What is the social contract at your table?
Is it unspoken or is it formal?
How do you enforce it?
The social contract from my CoC gaming group.
- We are playing in a public space, don't embaress the rest of us.
- We are playing in a pub, feel free to drink, but moderate your in take.
- Please don't smoke around the rest of us (A we are playing in an enclosed public space, it is illegal for you to do so, and B, it is common decency not to.
- The pub is Geek friendly, not only do we game here, but it is an Esports spectator venue. Don't bring in your own food or drink, they let us use the space for free on the understanding we buy food and drink.
-Take time to answer questions from the public, about what it is that we are doing.
- We have gathered to game, and to socialise. Lets not let either dominate the day.
- What we play is a group decision, no one is in charge of the group.
- The person running the game has put in effort to prepare something for you to enjoy, do them the service of playing by their rules, and within the spirit of the kind of game they are running.
- The players are trusting you to run a game they will enjoy, do your best to not abuse that trust. Show no favouritism, nor abuse your power to settle scores.
- When pitching a game. Be as honest as you can about the nature of the game your putting forwards. It is not always possible to be totally truthful in a game setup, but be as sure as you can that any lie you tell, will not upset the players.
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I suppose ours is unspoken and goes something like this:
We're all friends already, behave like friends.
I know that might sound like I'm trying to be smug or subvert Zombieneighbours' point but I'm not.
For instance, when I turn up with lots of stuff the players usually help me to set up. However, they don't help me to set up because 'I bought a lot of stuff and have taken time to prepare, therefore players should help me set up'.
They help me to set up because 'friends help each other'.
It just reminds me why I prefer gaming with friends. It isn't always better but it is easier.
We are friends. But we are friends who's core connection is gaming. We met through it, and our friendship developed from it.
The core reason many of the above are in there is that we want to remain friends.
Some however are in their because in the past, we have had players in the group who didn't follow them as a matter of course.
We changed venue relatively recently, in part because two players, no longer in the group, brought their own food and drinks into the pub we where playing at the time, and earned us a bad rep. I think it is maybe the only formal rule, spoken rule amongst them. Though I suspect if you asked any player in the group if one of those rules was an unspoken rule of the group, they would agree with it.
I also play with other friends, where their are no such rules in place(it is a different, harder edged friendship dynamic, the kind where we take the piss out of each other constantly), and while I like seeing them, the gaming itself can be a little nightmarish.
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Huh. I have no idea what our social contract would be. It's definitely unspoken.
Our group is composed of two experienced gamers- one of whom GMs- and two inexperienced gamers.
I suppose ours would be...
1. Show up on time (or cancel at least a day in advance, 3-4 is preferable)
2. Bring your own dice
3. If your character is using a spell or ability, you'd better have the appropriate book (though this doesn't actually come up often)
4. If you're going to eat, bring your own food. Sharing is appreciated but not required.
5. Above all, try not be a munchkin. Being a munchkin is a dirty, dirty thing.
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Our social contract is posted on our Obsidian Portal. I take no credit for it, I directly stole it from another poster on these boards. The funny thing about these "rules," and something I tell the players, is that besides rules 6 and 7, these rules are rules about social gaming in general, not just RPG games, and even 7 could be used for games completely unlike RPGs (like Monopoly or Yahtzee). This means, of course, like Geraint says, much of the social contract can be summed up by saying, act as a friend would act.
I've found it interesting that over the years I've seen, or heard of, more socially awkward moments in this hobby than a lot of others, like golf perhaps. Is it just RPGs that draw people who are less than adept at social situations?
Our contract (stolen) follows:
Rules of Gaming
I found these on one of the message-boards I frequent and decided to steal them and post them here. Please familiarize yourself with these rules. They’ll make all of our lives a lot easier, and make the game go a lot smoother. Which, hopefully, means that more fun will be had by all. And, after all, that is the first rule!
1) You are here to have fun.
