The Tribe Charter

This document is the guild charter for The Tribe, a Horde guild on the Aggramar realm within the World of Warcraft MMORPG. The purpose of the charter is to inform potential members (and act as a reminder for existing members) of what The Tribe is all about and the rules we have set up to govern ourselves.

The Tribe is among the oldest and most established guilds on Aggramar. Since its beginning the Tribe has been highly respected and admired for its high standards of quality members. This charter reflects our current philosophy and governance and supersedes all previous rules and by-laws.

Mission & Goals

The official mission of The Tribe is to create a team of people who not only genuinely enjoy and respect each other, but are also capable of being successful in the highest level of any end-game PvE content. This means that the majority of The Tribe's leadership focus, resources, and energies will be applied to maximizing our end-game PvE capabilities while keeping it sociable and enjoyable for the people who are dedicated to the guild's success in this area.

Players whose individual goals do not match up with those of The Tribe (e.g. people whose only reasons for playing are purely social, to play one or more lower-level characters, to PvP, etc.) are still welcome, but they should understand that their membership in the guild is purely for friendship purposes - help with lower-level content or support for Battlegrounds play will be secondary to the guild's organizational focus on high-level PvE content.

Over the course of the guild's lifetime, many people have posed the question: is The Tribe a family guild or a raiding guild? This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the questioner's definitions of "family" and "raiding" guilds. Our official answer is that The Tribe is a raid-capable family guild. The Tribe does not engage in what most WoW players would consider "hardcore" behavior, such as limiting the number of characters from each class in the guild, removing players due to lack of skill, mandatory attendance for certain events, etc. It is also our goal to keep the roster well-stocked with fun, honest, good-natured players regardless of their skill or the frequency with which they choose to play. However, The Tribe does want to give its members a reason to keep playing after hitting the level cap - namely, to experience the challenges of all of the PvE content within the game and to succeed against those challenges. With that goal in mind, our leaders are sometimes called upon to strike a delicate balance between equal opportunity and practicality. All members and prospective members should be aware that while the guild's leadership is committed to inclusion and fairness, sometimes people's individual wants and needs have to be set aside for the overall good of The Tribe. This may mean, for example, that under specific circumstances a member might be asked to sit out of a raid that they really want to attend so that The Tribe has a greater chance to succeed. It is the leadership's goal and strong desire to ask its members for these sacrifices as infrequently as possible. The leadership is not exempt from making these sacrifices.

Statement of Principles

The Tribe's five core principles are:

These are the beliefs that shape all of the guild's policies and leadership decisions.

Organization and Governance

The ranks within the guild are as follows:
Chief
Chieftains
Elders
Champions
Oathsworn
Tribesmen
Braves
 
Alternate ranks for player's altnerate characters are as follows:
Commander Alts (For the Chief and Chieftains)
Officer Alts (For Elders and Champions)
Tribe Alts (For Oathsworn and Tribesmen)

The Chief, Jingojango, is the leader of the guild. He is able to make, break, or change any rule or take any action that he chooses at his sole discretion. It is important for current and potential members to understand that The Tribe is not a democracy - just because Jingojango asks for and listens to people's opinions regularly, and may hold a vote to get an idea of what the guild members want, his decisions are law within the guild, even if no one else agrees.

The Chief can't play 24/7 and he can't cover all of the responsibilities of the guild when he does play, so the Chieftain role exists to support guild administration. Chieftains may be involved in recruiting decisions, enforcement of guild rules and discipline, resolving conflicts between guild members, organizing guild activities, representing the guild in dealings with other guilds, etc. If the Chief is not online / not available, then the online Chieftains will share his authority and responsibilities. The Chieftains also participate in a leadership council that informs and advises JJ regarding guild issues.

Alternate characters of the Chief and the Chieftains are called Commander Alts. This rank simply allows the Chief and the Chieftains to invite, remove, promote and demote members as necessary.
 
Players who have demonstrated great loyalty and dedication to the guild and have an interest in leadership activities may be designated as Elders. Elders are responsible for the continual improvement of the guild. Their primary duties are helping guild members get their issues and ideas heard by the right members of the Tribal Council and may also have some specific guild administration tasks delegated to them by the Chieftains.

