NERO LARP Staff and Volunteer
Guidelines
In support
of our Mission Statement, the
following policies define the manner in which those providing the entertainment
at NERO events, the Staff and Volunteers who play Non Player Characters (NPC's),
are to conduct themselves.
If you have
any problems with anyone, at any time, contact a Staff member of the local
chapter immediately and they will address the issues. If Staff does not satisfy
your dilemma, contact the General Manager of the Chapter. Finally, contact
Joseph Valenti, the president of NERO ®, if your situation has not been
addressed.
1. Report to
the Monster Marshal
There is
usually at least one Staff member in Monster Camp to keep the Monster Camp and
NPC's Organized. He/she is called the Monster Marshal and usually runs Monster
Desk. This is the person to whom you should report for duty and who must be
informed when you retire for the night or leave site for any reason. NPC's who
fail to do this may not receive their XP blankets for the event.
2. Know the
NERO ® Rules
As an NPC it
is important that you understand the NERO ® Rules. If you aren't familiar with
the NERO ® Rules contact a staff member or the monster marshal and they'll
review the rules with you thoroughly.
3. Know the
NERO ® Staff
As an NPC it
is important for you to know whom the Staff members are. It is equally important
for our Staff to meet and know you. Some Chapters list their on their web site
while many place a list of their staff members on the wall at Logistics &
Monster Camp at each event or introduce their Staff members at opening and
closing ceremonies.
Staff and
Volunteers (NPC’s) are here to entertain the Event Players while enjoying
themselves. We are all NERO ® members and we all deserve to enjoy ourselves.
Staff and Volunteers (NPC’s) are not to oppress, abuse or bully the Event
Players, the Staff, or fellow Volunteers (NPC’s). The quickest way to loose your
membership is to be rude, obnoxious, oppressive, or disrespectful to another
NERO member.
5. Be Civil
It is
important that NERO ® NPC's act appropriately while NPC'ing. Always treat other
Members with respect and courtesy. If there is any dispute, remain calm, allow
the player leeway and bring the matter to the attention of a marshal as
appropriate.
6. Help Other
Players
The quickest
way to make friends in NERO ® is to help another person excel in a Skill that
you are advanced in. Do not belittle or make fun of another player’s actions. As
a NERO ® Member, when you notice another player having difficulty in a role-play
or combat situation, take the time to introduce yourself and offer them help in
mastering their skills.
7. Make
encounters fun
Try to
consider it your goal as Staff or Volunteer to challenge any particular player
at that player's skill level and make the encounter fun for them. This may mean
that there are times when you should play down your own better abilities. There
are also times when plot will require you to make an encounter hard regardless
of the consequences to the players. If you have any doubts of what should be
done, ask the plot people running the event or one of the responsible encounter
leaders.
8. Help keep
players calm
NERO is a
very high adrenaline game. On occasion the game becomes very stressful and the
players, both PC and NPC, become excited. This is our goal, to get the players
to 'be' their character, to 'live' the moment in our world. If a player gets so
excited that they begin to yell and scream out of game, it is up to the Staff,
and the NPC's to calm that person down and keep the game going. If we work
together we will have great game flow, and excellent role-play.
9. Be
trustworthy
Two of the
most important aspects of NPC'ing is Trust and Silence. The PC's trust the NPC's
to entertain them and to keep information attained about them a secret. It is
very important that staff and NPC's do not discuss anything about other players
with other NPC's or PC's and even more important to keep the information acquired
through NPC'ing out of game when you play your personal character. Never speak
out of game with other players concerning in-game topics.
10. Act
fairly and honestly
Never use out
of game knowledge to target a player. This includes looting them to take special
items that you know they possess through out of game knowledge, targeting them
for death or attack because you do not personally like them, or bringing an
encounter to them because there is good treasure on it and they are your friend.
Such things are unfair, hurt the game and constitute cheating.
11. Avoid
public arguments and control your temper
Do not argue
with anyone. NPC's should never raise their voice above conversation level when
discussing things with other players. Arguing with other players, NPC's or Staff
Members will detract from the game, the morale
of NERO ® members, and is
detrimental to the reputation of NERO ® NPC's and Staff. If you get into a
confrontation with an individual for any reason, politely ask their name,
introduce yourself and tell them you will go find a marshal and catch back up
with them afterward.