This is really a no-brainer. Pathfinder and other RPG’s are made to be entertaining games. If you’re not being entertained, something is wrong… BUT REMEMBER:
2) You are here to help EVERYONE ELSE have fun, too.
This is really a corollary to rule 1, but it bears saying- this is not a solo experience. If something you’re doing is contributing to someone else’s unhappiness or giving them a negative experience, you need to figure out what it is and make adjustments accordingly. This is a game, but it is a group activity, not “The Me Show.” Directly tied in with this is the concept of playing a character who has a reason to adventure and a reason the other characters adventure with them. Don’t bring the Norgorber holy assassin character to the Party of Light trying to cleanse the Worldwound. Don’t bring the Judge Dredd Inquisitor to the party of pirates, cuthroats and scoundrels. Don’t bring the Lastwall crusader to the party of Apsis Consortium slavers. Be a team player, both in and out of character.
3) Stay engaged and interested, even when your character isn’t present.
Cheer at natural 20’s and high damage rolls. Groan in sympathy when someone fails a save. Look up rules for players when it’s not your turn. In other words: be an active contributor to the game, even when your character isn’t. This applies to all situations, combat and non. Stay interested and involved. Take notes, even if your character wouldn’t. Why? Because while I may enjoy the 20 int bard, I don’t have a perfect memory, and I surely appreciate it when someone can remind me of details my character wouldn’t have forgotten but I as a player have.
4) No texting, web surfing, or angry birds.
Really this should go without saying. RPG sessions are for playing RPG’s, not for fiddling with tablets, smartphones, and laptops. Don’t check your email or facebook during the GM’s narration. Don’t text when your spellcaster’s turn isn’t up. PLAY THE GAME you came to play, and save all the toys and distractions for later.
5) Mistakes happen. Accept them and move on.
This is a biggie. Players and GM alike WILL make mistakes. We all try to avoid them, but they happen. Don’t be resentful or irritable about it. Persistently making the same mistake might be cause for concern, but most of the time it is better to have a short (SHORT!) discussion about things, find a resolution, and agree to address the issue out of game for the next session. Even if you KNOW something is being handled incorrectly it is better to address it in a way that doesn’t torpedo the rest of the game night in a rules debate.
6) Spellcaster, Know Thy Spells!
This could be re-phrased as “PC, Know Thyself!” Know your character’s capabilities. Class features, feats, skills, magic items- there’s a lot to keep track of. Perhaps making some note-cards or putting sticky notes in your rulebooks would help. It is up to you to know and remember what your character can do or be willing and able to look up those rules. Nothing in my experience slows down a game more than someone constantly having to look up what Beast Shape 3 does or forgetting what a feat does… but keep in mind rule 5 as well. Human fallibility happens, and so you should brush off the occasional memory glitches and focus on the chronic amnesiacs in the group.
7) Accept the die roll and resist the temptation to “adjust”
It helps to have a clear understanding of how to handle dice. Some games have a “cock die” rule about dice that land oddly or are strangely balanced on objects on the game table. Some have rules about dice that fall off the table. Figure that out, and then accept whatever roll comes up. Yes, a natural 1 can be terrible sometimes… but it happens. It’s going to happen about 5% of the time, in fact. Don’t forget that natural 20’s happen about 5% of the time, too.
8) No Summoner Geeks at the table!
Or Monty Python and the Holy Grail, or… you get the idea. Different groups have different tolerances for this sort of thing, but generally keeping table talk about extraneous topics, even ones as amusing as Monty Python, to a minim is usually best. In my experience games take a long enough time to get underway that you don’t want to derail that process with idle banter. YMMV, and so long as your group agrees with, enjoys, and embraces that style of play I say, “lay on, MacDuff!”
Is the parchment magical or the ruby?
