Server Rules

⚠️ Rules may evolve as the project develops and new situations emerge. It is your responsibility to stay informed and up to date with any changes. ⚠️

TERMS OF USE

• You must be at least 18 years old to play on this server.
• In downloading and installing the game launcher, you agree that Icebound’s files you agree are exclusively for playing on the Icebound server. These files may not be redistributed, sold, modified, or used outside of Icebound. If you wish to use anything from the files outside of playing Icebound, please contact staff for permission.

COMMUNITY CONDUCT

Treat both players and staff with respect, whether you're in-game, on Discord, or in the forums. Communicate your boundaries clearly and respect those of others. Use common sense, and help keep the space enjoyable for everyone.

If you're ever unsure about something, don't hesitate to ask staff.

ACCOUNT RULES

• One account per player. For households with more than one player just notify staff and we can manually set up your accounts.
• Account sharing will result in a ban
• Account selling will result in a ban

ROLEPLAY EXPECTATIONS

• When logged in, you are considered in character at all times.
  • Use Party Chat for out-of-character communication as needed, or for a quick aside, please notate it with double parenthesis, for example “((Be Right Back))”.
• All players are expected to understand the server’s setting and roleplay in accordance with it.
• Roleplay conflicts should stay in character and never be used to harass or target someone out of character.
• Your characters must be 18 or older. This includes any in-character behavior, out-of-character comments, or physical descriptors that suggest a character is underage. If your character doesn’t know their exact age, they must have clear memory of at least 18 years of life.

RESPECT LIMITATIONS

• Even if realism would suggest otherwise, keep your actions and requests within the limits of the game engine, the time and effort your fellow players can give, and the capacity of volunteer staff. This is a persistent world, not a 24/7 custom tabletop campaign. Within the parameters of the Server Rules, and Setting, you are ultimately responsible for entertaining yourself: be self-motivated, collaborate with others respectfully, and practice patience when waiting for events, responses, or assistance from both staff and other players.
• Some parts of the game are off-limits for player control, including Surviving Communities and neutral amenities like the Public Market and the Storage Warehouse. Certain services will remain under the control of neutral NPCs so they are fairly and freely available to all players, regardless of population, popularity, or time zone. This is not open for debate.

AFK RULES

• When in game you are subject to the world and its consequences: AFK at your own risk. We can’t know whether or not someone is really AFK or ignoring an interaction, so will not be enforcing any rolling back due to someone being AFK.
  • We understand life happens - if you get pulled away, or you think someone is online when they shouldn’t be (fell asleep, or otherwise have become nonresponsive) just notify staff and we can kick the character to offline.

Rules on Macroing

• AFK macroing IS allowed IF:
  • It is done in a private space.
  • It does not interfere with others' gameplay, including roleplay.
• If we receive reports of disruptive or unresponsive macroing:
  • First offense: you will be kicked offline with a notice placed in your backpack.
  • Subsequent offenses: your skill will be reduced by 10 points per infraction.
  • Continued abuse can result in harsher consequences including the zero-ing out of the skill.

METAGAMING

Metagaming is using knowledge your character wouldn’t reasonably have to influence other players and in game events.

This includes:

• Using player knowledge to influence character actions.
• Acting on information gained through OOC means.
• Spreading disinformation through OOC means to “counter meta”

It’s perfectly fine to use setting information—such as historical context, public lore, or information your character would reasonably know based on their background, skills, or profession. For example, a doctor might recognize symptoms described in lore, or a well-read character might know major world events from the wiki. This kind of knowledge helps bring the world to life.

However, knowing what happened in a scene your character wasn’t part of, reading a Discord message, or hearing something in voice chat doesn’t mean your character knows it. Important in-game events and player actions should be learned through roleplay.

Reminder that people play multiple characters and have real lives to juggle, so continuity slips happen. You also won’t always know what’s been said outside your character’s view. If something seems off, just check in with the other player (Party Chat works great) before assuming bad intent.

EXPLOITS

Exploits are bugs, unintended mechanics, or loopholes in the game that give players an unfair advantage—whether through duplicating items, bypassing intended systems, or triggering actions that shouldn’t normally be possible.

Knowingly using, or failing to report the using of exploits is considered abuse and may result in disciplinary action. It undermines trust in the community, disrupts the game’s balance, and damages the integrity of the roleplay environment.

If you’re unsure whether something is working as intended, check the wiki or ask staff for clarification. We're happy to confirm whether a system is behaving correctly. If you find something that doesn’t seem right, report it. Helping us identify and fix exploits keeps the experience fair and fun for everyone.