Each of the 9 Horde classes will have a Champion designated within the guild. This Champion will act as a specialist, maintaining an awareness of what is going on with their class within the meta-game (Blizzard development plans, talent builds, solo and grouping strategies, etc.) and ensuring that all the other guild members within their class have access to and understand this information. Unlike other ranks this rank is a specialization that may be held by a Chieftain or Elder. Champions are allowed to have raid mains outside of their Champion class as not to limit the enjoyment of this player if need be. As long as a Champion fullfills their duties then it does not matter who they play.

Alternate character's of the Elders and Champions are called Officer Alts. These alts retain all the abilities an Elder and a Champion have.
 
Players who have been a member of the guild in good standing for a long time and are great examples of The Tribe's beliefs and principles will be known as Oathsworn. The duties of an Oathsworn will be to embody the core of the guild and go out of their way to conduct themselves in such a way that makes The Tribe and its members proud. Players can only be elevated to Oathworn status by being promoted by the Chief at his discretion or by nomination from at least two Chieftains.

The Tribesmen are the guild's rank-and-file. The majority of the guild's members will hold this rank. A Tribesman's responsibility is to know and understand this charter and abide by its rules and guidelines.
 
Alternate character's of the Oathsworn and Tribesmen are called Tribe Alts. These alts retain all the abilities an Tribesman has.
 
New players who would like to join the guild may do so if their character is level 25 or higher and have passed our application process (See Recruitment). Once their character joins, they are designated as a "Brave" and are considered on probation for approximately one month. If during this probationary period a Brave violates any of the guild rules or guidelines, treats any players poorly or exhibits a personality or behavior
that does not exemplify the Tribe the player's probation may be extended or that member may be removed permanently. If a Brave makes it through their probationary period successfully, then they are automatically promoted to the rank of Tribesman.

Champions, Elders, and Chieftains are appointed by the Chief at his sole discretion but are often chosen under a committee of officers. Members interested in these positions should contact the Chief and, if appropriate, participate in an interview with the Chief before he makes his final decision. Please note that there is a limit to the number of Champion and Chieftain positions, so there may not be openings for the role a member is interested in. These officer roles are positions of responsibility and not privilege. Players should not expect an Officer rank simply for spending a long period of time in the guild. Officer positions are filled as the guild needs.
 
Removal from the guild can be performed by the Chief for any reason, or can be initiated by a Chieftain with good reason. Before a Chieftains can remove a member for a typical infraction, however, they must be able to demonstrate that guild rules or guidelines within this document were violated even after a warning was provided to the member. Severe violations of the rules or guidelines may result in immediate dismissal with no warning. As with all guild decisions, the Chief has the final say and may approve of or veto any action. A guild member can also be removed due to inactivity. If a character is inactive for 60 days or more without talking to the Chief or a Chieftain beforehand, then they will automatically be removed from the guild and notified by in-game mail explaining the removal. Any player removed from the guild solely for inactivity may be re-invited when they become active again at no penalty. No re-invite is guaranteed however so players go inactive or leave the guild at thier own risk.

Players my leave the guild at any time for any reason. It is courteous to let an officer know when you are leaving and why. Any player has a “One Chance” rule of leaving the guild and getting reinvited later if they left the guild in good standing. There is no guarantee you will be re-invited if you leave once but leaving politely and respectfully can work well towards getting re-invited. If you leave the guild more than once you may not get invited back in. Once again inactivity does not affect this rule.

Player Policies

Attached to this page are policies that pertain to players and their characters. Each policy can and will be enforced by the guild leadership and subject to penalty if violated or abused. Player policies are designed to be fair, flexible and with the best interest of the entire guild in mind, not just the individual player. Many policies are designed to optimize raid progression without compromising the integrity of the player.