It's unspoken, but I should probably type it up, with the addition of "No 4chan or Imgur browsing and/or linking mid-session" to the normal series of expected rules/tolerances. Can't say off the top of my head what is and isn't in it, might get back to you later when I can sit down and think about it for a bit.
Don't be silly, magic doesn't exist.
How silly of me. I was under the assumption that completely ignoring the laws of physics, like fitting an eight foot parchment into a small gem (unless the ruby is over eight feet also, which I hadn't originally thought of) was reserved for divinity or sorcery.
Is rule 8 referring to Summoner the class, or a pop culture thing that I missed?
It's referring to the old video game Summoner. Which had a sort of cultish following.
Is rule 8 referring to Summoner the class, or a pop culture thing that I missed?
Shouldn't that be Dead Alewives geeks then?
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Our contract is unspoken as well, but it basically goes.
1. Don't break table flow. If you disagree with a ruling, talk to the GM on a break (we have a few smokers and they have to go outside, so these happen pretty regularly...) or after the game by e-mail.
2. Check in with the GM before the game if you have something odd you plan on doing in game so we don't have to stop the game to look up rules.
3. Pay attention and be ready on your turn.
4. Don't be a jerk. If you are a jerk, we may forget to tell you when the next game is.
5. If a certain GM has a bit too much to drink, we are going to get extra treasure!
5. If a certain GM has a bit too much to drink, we are going to get extra treasure!
Dang, I need to get this rule established at MY table.
5. If a certain GM has a bit too much to drink, we are going to get extra treasure!Dang, I need to get this rule established at MY table.
Our DM doesn't drink, but we'd like him to start.
I don't think we had any rules, but we used to play in public places, so it used to be "KEEP IT DOWN!" kind of thing. Now we are at some one's place and if we are loud at their place, the dogs start barking (probably 'KEEP IT DOWN' in dog speak)
Funny thing is, when we are at the other friends house who have birds, and we get loud, the birds start to make a racket.....hmmmm
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All of ours where un-written until the past session a few weeks ago. Do to frustration I put things into "LAW" so to speak. We game at my house and the group has been for 6+ years more off than on up to about 5 years ago when we changed many members.
There are 25 rules I set down some are not rules but suggestions.
- Reply to emails promptly. If you don't and it's consistent you don't you will not be around
- Drink in moderation (2 beers 1 wine/mead, 1 shot hard in 8 hour time)
- Do not interrupt the GM
- Keep none game talk to a minimum
- Create your own PC and update your own PC
- Hygiene is a must, if you smell like an orc or a troll you will not be allow to play in this group
- Pick up after yourself
- Don't wear dirty/muddy shoes into the house
- Chip in for the meal I cook and once in a while be willing to buy the main item which costs the most to make the meal
- Offer to help prepare the meal. I miss out when I am cooking it for the horde
- No non-game activities allowed at the table (Sewing, needlepoint, texting, app deving, etc)
- Don't be the center of the game always trying to be the star and in control
- Role play as best you can
- No violence (never had this) you will be expelled from the group
- No nagging (I can be bad about this because when I ask for something and someone does not give it, I hound them for it. Usually something out of game like character sheets, background)
- Don't be an annoying character all the time.
- Be there for you, not your Partner/Boyfriend/Girlfriend/spouse
- Let us know ASAP if you will not be there, especially if you are the GM
- Power gaming is frowned upon
- Do not always argue as PC or non-PC (partner rule thing)
Guess that is it.
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Hmmm...we actualy wrote these rules down, then we lost the paper we wrote them down when i moved, but they are remembered well:
- You are here to have fun and not to reduce other people's fun in the process
- You are here to spend a semi-significant amount of time with at least four other people. Be clean. If you stink, you will be shown the door, or the shower and be given clean clothes
- No alcohol at the table, beer is an exception, but only one 0,33 bottle per a 4 hour time segment
- No smoking at the table. We can make smoking breaks every three hours or so
- No cell phones, tablets or iCrap at the table. A basket will be provided near the table where all the electronic stuff you don't need for rules reference will go. It will be in easy reach if an emergency arises.
