Neo-GENIS House Rules

The Purpose of Neo-Genis is to create a space for players to invest in a world in an engaging and interesting way, creating connections and relationships for their Players to explore while also adding a means for them to explore and build the world around them. This group is somewhat different from the main play group, as such the main playgroup rules have been crossed out for quick comparisons.

Contractor Creation Rules

• Contractors Players may take no more than 21 points of Assets or Liabilities (Absolute Value) Going over this limit requires Endorsed GM approval. 
• Contractors cannot be direct ripoffs of pop-culture concepts, to the point that NPCs in-game would notice the similarity. For example: you may play a heroic strong-man, but not Superman. A famous weapons developer, but not Iron Man. Given the virtual nature of the game world and the use of avatars when you go into it you are allowed to play whatever you want, either reference to media, pop-culture, etc.

• Contractors may not start out as a concept that is likely to disrupt Contracts (e.g. being a walking, talking fox, being as notorious as Osama bin Laden, having a bomb in their chest that detonates when they die, etc). Given the virtual nature of the game and that most players can create whatever persons they want to be, most designs are okay to do so long as it's not blatantly offensive, ie: Pornographic in nature, religious, idolizing terrorists, etc.

• Contractors are mundane people who would see their ambitions through regardless of access to powers. That is why a Harbinger offers Gifts, and why they are willing to risk their lives for the power to make their dreams come true. Your Ambition must be a core driver to your character's actions, like a personality of sorts that helps them focus on the world itself, it is a large point of tension for their story, and is likely to get them into trouble. Craft your Ambition carefully and be open to suggestions and changes from Playgroup Leaders in order to nail it. You play the game to have fun, fight alongside your friends, and explore new worlds, your goals could simply be to enjoy and play the game or just to build your own guild. Maybe you'd like to become strong enough to become a villain in the game, fight players and take over land, or program in your own section of the game, your choices and ambitions are all up to you.

• • Keep in mind, however, that Ambitions can (and will) change over time as your Contractor Player develops. It's simply part of character development! No matter what, Ambitions are why a Contractor Player risks their life continuing to participate in Contracts. dose what they do.

• New Contractors must be submitted for approval in The Contract Discord server, channel #maelstrom-approvals, before their first game. 
  
  • Interacting with Loose Ends, Conditions, and/or Circumstances requires Moves between games to be cleared. This connects your contractor with the world in some tangible way. 

Contractor Player Limits

• In order to facilitate more focused character concepts, Maelstrom has a hard limit on the number of Newbies and Novices that a Player can keep active. Any character housed in the Playgroup is considered active. Remove them from the Playgroup if they are no longer in-play. Moving Contractors back into the Playgroup requires Leader Approval. Maelstrom is not a parking lot, please do not treat it as such. At Maximum, a Player can only have 2 Newbies and 3 Novices active in Maelstrom at once.  Make however many characters you'd like, but don't expect all of them to get a lot of play depending on game availability.

Developing Background

• At the end of every Newbie and Novice game, Players will be assigned a question or two about their Contractor's Players background that they must answer before they participate in their next game. These answers will be stored in the Biography section, and will often be relevant to their current situation in-game. Use this creative freedom responsibly. Additionally, these background choices should be done in a roleplay sense, your character is separate from you since you are playing a game, as such think about them from that character's point of view.

Power Creation Rules

• Flavorful Powers: Manifested Gifts must be in-line with Character Concepts and require World Leader approval. Powers in the Health category are most likely to be watched. This encourages networking between other Contractors Players and NPCs when healing and curing is required.
• Logical Flavor: Players must be able to explain how and why their power works in a given situation, otherwise GMs have license to cause them to fail. For example, a Blast flavored as a ball of fire might not work underwater. But at the same time, that same Blast power might do extra damage to enemies vulnerable to fire. GMs always have final say, but must remember to make Powers feel powerful. 

Citizenship

• Active Players are expected to GM Contracts from time to time. If you have played as a Contractor in your most recent six Maelstrom Contracts, you are barred from playing in Maelstrom again until you GM a Contract yourself, unless you are attending the game of a GM who is fulfilling Citizenship Requirement themselves. This rule is temporarily null for the time being.

Loose Ends in Neo-Genis

• Treacherous Loose Ends: A Contractor who waits for a Loose End's threat to manifest without taking any precautions against it during their Downtimes will see the threat revealing itself at the worst possible moment during downtime. Ask Approved GMs and Playgroup Leaders for Moves to help control Loose Ends before they control you.
• Neutral/Unknown Loose Ends: Some Loose Ends are Unknown, meaning that they give the *Player* a hint of moving parts behind the scenes, but not necessarily the *Character*. A Neutral Loose End usually means that the dangers or benefits of the Loose End are obscured or up to the Character's actions once it manifests. Neutral Loose Ends also may or may not be known to the Contractor.
• Investments: Some Loose Ends bestow benefits at the end of their clock. Investments are usually rewards for Moves and Hustles, but might come from other sources as well. Ask Approved GMs and Playgroup Leaders for Moves to further your Contractor's goals.

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Notes on GMing in Neo-Genis

All members are encouraged to GM and run Moves, and no approval is required. Custom Scenarios likewise do not require pre-approval. 

By default, you cannot run Games or Moves for a tier that you have not played in yourself. For example, if you would like to run a Novice game, but have never played a Novice game, you must wait until you have had some experience in Novice as a Player.

Use GM Notes! This is a place to provide more detail about Circumstances, Conditions, and Loose Ends as well as important developments behind the scenes. Good GM notes makes it easier to run relevant Contracts games and Moves for characters.

Keep intros concise during game time. If you want to run more extensive introductions, try to do it before playtime. Players, in general, should not need to be wheeled-and-dealed to agree to a Contract game. A simple Letter sent to them should suffice.

World Leaders are there to help. Spoil them on Scenarios, get feedback, ask them questions. 

In general, Contracts games and Moves are subject to an "Exposure" criteria, especially when it comes to posted World Events. Contractors players in higher Gift ranges have more freedom to affect the playgroup as a whole. At Newbie/Novice, however, the outcomes games will not ever have an international reach. Though Contractors players might remember terrible things happening during their Contract game, World Events might be scaled back due to meddling from The Powers That Be.

Don't take it personally if your World Event gets edited by a Playgroup Leader. It's part of the game and our efforts to keep a consistent tone within the Playgroup.

GMs are encouraged to build interesting, consistent locations for Contractors players to explore through Contracts games and Moves. Talk to a Playgroup Leader about location development, they are happy to delegate the development of content.