MULING

Muling refers to using alternate characters to move items, currency, or resources to characters on that same account. This is usually done to give one character an unfair advantage, such as using a separate character to gather supplies, store valuable items, or avoid the consequences of trade and roleplay.

We have systems in place to help prevent this behavior, but it is still considered a violation of the rules. Failing to report muling, or choosing to participate in it, is not allowed.

If you're having trouble getting the supplies you need through normal means, especially if your alternate character has the skillset to provide them and no other players currently do, please talk to staff. We understand that gaps in the player economy or skill coverage can happen. We would much rather help you find a fair, in-character solution than see the rules broken.

POWERGAMING

Powergaming is using in-game mechanics, OOC knowledge to give them an unfair or unrealistic advantage.

This includes:

• Forcing outcomes in roleplay.
  • Never dictate the outcome of your actions on another character. When interacting physically or forcibly in roleplay, us phrases like “attempts to” or “tries to” to allow the other player space to respond.
• Login/Logout Abuse
  • Do not use logging in or out to gain an advantage in RP or PvP. This includes avoiding consequences, repositioning, or influencing scenes unfairly.
  • If you need to log out unexpectedly, communicate with staff or involved players OOC when possible. Emergencies happen—just let us know so we don’t have to investigate, and so the scene can be properly resumed later if needed.
• Failing to Respect Fear RP
  • Fear roleplay is the expectation that your character reacts realistically to fear, danger, and life-threatening situations.
    • Gallows humor, stoicism, and emotional detachment are all valid roleplay choices, and no one expects you to be overly dramatic about every encounter. It’s a frozen hellscape, and some things are routine.
    • That said, we do expect you to read the room: Fear RP matters most when other players or staff are involved and working to create a serious or suspenseful atmosphere.
    • Avoid disrupting tense roleplay scenes with flippant or inappropriate behavior. Being overly casual in the face of danger can break immersion and may be considered disruptive, -especially- during events hosted by other players and staff.
  • Forcing another player into a dangerous or high-stakes situation without proper mechanical support, and/or without the other players consent is also powergaming. For example, provoking someone into a fight in a Safe Zone, then calling them a coward for not engaging, is both powergaming and lame.
  • Failing to respect this after verbal warning may result in staff calling your bluff; either by delivering the coup de grâce, applying proper injuries or consequences, or manually lowering the safety settings in the area to support the consequences of the situation should it not de-escalate.

PVP & PERMADEATH

All PvP must have clear roleplay motivation:

• This should stem from established conflict, desperation, ideology, survival, or other believable motivations grounded in the setting. These motivations should be telegraphed in some way through roleplay, dialogue, behavior, or context. While you are not required to explain your reasoning directly to the target, there should be enough foreshadowing on record so that staff does not need to investigate or guess at your intentions. Ideally, your victim should not be left confused about why the conflict occurred.
• Killing a character should never be your first option. We offer a variety of tools for escalating or resolving conflict including but not limited to injuries, duels, public shaming, sabotage, and vandalism. Explore other ways to tell the story.
• Conflict should stem from character-driven reasons, not player grudges. If we notice repeated escalation between the same players across multiple characters, it may be subject to staff intervention.

Permadeath

Choosing to permanently kill another player character is a serious decision, and should be treated as a last resort:

• Permadeath should never be treated as a “win condition", it rarely is, and in all cases mortally wounding a character may not result in their death.
  • For a full explanation on Permadeath please refer to our article regarding Illness, Injury & Death.
• Understand that by choosing this action, even if it feels justified, you are signaling to the world and other players that you are ready to face the consequences. Most characters believe they are in the right, including yours, but others may see the situation differently. Just because your character feels justified does not mean they are protected from fallout:
  • Mechanically, your character will lose Sanity when committing a traumatic act such as murder. Beyond that immediate cost, there may be a chance at being caught if evidence is discovered through Forensics.
  • Narratively, are always two sides to a conflict, and you should be prepared to face the challenges that follow if you choose to proceed. If there are witnesses, if the victim survives, or if forensic evidence is pursued, your character may face consequences such as revenge, grief, mistrust, public shame, or political fallout.

If your character dies and you create a new one, that character must have no connection to your previous one. This includes long-lost siblings, friends seeking revenge, or any narrative tie that continues your old character’s story by proxy.

We also offer ways to avoid Permadeath entirely:

• Pay attention to Region Safety in the game world. Some areas are designated as No Combat Zones, where PvP, or just Permadeath, is mechanically disabled. These zones exist to give players a safe space to roleplay without the threat of violence. Use them if you want to focus on story, trade, or diplomacy without risking physical conflict.