- You are here to spend time with us, your friends. Unless there is an emergency, leaving the table is frowned upon.
- No significant others who don't game at the table. I don't need another bored girlfriend rolling her eyes at us and sighing at you, getting angry for not paying attention to her (this applies to boyfriends as well)
- No friends who don't game at the table. If you wanna spend time with your friend, go grab a few beers at a bar.
- Food is either communally provided (snacks and soda), or cooked. Give some money if you can, actual, cooked food is not cheap. Also, it would be nice to keep the cook company while he/she works.
- If you're a klutz, keep your drink away from the table. We already lost a cherished 3.0 grid that has served us well for 10+ years.
- No kids. Get a nanny, if you can't afford one, we will chip in for her.
- No pets (unless really old or sick), i don't like chewed on miniatures
I thing there were more, but it gets fuzzy...
EDIT oh, just remembered
- A date and time is agreed upon during the previous session. If for whatever reason you can't make it, it is polite that you announce it at least 2 days before the session. Not coming to the session and not informing us about it gets you thrown out of the group.
I'm here to roleplay, not to agree to or sign contracts.
I've heard some real lawfuls talk about requirements and behaviour rules and you can't do this or that. That is nice, I am just here to game or run a game. You will get my undivided attention and prep before game, so let's get to it.
It is like pvp, some people say it is outlawed, but if there is a good in-game reason to get in on some pvp, why can't I use the freedom I supposedly have to say "yeah my guy hits your idiot crazy bast*** with a sword. Eat steel and die."
I do really hate mobile calls during a game, pretty sure everyone does that isn't picking up the phone. On tech and its damage to the hobby, for another group that was heavy into laptop usage I did pressure the dm into stopping these f~&+ers from browsing facebook or playing other games during a session. It slowed everything, they didn't know what was happening, they weren't in the game, and it meant my character was soloing too much of the adventure.
Alas the dm didn't have the cohones to tell them to "stop that s!$*!"
We don't need rules, we need:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmJTcyqiZ44
Hmmm...we actualy wrote these rules down, then we lost the paper we wrote them down when i moved, but they are remembered well:
- You are here to have fun and not to reduce other people's fun in the process
- You are here to spend a semi-significant amount of time with at least four other people. Be clean. If you stink, you will be shown the door, or the shower and be given clean clothes
- No alcohol at the table, beer is an exception, but only one 0,33 bottle per a 4 hour time segment
- No smoking at the table. We can make smoking breaks every three hours or so
- No cell phones, tablets or iCrap at the table. A basket will be provided near the table where all the electronic stuff you don't need for rules reference will go. It will be in easy reach if an emergency arises.
- You are here to spend time with us, your friends. Unless there is an emergency, leaving the table is frowned upon.
- No significant others who don't game at the table. I don't need another bored girlfriend rolling her eyes at us and sighing at you, getting angry for not paying attention to her (this applies to boyfriends as well)
- No friends who don't game at the table. If you wanna spend time with your friend, go grab a few beers at a bar.
- Food is either communally provided (snacks and soda), or cooked. Give some money if you can, actual, cooked food is not cheap. Also, it would be nice to keep the cook company while he/she works.
- If you're a klutz, keep your drink away from the table. We already lost a cherished 3.0 grid that has served us well for 10+ years.
- No kids. Get a nanny, if you can't afford one, we will chip in for her.
- No pets (unless really old or sick), i don't like chewed on miniaturesI thing there were more, but it gets fuzzy...
EDIT oh, just remembered
- A date and time is agreed upon during the previous session. If for whatever reason you can't make it, it is polite that you announce it at least 2 days before the session. Not coming to the session and not informing us about it gets you...