Behavioral Guidelines

We expect that all Tribe members will possess the following traits while playing characters with membership in the guild. Rightly or wrongly, your actions toward all others while wearing The Tribe's guild tag will reflect on the guild as a whole and we expect members to be sensitive to that fact. Not following the letter or the spirit of these behavioral guidelines can be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

  • Be fun. Be the kind of person who not only participates in good-natured silliness and playing around, but also the kind of person who knows when it's gone on too long or has started to become mean-spirited.
  • Be friends. Appreciate your guildmates and remember that they are here because they believe in these principles too. Enjoy their successes as if they were your own and help them recover from their defeats.
  • Be appropriate. In a guild with members from their teens to their fifties, you're going to have to moderate your language and subject matter a bit. Try to keep guild chat, say, and emotes PG-13 and use your best discretion in whisper/party/raid/voice chat.
  • Be respectful. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Don't insult other people, especially guildmates, and especially not in public. If other people ask you to moderate your behavior in guild/party/raid/voice chat, then please comply and work out your issues later, if necessary. Be aware of the potential impact of your words and actions before you commit to them.
  • Be trusting and trustworthy. Assume that if a guildmate upsets you, then he/she didn't do it on purpose and there was a misunderstanding. Assume that your guildmates are being truthful in all of their dealings with you, and be truthful in all of your dealings with guildmates.
  • Be resourceful. Feel free to ask your guildmates for information or assistance, but don't neglect the other tools and resources (web sites, LFG channel, etc.) that you have at your disposal.
  • Be gracious. Accept help (in any form) graciously. Accept a lack of assistance from guildmates just as graciously, no matter what the reason.
  • Be generous. When you get a great item, the decision to keep it, sell it, or give it to a guildmate should be a difficult one. While you're not required to give any item away for free, many Tribe members have given away BoE epics and passed on valuable upgrades anyway, solely for the betterment of their teammates. That is the true spirit of The Tribe.
  • Be open. Visit the Tribe forums often (at least weekly) and participate openly in guild chat. Communicate with your fellow guildmates.
  • Be constructive. If you have an issue with the guild or a guild member, then don't bottle it up or complain endlessly about it - contact the Chief or a Chieftain for assistance, and be prepared to offer potential solutions to whatever problem you're experiencing.
  • Be tolerant. The Tribe has lots of different kinds of people in it. Malicious or degrading comments about people's race, religion, gender, etc. have no place in The Tribe.
  • Be legitimate. Don't support the professional farmers by buying money, items, or characters with real currency. Don't use or do anything that you know for sure is an exploit or is in violation of Blizzard's Terms of Service.

Tradeskills & Group Loot

  • Guild members who are able to create items/enchantments through tradeskills are prohibited from charging other members of the guild for item/enchantment creation if all of the required materials are provided to them.
  • A guild member is never required to give away any tradeskill ingredient, piece of armor, weapon, etc. for free. However, if guild members are going to sell or barter for items with other guild members it is prohibited within guild chat. Privately discussing the sale of items is tolerated; announcing, discussing, or negotiating the item's price in guild/voice chat is not. Use of the Auction House to sell items you do not plan to use or give to alts/guildmates is encouraged. Always remember to be generous to your other guild members and remember that the guild's success is more important than your character's cash flow.
  • In groups, the looting rules are always left to the discretion of the group leader, but Tribe members are strongly encouraged to use the following "standard" loot rules for the groups they lead:
    • Use "group loot" for Tribe-only groups
    • Use "group loot" or "master looter" for mixed-guild or pickup groups
    • Select "need" from the rolling interface on all non-epic/set BoE items if the item is a true upgrade for your main set of gear
    • Select "greed" from the rolling interface on all non-epic/set BoE items that are not an upgrade or would be for 2nd or 3rd set of gear
    • Pass on all BoP and BoE epic/set items
  • Discuss who can use/wants the BoP and BoE epic/set items that are passed on
  • Do a separate /random roll for the items that are passed on
  • If a BoE item that everyone rolled on and you didn't win would be an upgrade for you, don't hesitate to ask for it. If more than one person needs the item, then the people who need it should roll separately.
  • During looting, you only "need" an item if it is an upgrade to the piece of equipment that you normally use in that item's slot (preferably you will equip such an item immediately). If you plan to use the item for an alternate set of equipment (e.g. a "crit" set, a "PvP" set, etc.), give the item to a character that is not present for the drop, disenchant the item, or sell the item, then your interest in the item is "greed" and you are obligated to represent your interest as such. Misrepresenting your interest in an item as "need" when it is actually "greed" is grounds for dismissal from the guild.

