Storytelling

Players are strongly encouraged to run their own scenes and story-lines. Generally speaking, you do not need permission to do this, regardless of the length of the SL. However, if you intend to run something that has a moderate risk of involving outside parties, then you will need to discuss it first with the Admin. Included in this would be changes to the major landscape of the city, things that affect system NPCs, anything that occurs where PCs live or congregate (especially the chantry,) and just in general roping people who are otherwise not involved into having to participate.

Special Cases: Touching on the following topics do require checking with the Admin first:

• The Technocracy
• The Sphinx
• Anything involving crossover with other game systems

ST Guidelines

• Warn people in advance if they can expect a high degree of risk.

• Check with everyone ahead of time to make sure you understand what players are and are not comfortable with.

• Remember to be adaptable (see below.)

• If a scene is going badly due to poor planning, mistakes or mismanagement, try to find ways to correct the imbalance so that players don't feel like they got railroaded into an unpleasant experience. Characters can and do die (as they should, since risk is part of what makes the game fun and realistic,) but no one likes to lose a character because of ST carelessness.

• Sometimes characters will take a scene or story in a direction you hadn't expected.  This is generally a good thing, so try to be open and flexible.  If you have to limit options for the sake of time or sanity, or if the players are trying to do something you don't have approval for, that's fine.  Do what you have to do.  Your OWN enjoyment is just as important as the enjoyment of your players.  But don't dismiss new ideas outright or try to force characters into a pre-established role.

• Do not under any circumstances use an ST scene as a way to kill or abuse characters that you don't like.  Again, death and unpleasant events are part of the game, but what I'm talking about here involves ulterior motives and pre-meditation.  That kind of behavior is against the Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action.

The Golden Rule

STs are the final arbiters of rulings and system mechanics within their scenes.  If the ST wants to ignore certain casting rules, they are free to do so (within reasonable limitations of the reality of the Mage universe.)  If they want to forgo dice altogether, that's totally their choice.  Basically, what they say goes.