LOL, especially on drinking. What, no ale or cider? No sweet Irish cream to stimulate the senses? No clean and measured appreciation of spirits (whiskey after a dungeon, simulating your character hitting it in the tavern tastes so sweet). No hard few shots of rum after killing the pirates and taking their ship? Ha ha, that treats the players like children! Only a teenager rushes fine drinks, and if you pace yourself you won't get smashed for a long time.
Can see the point on phones, a grievance for many, and friends that are not gaming.
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Hey Hama, yeah another dm had the same rule, but even no beer. It made me wonder who else he gamed with and did he want to be their mother?
Alas I have seen people to plugged into their phones they were maybe, maybe a third there. Serious addiction.
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This is a thread about what social contracts different groups have, or if they have them at all. Some groups behave differently than others. Let's try to keep the conversation focused on what different people do, rather than criticizing a rule that your group doesn't use. Being judgmental isn't going to help.
With that said...
I honestly didn't realize that playing with electronics at the table was a problem. Our group doesn't have any super inattentive players, so it hasn't caused any problems for us yet. Still, I'll be more watchful regarding my own habits and I'm grateful for the head's up.
From all the talk about stinky people, I'm beginning to wonder if every group has someone like that. It seems odd it's such a prevalent trope in our hobby, yet I never really hear about it in other aspects of life.
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Hey Hama, yeah another dm had the same rule, but even no beer. It made me wonder who else he gamed with and did he want to be their mother?
Dude. WTF? You are being extremely rude. Cut it out.
This thread made me think about social contracts in my gaming group.. Mostly it is unspoken, we have known each other for a very long time. That affects on how much we need speak about rules in our table. I have made some rules by myself about my games and just informed all about my rules or preferences. Nobody has complained about those rules. Some examples from social contracts and/or my rules:
-No drinking alcohol when roleplaying. (I'm non-drinker myself and I don't support that kind of behavior so no drinking at my gaming table.)
-Be ready for gaming and get some sleep. (Session starting 10.00 AM? Get some sleep before it. I value gaming as my primary hobby so sleeping/drowsing makes me see red.)
-Arrive on time. (Common sense.)
-Answer phone calls/messages/forum posts about next game day as fast as humanly possible and tell ahead if you have something that affects on how much time we have for gaming. (Common sense again but surprisingly hard for some members of our gaming group.)
-Take time before the session to check you are ready to go. (Reading session report, leveling up your character, stuff like that. Surprisingly challenging for some members of our small group.)
-Main focus on gaming, not on electronic devises. (I kinda hate smart phones on my table even though I own one. I have rule that bans laptops and tablets from my table. Too easy to get distracted from the main thing. I have allowed one player to roll massive amounts of dice with smart phone app but mostly using phones annoys me. I'm starting to think that I would "ban" smart phones too.)
-Get your own food or bring something to all of us! (We are mostly poor students so mooching others food is not nice. We often buy coffee and milk to our host as token of gratitude. Sweets and other snacks are very common in our table. Not much "real food" in our table, after ending a campaign we often go to local pizza place to celebrate.)
-Write comments about gaming session to the forum. (We have own forum for our group and I insist everyone to comment about played session to empower our gaming. Mostly to improve as GM but also to improve and discuss about things that worked and things that didn't. Gaming is collaborative activity so knowing each others thoughts is important.)
-Be nice to others, we are gaming to have fun with each other and to take break from real world. Don't spoil the fun from everybody by being a d*ck. (Common sense.)
It may sound like a puppet master who wants control my sessions with an iron fist but it is not like that. Mostly those above are common sense to use and I opened how I feel about those terms that we have created by accident. I have strong role in our gaming group as I'm the main GM, creator of gaming group, main admin on our forum, etc. I enjoy the role I have been given and I also enjoy giving responsibilities to other members.
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Hey Hama, yeah another dm had the same rule, but even no beer. It made me wonder who else he gamed with and did he want to be their mother?Dude. WTF? You are being extremely rude. Cut it out.