Minimum Level Requirement

No character (except Death Knights) under level 25 will be allowed an invite into the guild. All characters, whether they be main or alternate characters, must be level 25 of higher before receiving an invite if requested.
 
Officers may be invited after level 20. These players are needed to regulate and lead this guild no matter in what capacity they are online. This applies to all Elders, Champions, Chieftains and the Chief.
 
Because Death Knights start at level 55 the minimum required level for an invite is 64 instead of 25. Any and all level requirements way be waived under special circumstances such as the release of a new expansion. Only the Chief may make these exceptions.

Recruitment

Recruitment is based on a case by case basis. Each new recruit should visit the Tribe's recruitment forum found on our forums at http://www.tribeofwarcraft.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19 and click on the thread marked "Application Guidelines - READ BEFORE POSTING". This thread gives a template application and all the information needed to apply.

All new recruits should read at least the first page of our Charter to understand our goals and ideals before applying. If these goals do not apply to you then you need not apply. After recruitment all players are expected to read and understand our policies and ask any questions as needed. If you violate a policy after recruitment there is no excuse for not knowing them first.

After applying the application is moved to a private forum where the officers assess what is written. Every answer is important so "thin" or rushed applications will not likely be accepted. Please make sure you fill out your application openly and honestly. It will make a big difference.

Real Life Friend/Family Recruitment

Applications for membership from RL friends and family of existing Tribe members in good standing are not guaranteed invitation to join the guild, but will be given special consideration based on the RL relationship. Any member that vouches for a RL friend or family member will be held responsible if said recruit is determined by the Officers to not be Tribe material and is removed from the guild. Removal of the recruit will not necessarily lead to removal of the member, but will be documented and taken into consideration in future application evaluations.

Toon Splitting Policy

Members of the Tribe may not have characters in any other Horde guild on the Aggramar server. We strongly discourage members from having characters on the Alliance side or on another server. If you have characters on Alliance or another server, we encourage you to keep it to yourself. If it is uncovered that you have a character that is not in the guild, the Officers reserve the right to discuss and implement any action they deem appropriate ranging from no action taken to guild removal. Such action will be determined on a case by case basis.

The purpose of this rule is simple. The Tribe wants members that are as committed to the guild as the guild is to its members. Splitting characters reduces the commitment and contribution of individuals to the Tribe. We want to ensure that membership is not used for an extra raid timer or as a chat room.

Character Naming Policy

The Tribe is a family-friendly and respectful guild that strives to enhance the game experience for our members as well as the rest of the server (well, Horde anyways). As such, we request that all members carefully consider the names they give their characters that they plan on asking to join the guild. The Officers reserve the right to remove any character from the guild that is deemed inappropriate for the atmosphere of our family and/or the image we portray to the server (assuming Blizzard doesn't get to it first). This matter is quite subjective. Some people may create character names without expecting to offend anyone. The decision on what is offensive will be determined by a group discussion of the Officers to ensure that it does not come down to one person's individual tastes. If anyone is unsure of the potential controversy over a name, feel free to contact any Officer and it will be reviewed for approval.
Name evaluations will not be discussed pubically with any general Tribe members. These discussions are kept private to protect the player. Name evaluations do not effect your status in the guild unless deemed necessary in extreme cases. In most cases the Blizzard naming policy will be relied upon, meaning names will be reported first. Players with names under review will be notified when a final decision has been made.

Guild Communications

Guild Vault

The Guild Vault is a tool for getting items from Tribe members who do not need them to those who do. The six Pages and 42 Panels each contain a slice of the great variety of items that we, the Tribe, have donated to ourselves. This storage space is enormous, but not limitless, and is best suited to hosting donations of items of great rarity or in great demand.

Attached to this page are policies that pertain to the Guild Vault, detailing the means by which the Vault shall be organized and managed. These policies are intended to ensure a safe, convenient banking experience for all involved.

Vault Organization

The guild vault will be organized by the best abilites of our membership including players being responsible about what they donate and where they put it and guild officers maintaining the tabs and preventing clutter. Any "overstock" that occurs may be auctioned, sold or destroyed at the descretion of the officers. Any gold from auctioning or vendoring bank donations will go back into the bank funds.

