The Adventurer's Guide

Every adventurer may walk one or more of these paths:

• The Player – Join games, meet new people, experience new systems
• The Game Master – Run games for eager players, share your craft
• The Organizer – Create sessions, build community, bring people together

Many walk multiple paths. An organizer might also GM. A player might step up to organize their first game. All paths are honored equally.

Tokens are the currency of commitment. They ensure everyone who signs up actually shows up.

What You Do	Token Cost	Token Credit
Play at a partner venue	1 token	--
Play at someone's home	1/4 token	--
Organize a game (not GMing)	1 token	1/2 token back
Organize AND GM	1 token	1 token back
GM someone else's game	1 token	1 token back

The math works out:

• Players spend the token cost
• Organizers spend half (net 1/2 token cost after credit)
• GMs play free (full credit covers their cost)
• Home game organizer-GMs earn bonus tokens (1/4 token cost, 1 token credit = +3/4 token)

Important: GM and organizer credits require 3 or more participants (including organizer). This ensures credits reward bringing people together for real games, not solo sessions.

1. Navigate to Browse Games from the main menu
2. You'll see upcoming sessions with:
   • The game being played (D&D, Call of Cthulhu, etc.)
   • Date, time, and location
   • How many spots remain
   • The organizer's name
3. Click on any game to see full details

When you find a game that calls to you:

1. Click Apply to Join
2. If the game needs a GM, choose your role:
   • Player – You want to play a character
   • Game Master – You want to run the game
   • Either – You're happy with whatever the organizer needs
3. Write a brief message introducing yourself (optional but recommended)
4. Submit your application

Your token is now "held" – reserved for this game but not yet spent. You cannot use this token for other applications until this resolves.

• Pending – The organizer hasn't reviewed your application yet
• Accepted – You're in! Show up ready to play
• Rejected – This one wasn't meant to be. Your token is returned.

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your application anytime before the game is finalized. Your token returns immediately.

1. Arrive on time (or a few minutes early)
2. Bring whatever the organizer specified (dice, character sheet, etc.)
3. Check in when you arrive (see below)
4. Be ready to have fun and meet new people
5. After the game, you may leave feedback for the GM, organizer, and venue

When you arrive at the game, check in through the app:

1. Open the session page
2. Click Check In during the check-in window (opens shortly before game time)
3. Confirm your attendance

Why check-in matters:

• For credits: GM and organizer credits require at least one participant to check in
• For reliability: Helps track actual attendance vs. signups
• For the community: Shows you're committed and present

If you're accepted but don't check in, it may affect your reliability rating. The organizer and other players are counting on you.

Life happens. If you can't make it:

• Before finalization: Withdraw your application (no penalty, token returned)
• After finalization: Your token was already spent when the roster was locked in.

If the game falls apart (GM no-show, venue closed, etc.), the organizer can mark the session as failed and everyone gets refunded. If the organizer is the problem, contact support@oneshot-incarnate.com and we'll sort it out.

The simplest path: apply as GM to a game that needs one.

1. Find a game marked GM Needed
2. Apply with role Game Master or Either
3. If accepted, you'll run the session
4. After successful completion (3+ participants, check-in verified), you receive 1 full token credit

Your net cost: zero. GMs are valued and play free.

If you're also the organizer, see Chapter 3: The Organizer's Domain.

When you select "I will be the GM" while organizing, you:

• Run the game
• Receive the full 1-token GM credit (with 3+ participants and check-in)
• Net cost: zero (or +3/4 bonus tokens for home games with a full table!)

• Prepare the adventure – Have your materials ready
• Set expectations – Communicate tone, content, and requirements
• Run the session – Facilitate the game fairly and enjoyably
• Respect time – Start and end within the scheduled window

Communicate immediately with the organizer. A no-show GM can ruin everyone's day. If you must cancel:

• Work with the organizer to find a replacement
• Give as much notice as possible
• Understand this affects your reliability rating

1. Navigate to Organize a Game
2. Choose your venue type:
   • Partner Venue – Game stores with reserved tables (1 token cost)
   • Community Space – Breweries, food halls, cafes (1/4 token cost, first-come seating)
   • My Home – Your approved home location (1/4 token cost)

As applications arrive:

1. Navigate to your session's detail page
2. Review each applicant:
   • Their message
   • Their reliability history (successful games vs. failures)
3. Accept or Reject each application
4. For "Either" role applications, choose whether to accept as Player or GM

Before the session starts, you must finalize:

1. Go to your session page
2. Click Finalize Session
3. This confirms the roster and commits everyone

What finalization does:

• Locks in all accepted participants
• Spends everyone's held tokens
• You cannot accept more applications after this

WARNING: If you don't finalize before start time, the session auto-cancels. All tokens are returned. The game doesn't happen.