Who tells people what to do and what they can and can't drink?
Answer: Parents, politicians, clergy.Enforcing (or trying to enforce) teetotalism at the table is entering a creepy space. It only happens when a dm doesn't trust their players.
Note: getting a bit tipsy or drunk and gaming can be a whole lot of fun. My group generally prefers ale or cider.
A boot hill gm favoured whiskey, and spirits for his vietnam game.
- No non-game activities allowed at the table (Sewing, needlepoint, texting, app deving, etc)
That would kill a good 50% of the games I've played in over the last year or so.
Looked up during a recent Cthulu game and there were four of them, click-clacking away, with their cold dead eyes.
THEY ARE AMONG US, I TELL YOU!
Indeed, really dragged into the click-clacking. Mobile addiction hits gamers really hard. I've kept away from them, don't really carry it with me or forget I have it/let the battery die, certainly don't check it at games (if I remembered to bring it), and I have copped a lot of flack for not being "one of us" or in the mobile addict crowd LOOK AT MY LATEST PHONE!
With social contracts, it could vary from group to group. Not just depending on the dm but also players. If its not your preference then so be it. I've never actualy seen any gaming groups draw up social contracts stating "these are the rules." The groups I know leave it slightly more flexible. That is of course only achievable with a minimum level of mutual trust, maturity and common sense. Worked out pretty well for them so far.
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Hey Hama, yeah another dm had the same rule, but even no beer. It made me wonder who else he gamed with and did he want to be their mother?Dude. WTF? You are being extremely rude. Cut it out.Who tells people what to do and what they can and can't drink?
Answer: Parents, politicians, clergy.Enforcing (or trying to enforce) teetotalism at the table is entering a creepy space. It only happens when a dm doesn't trust their players.
Note: getting a bit tipsy or drunk and gaming can be a whole lot of fun. My group generally prefers ale or cider.
A boot hill gm favoured whiskey, and spirits for his vietnam game.
It also happens when the GM thinks that drinking is not socially acceptable. I would be really happy if alcohol was not drank at all, anywhere, ever. And no, getting tipsy/drunk/high can't be fun. I came to game, not watch someone make an idiot out of themselves. if they wanna get tipsy and stuff, they can do it at a bar, and embarrass themselves in front of strangers.
Plus, i don't see why are you so butthurt about it. It's not like i am saying that you can't drink at your table if you want to. It's also not like you and i are ever going to end up at the same table. And if we do, and it's your table, i will not complain if everyone whips up some kind of alcohol and drinks it. If it's my table however, i will politely tell you that drinking is frowned upon. If you cannot understand that, then you wouldn't have to game with us. It's simple.
I am not hurt, more amused that a dm would be so restrictive. You do know dnd comes in part from American hippies right? Young conservatives may join, the religious or teetotalers but this is a leisure activity, and drinking, not getting smashed, just having a few is also a leisure activity. They work and blend together.
On social acceptability, what do you mean? Not socially acceptable in your society? Because the only societies in which it is not socially acceptable to drink during leisure is a certain type of religious regime.
Drinking a bit while rolling dice and getting into the spirit of the game isn't making an idiot of yourself and losing control. An ale isn't the end of all things. You know people can drink slowly and not get drunk right? Drink while snacking, drink while you wait for your turn to come around again. I don't think you really understand alcohol very well, but perhaps this is due to a lack of experience.
"If it's my table however, i will politely tell you that drinking is frowned upon". Yep, and the answer to that would be, why is it frowned upon?
It goes in my mouth not yours. This is a fine brew, have you ever tried South American beers. One could also say it really fits with playing a dwarf.
I thought this was 'MERICA!
:)
Pardon me dear chap, I just don't like dms telling me what I can and can't drink, for this "chaotic" it isn't their place to do so.