Equipment:
•    Weapons & Off-hand
•    Plate Armor
•    Mail Armor
•    Leather Armor
•    Cloth Armor
•    Relics & Cloaks
•    Accessories

Crafting Materials:
•    Leatherworking
•    Blacksmithing
•    Tailoring
•    Alchemy
•    Jewelcrafting/Inscription
•    Engineering
•    Enchanting

Crafting Patterns:
•    Leatherworking
•    Blacksmithing
•    Tailoring
•    Alchemy
•    Jewelcrafting/Inscription
•    Engineering
•    Enchanting

Miscellaneous:
•    Misc.
•    Misc.
•    Misc.
•    Potions and Elixirs
•    Scrolls and Drums
•    Food and Drink
•    Food and Drink

Class, Quest & Rep:
•    Reputation Items
•    Reputation Items
•    Reputation Items
•    Class Items
•    Class Items
•    Quest Items
•    Quest Items

Raiding Supplies:
•    Consumables
•    Consumables
•    Consumables
•    Repair Bots
•    Unclaimed Mats
•    Unclaimed Drops (gear and patterns)
•    Unclaimed Drops (gear and patterns)
 

Withdrawal Limits

Each rank has its own set of withdrawal limits. They are as follows:

Brave: None. We do not allow Braves to donate or remove items
Tribesmen/Tribealt: 5 items/stacks per day
Oathsworn: 10 items/stacks per day
Elder/Champion/Officeralt: 50 items/stacks per day
Chieftain/Commanderalt: 100 items/stacks per day
Chief: Unlimited

Money withdrawals may only be made by the Chief and in limited qualities by Chieftains. (See Guild Gold section)
 

Guild Gold

Donations made into the guild vault are for guild purposes only. Every guild member is able to deposit into the vault, only the Chief and Chieftains is able to withdraw these funds.

Instances when Guild Gold is withdrawn:

  • To compensate players for repair bills from un-farmed Tribe sponsored end game raids.
  • To help fund Guild sponsored events (Secret Santa, Tag, etc.)
  • To aid with advancing crafting professions of select players for the sake of sharing them with the guild

Guild Gold will NOT be used for:

  • Any one individuals needs
  • Mount/Riding Skill costs
  • Officers expenses
  • JJ's gambling habit

Ultimately the Guild Gold will be used at the discretion of the Chief.
 

Space Management

The Tribe's Officers shall manage the space in order to make donations possible and withdrawals more convenient. Items may be removed and stored, distributed or sold as necessary to maintain the Vault's value, variety and donation space.

The following items shall not be donated to the Guild Bank in order ensure adequate space:

  • Items under Level 25
  • Equipment that is Good (Green) quality or less

Items may be removed under any one of the following circumstances:

  • The Item has one or more duplicate stacks within the Vault. Removing this item shall improve the Vault's variety.
  • The Item is one of low demand. Removing this item shall improve the Vault's value.
  • The Item is stored in an improper section. This item may be moved to its proper section or removed, as necessary.
  • The Item is a piece of equipment of Good (Green) quality or worse. This item may be removed, disenchanted, and returned as components.

Please keep these management rules in mind while making donations. They are in place to ensure the greatest chance of a browsing Tribe member finding what he or she needs.

Raiding

Raiding is a large of part of this guild. Our goals are to push through the highest level of end-game content that we can without losing ourselves and compromising our guild members along the way. To do this we must enforce a reasonable set of rules and guidelines to both ensure progression and uphold our ideals. Listed in this section is all the individual policies we hold true to ensure these goals are met. If you intend to raid you should be familiar with all of these policies. Keep in mind we do not require raiding nor do we shun players for not raiding or taking a break from raiding. Its open to all but required of none. Raid at you own ability but do so to work with others and not just for yourself. Raiding is a privilege and a responsibility. You are privileged with the ability to raid by your guild and those who raid with and responsible for being mature, reliable and patient with your guild and its raiding progress. We are both proud and happy to raid with you. See you in the dungeon.
Important Raid and Group Information:

Dungeon Status - Levels of Progression

The Tribe defines dungeons in three stages:
 

