Baltimore by Night Administrative Rules

Effective: 2019-04-03
Last Revised: 2026-01-29
1: Staff
The following sections contain descriptions of the staff positions at Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor (BBN:DH).
1.1: Storyteller
Those players elected to the position of Storyteller (ST) bear the responsibility of running the affairs of the game, its sub-chronicle(s), and events. It is the duty of STs to coordinate both the running of the game and any out-of-game needs or concerns of the game, in effect acting as a board of governors, in concert with any other staff positions. Candidates for ST will be put forth by current ST staff. A ST is elected by a Player Vote and is subject to a Vote of Confidence.
Current staff:
  • Jeff C (HST)
  • John B (AST)
  • Dora Ze (AST)
1.2: Player Representative
The Player Representative acts on behalf of the players in matters including, but not limited to, the following: inter-player mediation and presentation of player concerns to the ST staff. The Player Representative is charged with maintaining the anonymity of any player who requests it while raising a concern or complaint about the staff, game, or organization. The Player Representative is elected via Player Vote and is subject to a Vote of Confidence.
1.3: Council Representative
The Council Representative is charged with keeping abreast of the goings-on of any national umbrella or network organization to which the chronicle belongs and with surveying the ST Staff and/or Players as to opinions or concerns applicable to that network. The Council Representative is appointed and removed by the members of the ST staff. The Council Representative is subject to a Vote of Confidence.
1.4: Site Coordinator
The Site Coordinator is responsible for maintaining good relations with site owners and management, ensuring that any site fees are paid in a timely fashion, alerting the STs to any Site rules violations, seeking out new sites for game events, and publicizing the locations of game events (including directions thereto). The Site Coordinator is appointed and removed by the ST staff.
Current staff:
  • Susan B (Site Coordinator)
1.5: Web Administrator
The Web Administrator is responsible for maintaining the organization's website. The Web Administrator is appointed and removed by the ST staff.
Current staff:
  • Jeff C (Head Admin)
  • Joe L (Admin)
1.6: Administrator
The Administrator maintains and audits the character folders and records of the game. The Administrator is elected by Player Vote and is subject to a Vote of Confidence.
Current staff:
  • Joe L (Admin)
1.7: Narrator
Narrators are players who assist the ST staff in a gameplay capacity. Narrators are appointed and removed by the ST staff.
1.7.1: Standing Narrators
At the discretion of the ST staff, some number of players may be named as Standing Narrators with the following responsibilities during play: assisting players with character creation or mundane rules questions, acclimating new players, assisting with sign-in or general administrative tasks, running scenes as directed by the ST staff, or embodying NPCs as directed by the ST staff. The full powers of a Standing Narrator are at the discretion of the current ST staff and may vary with time. These Standing Narrators should be publicized so that the players have full knowledge of the resources available to them at each game event. In addition to being an extra player resource during gameplay, the pool of Standing Narrators is intended to serve as a preparatory stage for duty as a ST, so that Narrators can become familiar with the current ST staff and the direction of the game.
1.7.2: Impromptu Narrators
At the discretion of the ST staff, players who are not Standing Narrators may be empowered with one or more abilities of a Standing Narrator for a limited period of time (e.g., running a particular scene, assisting a ST by embodying a particular NPC for a given purpose, etc.).
1.8: Staff Experience Point (XP) Grant
  • BBN:DH staff are granted the following XP per month to be used for a PC or PCs of the staffer:
    • ST - 8
    • Administrator - 4
    • Web Administrator - 4
    • Site Coordinator - 4
    • Council Representative - 4
    • Narrators - 1 per game in which they narrated a scene
  • The Player Representative position does not earn an XP grant.
  • Players with a character based in BBN:DH who have a staff position at another game may apply the award to their BBN:DH-based character ONLY if they are not claiming XP granted by the position at another game or on another character or are splitting said XP between characters.
  • Staff XP may be applied to multiple characters as long as the total does not exceed the pay (ex. a ST could put 4 XP on two characters or 8XP on 1 character.)
  • Staff XP is granted on the first of every month.
2: Votes of Confidence
  • Votes of Confidence will take place at the first game of May and November every year. If a player is unable attend and wishes to submit an absentee vote, it must be submitted to the Player Representative or STs by midnight the night before the vote.
  • Players may request additional votes of confidence through the Player Representative. The Player Representative and current ST staff may call for a Vote of Confidence on any staff member subject to a Vote of Confidence at any time.
  • Only players with a character based in BBN:DH may participate in Votes of Confidence.