12. Carry
documentation
Volunteers (NPC’s)
should never enter game without proper documentation of their abilities and a
Volunteer (NPC) can never modify their documentation regardless of whether they
think it will be more challenging or fun for players. If a group of NPC's enter
game with a lead Volunteer it is acceptable for the lead Volunteer to have all
the documentation for the group. Some players may want to carry their own
documentation for reference.
13. Be
thorough in your documentation.
Always
document the specific spells
and equipment (gases included) you are carrying on an appropriate Skill Sheet,
with Tags, or on a piece of paper. Documenting spells and equipment willfc decrease or eliminate the perception that
NPC's
always conveniently have the counter spell or equipment for any PC action taken.
If using the Cast On The Fly (COTF) system please be sure that you are permitted
to cast all spells (i.e. - No Death Spells, Awaken, Dispel Magic, etc.) as many
chapters using COTF limit the spells usable by NPC’s.
14. Observe
the cabin rules.
NPC's who are
not designated search or steal active (written on NPC documentation) should
never enter a PC's Cabin to search. Furthermore, NPC's may not enter the cabin of
any PC and search through their belongings without a marshal present to observe
your actions. This is done to protect people's personal belongings and their
privacy, and protect you from possible legal implications. A marshal must be
present should there be any concern that out-of-game items were taken and/or the
proper rules were followed for taking in-game items.
15. Don't
make encounters more deadly then intended.
Death is part
of the game but it is not the mission of each and every NPC to deliver. If you
are not killing blow active, you must not take extraordinary measures to ensure
a player dies. This includes sending them into the woods as a raised undead
until their death count is over, Placing virtually untouchable and deadly NPC's
to guard over their body until they die and/or resurrect or Putting them in a
Circle of Power or Warded Building to ensure that they die. Deaths like this are
simply not cool or fun. Most PC's want to be afraid but want the chance to be
snatched from the jaws of death by heroic action, or ingenuity or at worst, to
die a glorious death worthy of telling. Giving people such chances makes the
game more fun and makes it seem fairer.
16. Observe
established controls on your power and motivations.
You may not
play a monster that has the ability to deliver killing blows or search and steal
from PC's without permission of the staff members running plot for the event. In
general, Killing Blow, Search and/or Steal active NPC's must be accompanied by a
responsible encounter leader. If you have any doubts about the monster you have
been handed to play, ask the proper staff member what you are and are not
permitted to do.
17. Manage
your treasure properly
In general
there is an established amount of treasure for particular monsters to carry.
When you leave monster camp, be sure you have enough treasure for each of your
lives/resets. In a hectic battle where you need to reset in a hurry, if no one
loots you do not drop the money on the ground unless instructed to by the
encounter leader (never at night)."
18. Never
steal treasure from Monster Camp
Never take
treasure from NPC camp to keep for your character. This is considered cheating
and when caught you will be banned from NPC'ing as well as suffer losses to your
character.
19. Help
preserve the in-game atmosphere.
We prefer
that you travel in-game anywhere and everywhere. At least grab a tabard and go
out as a farmer when going to the bathrooms, or walking to the tavern for some
food. If we all stay in-game, all the time, the atmosphere of the game will
always be in-game, and fewer people will interrupt with out of game statements.
If you have to go out of game, you must have a white headband on. Failure to
abide by this rule could result in your removal from the camp, perhaps an
extreme action, but worth it to keep our in-game atmosphere from being
destroyed.
a.
Replace the lids on make-up tubes and pancake containers. Every event there will
be some lids missing, some caps that have rolled off the table, or pancake
make-up that fell to the floor. These things contribute most to the use and loss
of our Make-up. If we are all careful with applying and removing make-up, we’ll
keep it in good condition and waste very little.
b.
Throw Garbage in the Trashcans. People often leave their trash on the table or
on the floor for other people to throw away. When you are finished with a
particular item and it becomes Trash, please place it in the Garbage Can.
c. In
Monster Camp - If you knock something over or drop something, pick it up. If
you see someone else knock something over, politely inform him or her that they
knocked it over and ask him or her to pick it up, and then go over and help them
to pick it up. During an opportune time, be sure to introduce yourself to the
other person with your name and asking his/hers. If we all work together,
Monster Camp can stay clean.
d.
Return Weapons, Costumes, Tabards, Masks, and other Props to the appropriate person or
place. Do NOT throw these things on the floor, on a table, lean them up against
the wall or toss them 'anywhere' you want. The quickest way to be BANNED from NPC'ing is to treat the Costumes, Masks, Weapons and other props with less than
appropriate care.
Thanks
everyone! Have a Great Game!
Joseph A. Valenti
President
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