  1. Unfarmed: Newest and most difficult dungeons based on the level of gear and raiding experience a majority of our raiders have. Heavy rules and restrictions are placed on signups to ensure those who have worked their way to this level and have the highest level of gear and experience in the guild are put forward at the highest priority
  2. Farmed: Each boss in the dungeon has been defeated at least 3 times without glitch or fluke. Optional bosses are not included. Farmed content may still be scheduled as needed and will have minimal restrictions. Farmed content that is still scheduled give priority to those who are at the dungeon's level.
  3. TPUG: TPUG, or Tribe Pick-Up Group, is when a dungeon is on farm status and must be removed from the schedule to make more room for unfarmed and newer farmed content. Any dungeon on TPUG status can be scheduled on off days by regular membership as long as it does not interfere with any other previously scheduled runs. Only basic Tribe raiding rules apply.

 
Progression into unfarmed content is determined, by not limited to, the number of raiders who have geared and are ready for the next level of dungeon. Progression is NOT determined by the previous dungeon reaching farm status. At times dungeons must be farmed for a period of time before the next level can be reached.
 
As stated Farm Status is determined when each boss in a dungeon is beaten at least 3 times without it being attributed to a glitch.
 
TPUG status is determined when the oldest farm status dungeon has been on the schedule long enough and new dungeons or newer farmed dungeons need to take its place.
 
The Tribe leadership must make these choices to ensure too much time is not wasted and progression is put to a halt. Sometimes it is not favorable for a dungeon to go off the schedule but it will still be necessary.

Raid Etiquette and Attendance Policies

While the Tribe is not considered a "hard-core" raiding guild, we still do raid quite frequently and certain standards apply when you decide you are going to raid in this guild. These aren't rules put into place to simply punish people but rather to ensure respect for fellow guildmates/raid partners. These rules and guidelines are for the betterment of our raids and ultimately the betterment of our guild.

When you sign up for a raid, you are making a commitment to 24 (or 9) other people that you will be logged on and ready to go at the designated time for invites. This does not mean simply logging your character 5 minutes before a raid starts and standing around requesting a summons. Many people rush home from work, put the little ones to bed early, and do other things of similar nature in order to raid. Please respect your fellow raiders by being on time, logging onto TS before the raid, and getting yourself and your character prepared to raid for the set time. This list includes but is not limited to:

  • Having plenty of consumables (Potions, Elixirs, Buff food, Weapon oils, Food, Water, any reagents that your class uses, weapon ammunition, etc)
  • Being on-line on the correct character at the time of muster
  • Be at the correct instance in time for buffs
  • Not spamming chat for a summon
  • Attaining the proper rank
  • Reading up on the instance if you aren’t familiar with it
  • Gearing your character with necessary equipment, gems, enchants etc.

If you happen to be put on the alt-list, your responsibilities are still the same as if you made it into the raid and all policies still apply. The alt list is designed as a back-up in case there are issues with any of the original raiders, which happens frequently. Just because you didn’t make initial raid roster doesn’t mean that the raid won’t need you anymore. If you don't hear from an Officer or Raid Leader by first pull, feel free to check in to see if you are needed.

Obviously there are many circumstances in real life that make some of these things difficult. Following are scenarios that are deemed unacceptable for raiding and associated consequences. Emergency situations are usually handled on a case-by-case basis with a Chieftain.

 

  • You will be suspended from raiding if not on-time (i.e. in the instance by 10mins before first pull) without informing a raid member at least 30mins before muster and having a valid reason. Please see the accepted valid reasons below. Requesting a summon less than 10mins before first pull counts as not being on-time and will carry the same disciplinary action.
  • You will be suspended from raiding if you don't show up to a raid and you signed up as "confirmed" and do not provide a valid reason to an Officer or in the forums within 24hrs of the raid start time. Please see the accepted valid reasons below.
  • You will be suspended from raiding if you leave early for a "predictable reason" (e.g. leaving early due to house on fire = OK, leaving early because you're tired, have homework, favorite show is on TV, etc. = bad)
  • You will be removed from the raid and suspended from raiding if you are more than 10 minutes late for first pull even with a valid reason communicated to a raid member at least 30mins before muster or more than 5 minutes late without a valid reason given ahead of time. If you are going to be more than 10mins late, please request to be alt listed.
  • You will be removed from the raid and suspended from raiding if you have an unannounced AFK of 5 minutes or more. This is disrespectful of your fellow raiders and it only takes 2 seconds to type /r AFK.
  • You will be removed from the raid and suspended from raiding if you have 2 or more unannounced AFKs of any duration in a given raid for the same reason as above.
  • You will be removed from the raid and suspended from raiding if you have more than 5 announced AFKs. It is unfair to put an entire raid on hold repeatedly.
  • You will be removed from the raid (but not suspended from raiding) if you disconnect for 10 mins or more.
  • You will be removed from the raid (but not suspended from raiding) if you disconnect 5 or more times during a single raid.

