, count as another area. The Void is lethal to most life, and Void Shields are required for safe travel. Void Trains run through it on tracks that mysteriously appear. The Void is centred on a gigantic, mysterious Lighthouse that no one has, so far, been able to enter.
The Inner Ring is the series of islands closest to the Lighthouse at the centre and has a solid interconnecting web of train tracks and other transport, such as Oma Carriages and Void-Shield Equipped Airships.
The Outer Ring is a more chaotic, uncontrolled area. The islands there vanish and arrive seemingly at random, and the Void Train links are chaotic when they exist at all. We recommend this area for when you wish to make something strange, unusual or that you want to blow up at the end, or if you have a strong theme in mind one of the Inner Ring areas doesn't cover. Want a Roman-themed Gladitorial battle? This is the place.
The Comenzar Peninsular is directly connected to Olympia Station, where most of the new arrivals to Parhelion show up. It is a rugged, open land with a frontier, Wild West feel to it, making it ideal for long travel games, cowboy-themed ones, and exploration.
New Avalon is a loosely Victorian setting, with Kaer Llundain being a heavily urbanised area. It also has a high number of lurking abberations, and as such is a good area for political intrigue, strange monster-based murder an tea. Message admin jongarret to find out more.
The Oblivate Empire is a coalition of three islands that function as one and has a militaristic bent towards the other islands. The islands have a strong blending of magic and technology, making it an excellent setting for games to face off against authority, strange magitek experiments and urban based games. Message Opinicus for more information.
Savrud is an island that offers a massive jungle filled with fauna and flora of gigantic proportions, icy peaks hiding unseen creatures and areas, and a kingdom ruled by a race of magical moving armor people. Get in touch with Drykos for more details.
Senka is an island from the Shadow Plane initially. On Senka proper the only currently accessible area is the Kolenke Exchange Hall, a great place for merchant-based quests or intruige, and investigations on how to enter Senka proper are possible. It's 'moons' are other lumps of the shadow plane, younger than the pre-Zon Kuthon Senka, and suited to a more traditional Shadow Plane adventure. Contact dmatriarchdahdehdeedohdoodeedooo for more information.
Viva Vanam is a fantasitcal place, full of casino-esque entertainment and exotic animals. Vegas-like gambling quests, heists and unusual animal quests would be a great fit for the area. If you wish to know more talk with zak1932.
Zoge is a Asian-themed island with a strong bent towards science and magic. It is a perfect place for magitek, strange science and samurais. For more information on the area talk to bhgozzy.
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