GWS:House Rules

These are the house rules for the Great War Supers play-by-post game.

Spotlight Characters: Each player must designate one character as their Spotlight Character. This character may only be played by the player who chose them. The cost to play the character is the same as normal, and the character need not be included in every scene.
Support Characters: To encourage the creation of a supporting cast linked tightly to the Spotlight characters, the Exemplar rules are restricted as follows: Exemplar relationships must be between one (1) Spotlight character and one (1) non-Spotlight character. This means that relationships between two spotlight characters or two non-spotlight characters must be indirect. Arjan and Dain cannot get a mechanical bonus for being brother and sister. However, Arjan can be arch-enemies with Baroness von Grimm, and Dain can in turn be romantically involved with von Grimm, for an indirect relationship between Arjan and Dain.
Interlude Scenes: Because of the breadth of the world, and the limits on our speed of play (PBP), I recommend that (between other scenes) players be permitted to create an interlude scene for a cost of one Story Token. The scene is to be created collaboratively, with other players kibbitzing and the paying character having the final word. Any player may, seeing the content of the scene, veto it for any cause. I think this will encourage the creation of little "eye of the common man" interludes that help expand the world and foreshadow the troubles that will be more forcefully revealed later.

Spotlight characters may not be killed.
The war may neither be lost nor won.
Exemplars may not be killed, save by agreement of the players of all Spotlight characters to whom they are related.
~~Innocents may not die as a result of either action or inaction by the spotlight characters~~ (this comics code entry was discussed and discarded: innocent lives are not protected by the comics code, except for Exemplars and Spotlight characters)

Reaction List: People should maintain the Reaction List of which conflicts they intend to react upon. If everyone who has shown any inclination to react on an event has already done so then play proceeds without checking each time whether the players who have begged off want to change their minds.
Claims and Reactions: Claims and Reactions are done in whatever order people post. In cases where there would be an actual conflict ("Hey, it matters that I would have gone before you") we'll retroactively fix it.
You snooze, you lose: If there is a situation where we are wondering whether someone is going to do something or do nothing then after 24 hours they will be assumed to be doing nothing, and play will proceed.

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