Once the scheduled time passes and the session completes successfully:

• Credits are distributed (if 3+ participants and check-in verified):
  • GM receives 1 token
  • Organizer (if not GM) receives 0.5 tokens
  • Organizer-GM receives 1 token (not both)
• Participants can leave feedback
• The session appears in everyone's history

Credits are given at completion, not finalization. If the session is canceled or fails after finalization, no credits are given – but participants are refunded.

Sometimes you must cancel. The system handles this fairly:

• Lower cost for everyone – 1/4 token instead of 1 token
• Earn bonus tokens – Organize + GM with 3+ participants = +3/4 token per session
• Flexibility – Set your own schedule
• Intimacy – Curated guest list, comfortable environment

1. Navigate to Hosting in the menu
2. Fill out the application:
   • Location name ("Jason's Game Room")
   • Full address (shown only to accepted players)
   • Capacity (how many players can you seat?)
   • Description (parking, amenities, house rules)
   • Your availability for an approval visit
3. Accept the hosting responsibilities
4. Submit

1. We review your application
2. We schedule a brief in-person visit (15-30 minutes)
3. We verify the space works for gaming
4. If approved, you can start organizing home games!

• You must be present – No hosting while away
• You must be the organizer – Only you can create games at your location
• You own the experience – Handle any issues that arise
• Communicate clearly – Parking, entry instructions, house rules

Let's address the elephant in the room: "You expect strangers to come to my house?" and "You expect me to go to a stranger's house?"

Both are valid concerns. Here's how we approach it:

Tokens exist to ensure commitment. When you apply to a game:

1. Hold – Your token is reserved (can't use it elsewhere)
2. Return – If you withdraw or are rejected, token comes back
3. Spend – When the game is finalized, tokens are spent
4. Check-in – Participants check in when they arrive at the game
5. Credit – After successful completion, GMs/organizers get tokens back (requires 3+ participants and check-in)

• Purchase token packs through the platform
• Receive credits for GMing
• Receive credits for organizing
• Redeem promotional codes

To receive GM or organizer credits, the session must meet these requirements:

1. 3+ participants – At least 3 people total (including organizer)
2. Check-in verified – At least one participant (other than organizer) must check in
3. Session completed – The scheduled time has passed without the session being marked as failed

This ensures credits reward genuine games where people actually showed up and played together.

• Successful games – Sessions you participated in that completed normally
• Failures – Cancellations, no-shows, or sessions you caused to fail

Only the last 90 days count toward your visible reliability. Older history fades away, giving everyone a chance to improve.

• Session cards – Organizer's reliability is visible when browsing
• Application review – Organizers see applicant reliability when reviewing
• Session details – Organizer and GM reliability are shown

• Show up to games you commit to
• Communicate early if you can't make it
• Finalize sessions on time (organizers)
• Be present and engaged

• Show up on time
• Communicate early if you can't make it
• Respect the space – venue or home
• Respect other players – we're all here to have fun
• Leave feedback – help the community improve

• Prepare appropriately
• Set clear expectations about tone and content
• Manage time – start and end as scheduled
• Be fair – to all players equally

• Finalize on time – don't leave participants hanging
• Communicate changes – if anything shifts, let people know
• Curate thoughtfully – accept applicants who'll create a good table
• Take responsibility – you created this gathering

• Provide a safe space – physically and socially
• Be clear about rules – shoes off? Pets present? Where to park?
• Handle issues – it's your space, your responsibility

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Now go forth, adventurer. Tables await. Stories yearn to be told. Your next great game is just a token away.