Lawful GM

When playing most RPGs it's important for everyone at the table to be on the same page as what is the expected code of conduct for the PCs within the setting. This doesn't mean everyone has to adhere to the code of conduct, PCs are by their nature contrarian, yet everyone needs to understand what are the norms, which invariably falls to the GM to articulate. There's a lot of good reasons to clarify expected conduct and how the setting's society generally operates. For one there's the staggering variety of RPGs, what's appropriate in one game might not inappropriate in another game. That's pretty intuitive but some players can be a little dense. One week you're doing D&D in you Game of Thrones inspired campaign and you switch gears to do Mouse Guard for a couple of weeks and the players orchestrate a Red Wedding in Lockhaven. Ridiculous? Not as much as you would think.

I run a fair number of different RPGs and have learned that GMs can't assume everyone understands the expectations of the setting, even if everyone claims to know the setting. You do need to explain things. Consider Star Trek even if all your players say they're fans of Star Trek, depending upon what incarnation their fans of they may have very different views of what is appropriate conduct for a Starfleet officer. Related to this is that certain words that might have a clear meaning to you might have widely divergent meanings to your players, such as "honorable". This is one of those words that can be a little meaningless to roleplayers without context. Be specific, provide a few examples of what would be expected conduct, which should probably be a continuum to give players an idea of the range of how a situation should be handled. Obviously, in game the PCs may operate well beyond that range, which is fine as long as they understand the fundamental expectations.

Don't give a dissertation. If possible make it interactive. Give the big points and then toss out a hypothetical scenario, like a goblin surrenders to the players or they catch a thief and ask them how this could play out within the society. Talk it out and everyone will be on the same page. Obviously you don't always need to do this, yet sometimes it can be really helpful when law and morality might be a significant factor in the game, like superhero RPGs for an example where some clarification is often a great idea.

So what are the big points? Explain how harsh or lenient are the legal system and dominant morality of the setting. What are the moral values of the setting? Is compassion and honesty or valor and cunning revered? Another good point to lay out is how effective is the criminal justice system. I have noticed that the moment you say law enforcement is very effective for some reason players are far more cautious with their PCs, isn't that odd. This indirectly brings us to another critical consideration.

In Lawful GM #23 we discussed difficulty settings and this conversation can continue into this topic. Morality and legal restrictions on conduct within a setting are a type of difficulty setting. The less moral or righteous the setting the easier it is to maneuver within a roleplaying context. Sure such a setting may present many complications for the PCs, yet on a strategy perspective it's a lot easier as there's more options on the table. It is more challenging to find solutions to many problems within stricter moral and legal constraints. There's less options on the table and a greater need for creativity within the setting to both accomplish goals and comply with behavioral expectations. When you give players a corrupt society with loose morals you are giving them a huge toolbox, whereas when you give players a just society with strong moral expectations you are limiting their options. Neither is really a problem as long as everyone is on the same page, this is why it's so important to explain how a society operates and what's expected of the PCs.

If you're running a campaign give the players time to settle into things. You can have a NPC chastise the PCs for their actions if they are struggling to adapt to the setting. Generally, I have found that with patience, a little modeling/nudging by NPCs, that players will find their footing within a campaign as to what is appropriate conduct. Remember it's a continuum and the players may be on a weird part of the continuum but if they're in the ballpark that's fantastic. Patience. It's important to note that GMs are not to force players to behave in a particular way, it's their PCs and their story. GMs should certainly provide compelling and appropriate consequences for their actions, yet it's not about you moralizing or teaching a lesson. I do believe RPGs can provide insights yet these often evolve organically from compelling stories not lessons from a wheel or morality spun by the GM.

This is an area that can be precarious, yet like most things with an effort at communication to get everyone on the same page most issues can be sidestepped.