3: House Rule Maintenance
The STs are, as a group, responsible for maintaining and making public any House Rules necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the game(s). House Rules are considered to be any supplemental rules or guidelines which govern the in-play aspect of the game(s). Any change to the House Rules requires a majority vote of the current ST staff.
4: Finances
The organization shall keep its accrued funds securely in a lock box. The ST staff has control over which staff members and/or players have access to game funds. Any single disbursement in excess of $150 requires a Player Vote prior to the disbursement. The ST staff is responsible for issuing periodic reports to the game on the state of the game's finances.
5: Special Events & Sub-chronicles
Any special event or sub-chronicle managed by Baltimore by Night must be pre-approved for access to game resources by a General Vote. A sub-chronicle is subject to a further General Vote every six months to retain its place under the aegis of Baltimore by Night.
6: Disciplinary Action
All players and staff are charged with conducting themselves as responsible adults at game and organization functions, and acting in a restrained and civil manner at all times, both in-person and online. When a player or staff member acts in a fashion which violates the rules of the game or organization, it is imperative that the ST staff respond appropriately. This response may include disciplinary action as detailed in the following sub-sections.
6.1: Disciplinary Process
When an incident occurs or an accusation is made, it is the duty of the ST staff to assess the situation and, if necessary, seek corroboration. In most cases, it behooves the staff to speak directly to both the alleged offender and any offended parties in order to get as much information as possible about the incident. That being said, there may be occasions when instant judgment is both necessary and reasonable (for example, a player physically or verbally attacking another player in the midst of gameplay). Usually, the ST staff will discuss the matter in detail prior to ruling on the matter. The generally recommended progression of disciplinary actions is as follows:
6.1.1: Warning
Any ST may unilaterally issue a warning (verbal or written) to a player at any time. Generally a warning is just that - a notification that a certain action or pattern of behavior is inappropriate. This ensures that the player is aware of the violation or potential violation.
6.1.2: First Strike
A First Strike issued to a player is an indicator that the player has violated a rule and should be careful in future. The STs are strongly encouraged to counsel the player as to the nature of the violation and the reason(s) for the Disciplinary Action.
6.1.3: Second and Third Strikes
Further Strikes (up to a total of three) indicate that further violations have occurred while the player still has previous Strikes on their record.
6.1.4: Suspension
When a player accumulates three Strikes, that player is suspended from all game activities for a time period of no less than six months, at which point the suspension is up for review.
6.1.5: Ban
A ban is far more serious than a suspension. The player is prohibited from participating in all game activities for a time period set by the ST staff (usually indefinitely).
6.1.6: Players should note that the above progression is not guaranteed to be linear; a Strike can be given in certain cases without a Warning proceeding it. In extreme cases multiple Strikes may be issued for a single offense. The ST staff is urged to use caution in their disciplinary actions, but at the same time keep the best interests of the game as a whole in mind. The ST staff must keep written record of all Disciplinary Actions issued. Disciplinary Action, once handed down, should be reviewed by the ST staff after a period of six months. During a review, the staff looks over the violations and punishments to assess whether or not it is proper at that time to remove a Strike (i.e., have it "age off"), end a suspension, or have the punishment stand.
6.2: Violations
While any action or series of actions that the ST staff feel is inappropriate may be addressed with Disciplinary Action, the following are the most commonly encountered:
6.2.1: Failure to Abide by the Rules of Gameplay
This is any action which willfully and / or flagrantly violates the rules for gameplay set down by the STs. This includes actions colloquially referred to as "cheating".
6.2.2: Personal Conduct / Sportsmanship
This is any action, in person or on an email list in an out-of-character fashion, which is considered to be rude, violent, or otherwise beyond the limits of acceptable behavior.
6.2.3: Administrative
This is any action which falsifies gameplay documentation, including, but not limited to, experience tracking sheets, character sheets, item cards, and attendance cards.
6.2.4: Role
This is any activity outside the accepted bounds of a player's role within the organization; to include "metagaming" (the in-game use of knowledge not possessed in-character), "improper narration" (running a scene when not authorized to do so), and Staff malfeasance or gross dereliction of duty.
7: Player Activity and Rights
  • Characters based in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor that have not been physically portrayed at a Baltimore game for more than three months will no longer be able to accrue automatic XP from OWbN positions (including, but not limited to, ST, Coordinator, and Sub-coordinator).
  • Characters based in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor that have not been physically portrayed at a Baltimore game for more than three months are still considered Active Characters, and may be played while traveling, or in downtime scenes, and may earn XP for such participation at ST discretion.