Disciplinary action will escalate with each offense. The first offense will result in a warning. The second offense will result in a suspension of 2 weeks. The third offense will result in a suspension of 3 weeks. The fourth offense will result in a suspension of 4 weeks. After 5 offenses, a player will be permanently banned from raiding.

Valid reasons for being late include, but are not limited to:

  • work related delays
  • family related delays (including pets)
  • car trouble
  • computer/network problems (a pattern of regular problems will be noted and could lead to becoming a non-valid reason)
  • needing to assist a friend or family member with an unplanned situation
  • minor medical emergencies (we will assume that major medical emergencies will cause you to miss a raid, not just be late)

*Should the Officers become aware that a player has provided false information or reasons for being late, disciplinary action will be taken up to and including potential guild removal.

Non-valid reasons for being late include, but are not limited to:

  • oversleeping
  • forgetting about the raid
  • social functions that run later than expected

Valid reasons for a no-show include, but are not limited to:

  • major emergencies of any kind (medical, life safety, etc.)
  • unexpected family commitments
  • unexpected work commitments
  • computer/network problems

Non-valid reasons for a no-show include, but are not limited to:

  • oversleeping
  • forgetting about the raid
  • deciding to do something else on the same night as a raid

All of the following are options that are available to notify the raid of potential lateness/missing and all must be done at least 30mins before muster.

  • Post in the forums, preferably in the raid thread you will be late for/miss
  • Contact the raid leader directly either in-game or by PM on the website
  • Contact any member of the raid and have them relay a message to the raid leader
  • Contact any member of the guild that can relay a message to the raid leader - it is up to the person who will be late/miss to ensure their messenger completes the task.

Sign Ups

Raid sign ups are posted by Sunday, the first day of the raiding week. Each sign up has a series of rules and guidelines for how they fill up.

The method of updating signups is simple. Each player is added on a first-come-first-serve basis. The player must sign up as a specific character or characters designating into specific roles by their class and spec. As each person signs up they are entitled to an open spot if they can sufficiently fill that spot.

Some other factors may apply but above all we do not weight our players by anything but their raw ability to fill a specific role in a raid such as healer or tank. We do not offer special favors or give priority to anyone based on guild rank or seniority.

Each sign up will list any special rules for updating as they might apply.

Main vs. Alts Sign Ups

For any official raid sign up Main Characters are given priority for spots over Alternate Characters at all times until the day of the raid.

Players may offer any and all characters they have capable of that dungeon but only their main character will receive standard priority.

Players may sign up only their alts if they are prepared to be alt listed until the day of the raid.

Players should only sign up characters they are willing to bring. If they do not wish to bring a character then simply do not offer them when signing up and they will not be added to the alt list or the raid the day of the raid.

Alternate Characters are still needed from time to time to fill roles that no Main Character signed up can fill. They are an asset to a raid at times but above all this guild has the responsibility to one player and that one player's committed Raid Main.

Multi-person Signups

Each player by defualt is only allowed to sign up themself for a raid. Multiple signups are only allowed under the following criteria:

  • Those people in the same household (maximum 2 people per signup)
  • Those with special exception granted by the Chief or a Chieftain
    Note: Special excpetions granted on rare occassions when real life circumstances prevent the player from ever signing up at a reasonable time close to active signup times.

