Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Stonehell Dungeon Official In-Game T-Shirt Rules

This is so the game masters out there running Stonehell Dungeon have official “by the book” rules to point to if Mr. Rules Lawyer or his cousin Knuckleheaded Gamer Guy start being a problem.

Rule Number 1: It is the game master’s prerogative to allow or forbid the modifier granted by a Stonehell Dungeon “In-Game” T-shirt in his or her game session. If they say the shirt’s modifier doesn’t apply, it doesn’t apply. Stonehell Dungeon “In Game” T-shirts always grant their bonuses in any game run by me, Michael Curtis.

Rule Number 2: The player’s character gains the benefit of only one shirt at any given time. Shirts do not stack regardless of how many the player is wearing at the game table. Only the topmost shirt grants it bonus and the player is allowed to change shirts during a game session (but see Rule Number 3 below).

Rule Number 3: The shirt’s modifier must be plainly visible at all times to be claimed by the character. If someone standing behind the player cannot read the text on the back of the shirt, that player cannot apply the shirt’s benefit to their character. This means that “In-Game” shirts worn under other clothing do not grant a bonus; shirts obscured by the back of a chair or other situation where the player need only lean forward or to one side to reveal the game text still grant their bonus.

Rule Number 4: If your campaign allows for “shields to be splintered” to avoid damage, the Stonehell Fighters Tee can be used in lieu of a shield. To claim this benefit, the wearer must physically tear his or her shirt off in their best Hulk Hogan fashion and slam the strips of cloth triumphantly on the game table. All other players and/or bystanders must immediately give that player a standing ovation. The first person to send me a video of themselves or another player performing this action in actual play will receive a special Stonehell-related gift from me of my choosing.

Rule Number 5: The benefit of wearing a Stonehell Dungeon “In-Game” T-shirt is completely negated if the player is also wearing an “RPG guy hat.” “RPG guy hats” include, but are not limited to: fedoras, sombreros, fezzes, cat ears, Australian -outback style hats, surplus military hats, Viking helmets, and other headwear that no self-respecting person would wear, yet the player mistakenly believes makes them cool, quirky, or more stylish than everyone else. If there is any debate as to whether a hat qualifies as an “RPG guy hat,” a vote of all players present is taken and majority rules. The in-game modifier is only negated if the shirt owner insists on wearing his or her “RPG guy hat” at the table. I can’t stop you from wearing it to and from the game (as much as I wish I could).

Rule Number 6: If any other uncertainties or debates regarding the modifier granted by a Stonehell Dungeon “In-Game” T-shirt arise, see Rule Number 1. The game referee always has the final say and his or her decisions trump Rules Number 2-5.

1 comment:

Eric said...

Wouldn't it be simpler to make up a list of respectable hats, given that there are so few these days? Baseball cap, religious headwear, bandanna, what else?