IMPRISONMENT RP

It is our intention to have any much of this mechanically enforced as possible, but in the event of taking a prisoner long term:

• Jailers are expected to make a good faith effort to resolve conflicts through roleplay with the prisoner. It is strongly recommended that you notify staff and include all involved parties in a ticket to ensure the situation is handled fairly and constructively.
• Imprisonment from PvP may not exceed 48 hours without OOC consent.
  • After 48 hours, the imprisoned character must be released unless both parties agree to continue.
    • Staff will manually assist in staging an escape if the jailor is not available or unwilling.

LOOTING RULES

The code dictates what can or cannot be taken from a corpse and designed to provide a different allowance based on if the character (NPC or Player, the world doesn’t differentiate) is dead, or just knocked out.

• Knocked Out:
  • Lootable: weapon, currency, consumables.
• Killed:
  • Same items lootable as Knocked Out
  • NPC Equipment will convert into scrap materials based on the looter’s Scavenging skill.
  • When players are killed, Scavenge skill checks are made on a per-item basis, with higher quality items being easier to retrieve. All items will take durability damage in the process.

PROPERTY RULES

The code dictates that each character is permitted one residential property:

• Commercial property limits are determined by a characters Mercantilism Skill.
• Zoning of rentable spaces is set up so that commercial properties are public facing and do not allow locked doors. Exceptions for VIP areas can be petitioned on a case by case basis based on established RP use of the space.
• Only owners and co-owners can release/lock down items on a property
• Only owners and co-owners can use trash cans inside residential spaces
• You cannot lock down items with an impassable property in front of doors.
• Lockpicking player homes is not a system in present in Icebound at this time. If something is missing from your home, it was taken by either a guest or you forgot to lock your door and we encourage you to use these mechanical limitations as your list of suspects should something appear missing.

We’ve outlined the boundaries of the most common issues and where we stand on staff intervention:

• Staff will not be micromanaging the nuances of player relations in regards to property without clear paper trail of misconduct and both players are mechanically attached to the property.
• As an owner of a property, you must use your own discretion when giving people co-owner or friend access, if they steal things that's on you for giving them that access.
  • Leaving your belongings in a home that you are not owner, co-owner, or a key-owner of is at your own risk. Players must us discretion when deciding on where and with whom to leave your things. We have a free storage option accessible at the public warehouse, and we encourage everyone to utilize this feature.

EXPLICIT CONTENT & MATURE THEMES

Icebound explores dark and challenging themes drawn from speculative fiction and 19th-century history, it is an apocalyptic setting which which includes sensitive topics including but not limited to:

- Violence, child labor, whaling, anthropophagy (cannibalism), divisive political ideologies, sanity, and drug addiction.

By agreeing to play, you understand these elements are a part of a collective work of fiction. Actions and beliefs of any characters are not necessarily an extension of the players themselves, and should not be treated as such.

Regardless of “historical accuracy,” the following is not allowed:

• Hate speech. Any use of hate speech will not be tolerated. If it is considered hate speech in present day or at any point in history, it is hate speech in the game.
• Explicit Sexual (ERP) content must fade to black.
• No roleplay of sexual violence, even implied or accused.
• Characters cannot have, or RP about, actively having children below the age of 18.
• Characters may not become pregnant or roleplay being pregnant.
• Continuing or instigating RP that centers on banned content will be treated as a violation.

Backstory Inclusion:

• We’re not going to pretend all the above things don’t exist. You may reference these themes in your backstory, tactfully.
• If you have questions, ask a staff member for guidance.

Staff, Seers and Sensitive Content:

• Staff and Seers may use restricted topics with prior staff approval, only between NPCs and for narrative purpose. These depictions are not endorsements, but narrative tools used to explore ideas of survival, resilience, and moral struggle in the face of collapse.
  • You may encounter references to these themes in indirect ways such as a harrowing journal account, a community’s dark history, or other background worldbuilding. We will always handle this content with care.
  • If a sensitive topic is going to appear in a live scene or active event, players involved will be informed out-of-character ahead of time so they can choose whether or how to participate.

If something doesn’t feel like it’s being handled thoughtfully, or you’re unsure how to approach a sensitive theme in the storytelling feel free to talk to staff about it.

RULE LAWYERING

As the community grows and new situations arise, some rules may be adjusted on a case-by-case basis to support the health of the project. When this happens, staff will do their best to clearly communicate what changed and why.

We expect players involved in these outlying cases to work with us in good faith toward a solution that’s fair and reasonable for everyone.

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