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Drinking a bit while rolling dice and getting into the spirit of the game isn't making an idiot of yourself and losing control. An ale isn't the end of all things. You know people can drink slowly and not get drunk right? Drink while snacking, drink while you wait for your turn to come around again. I don't think you really understand alcohol very well, but perhaps this is due to a lack of experience.
Whaat? I can't get roaring drunk at the game you prepared? Don't tell me what to do, you're not my mother!
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First of all, i am not American. And i don't live in any American country.
If you asked why, i would simply answer that i don't like people drinking during my game. And if you can't accept that, don't play with me. Problem solved.
Plus, hopefully, you abide by the wishes of your host.
and I'll say it again. The phone rule is bad unless you're doing it to be distracting from the game or being disrespectful by not paying attention to the point that it seems you don't want to be there. People may get an important text from family members they need to deal with or don't want to stare at drywall during a 5 minute off discussion between a player and the DM.
If your receive an important text you can say "wait guys, this is important", answer and put the phone back. If you text non-stop during the game i will assume that you are bored and probably not invite you to the next session.
I agree on that last bit certainly, the problem isn't so much the choices being made by heavy phone users, it is that they are plugged in all the time and can't sit still without touching it, checking fb, messaging etc. Watch them, they will barely realise they are doing it, so habitual is it; and if they can't do it for a while, they can get edgy or chuck a hissy fit if their precious phone is taken away from them (even temporarily).
Constantly hooked in, three hours set aside for dnd is just something many can't do without checking their phone. If laptops are there, then they run through their common sites, open a few programs, and bam, you have lost them. A really big problem.
The american point was a joke from south park, you are a Serbian aren't you?
Drinking a bit while rolling dice and getting into the spirit of the game isn't making an idiot of yourself and losing control. An ale isn't the end of all things. You know people can drink slowly and not get drunk right? Drink while snacking, drink while you wait for your turn to come around again. I don't think you really understand alcohol very well, but perhaps this is due to a lack of experience.Whaat? I can't get roaring drunk at the game you prepared? Don't tell me what to do, you're not my mother!
That would show a lack of discipline.
I believe in discipline and freedom *kung-fu bow*.
Hey Hama, yeah another dm had the same rule, but even no beer. It made me wonder who else he gamed with and did he want to be their mother?Dude. WTF? You are being extremely rude. Cut it out.Who tells people what to do and what they can and can't drink?
Answer: Parents, politicians, clergy.Enforcing (or trying to enforce) teetotalism at the table is entering a creepy space. It only happens when a dm doesn't trust their players.
Or when drinking just isn't something that's done at that location. When I ran live games in the past, there was no drinking - not because there was a no-drinking rule, but because there didn't need to be as there was a no-alcohol rule in my apartment.
If you wanted to drink, that's fine, that's your business and your health to deal with. But I didn't want it around me. The smell of alcohol disgusts me, and the behavior of drunk people bothers me. If you'd rather drink than game, that's your business. But feel free to stay home. So because I'd rather GM in a place where I'm not being nauseated by the choice of refreshment my players choose to imbibe, that makes me mothery? If that's your qualification, I suppose I'll take it rather than having to give my BBEG's speech in an uncharacteristically nasally voice due to holding my nose shut. Yeah no that's not gonna happen.
It's not an issue for me now as I do all my gaming over Skype, but should I resume gaming with a live group, the rule will reappear.
But all that said, that's not the main point of my comment above. The point is that you're being extremely rude and aggressive and unkindly mocking here for no reason other than you happen to disagree with the rules of someone's house. I'm asking you nicely to cut it out. You're normally a more reasonable person than this, 3.5L.
Not everyone drinks alcohol. Not everyone likes being around people who drink. Asking them - politely, as Hama has given no indication s/he's doing otherwise - to not drink in your house or at your table and to wait until they get home if they wish to do so is simple civility. If they would rather have their alcohol than respect the simple, reasonable requests of their host, they probably shouldn't be at the game.