Raid Main Declaration

Each player who joined the Tribe at the maximum level, or reaches the maximum level while in the Tribe, and wishes to raid must declare a raid main. This means they much choose a character they wish to raid with who will have all the privileges the Tribe provides for the purposes of raiding.
These are the basic privileges your raid main will get:

  • The ability to sign up for any raid they qualify for
  • Use of the ranking system to clasify the raiding level of the character
  • Class support from your Champion

 
When joining players must state which character they intend to raid with if they intend to raid at all. That character will become their raid main once they reach the guild rank of Tribesmen without exception. New players may not change their raid main until 3 months after reaching the rank of Tribesmen.
All other raid-capable characters are considered Alternates (Alts). Alts get lower priority on sing ups than mains and it is suggested that Alts pass on loot upgrades to mains. Alts are only used on a needed basis to help complete a raid's roster. This only applies to official runs posted by the guild leadership and not internal pick up groups.

Raid Main Switching

After a period of time a player may wish to switch their Raid Main to another character. They may contact their current Class Champion and request this change. The Class Champion will review the change with the officer corp and submit a response to the player after a necessary amount of time to discuss it.

If a main switch is approved the player should immediately change their signature, however main switches will not go into effect until after the next set of raid sign ups begin.

Switching too often can only hurt the current raiding progress and the guild as a whole. To ensure this does not happen too often we use "The 3-6-9 Rule"

The 3-6-9 Rule:
When a main switch is approved for the first time for that player they may not switch again for 3 months. If they choose to switch again after that 3 months then they will not be able to switch for 6 months. And after that 6 months if they switch again it will become 9 months. The more often you switch the longer you will have to commit.

Raiding is a commitment and part of that commitment is pushing one character through the raiding progression. However, we understand that players stop liking some characters or lose enjoyment so the option to switch is still there for you if you wish.

During special circumstance such as new expansions the main switching restriction may be reset.

Raid Spec Switching

When you declare a raid main you declare it as both a class and spec. The spec, or choice of talents, is the most important part because it determines the role you will fill in a raid like healer, tank, dps and so on. If through the course of raiding you decide you wish to change your raid main's spec you may have some descisions to make.

First, check with your Class Champion and your class forum. You may not be required to do anything when you switch your spec. For example some classes are DPS only so changing your spec will not change your role in a raid. In those cases you do not have to contact anyone.

In other cases when changing your spec completely changes your role in a raid you should contact your Class Champion. The spec change will then have to be discussed to determine if it will help or hurt our current raiding situation. For example you may have a healer spec during a time when healers are needed and wish to change to a DPS role when DPS is not needed. This is a problem your Class Champion must discuss with you.

If changing your spec helps the current raiding situation you may be given an exception. If a new spec hurts the raiding situation then it will be treated as a Raid Main Switch and use the same 3-6-9 rule as Raid Main Switching. This means that changing your spec may mean you are locked into that character and that spec for 3 months the first time, 6 months if you switch again after that and 9 months if you switch again after that. This goes hand in hand with the Main Switch rule so you may not switch both specs and then you main immediately after.

This rule is enforced for the same reason as Raid Main rule, because switching too often leaves big problems for raiding progression. However unlike Raid Main switching spec switching has far more exceptions. Always check with your Class Champions when making big changes to your raiding character.

10/25 Person Raid Options

Each raid following the release of the expansion Wrath of the Lich King has both a 10-man and 25-man option.
 
Raids will always be filled on a first come first serve basis going by who can fill the needed roles. Above all the goal of each raid is to accommodate the most amount of players that sign up.
 
10 and 25 man raids will be considered seperate and given their own status (farmed or unfarmed). They will be scheduled as such so players know exactly what they are signing up for.
 
However, situations may arise were we accomodate more players by doing mutliple options like a 25-man and a 10-man, or even 3 10-man raids. In those sitiatuion raid sign-ups will reflect how the raids will be split up. Always refer to the sign-ups often before your raid for updates.
 
Circumstance may force schedule changes that we cannot control. Reasons may be total number of healers, how many can raid on certain nights, etc. Changes will be posted and discussions may be started to explain the reasoning behind changes.
 
The guild leadership can not be held responsible for cancellations and delays that occur after noon the day of the raid. This may cause one of the raid timers to not happen despite who signed up first. There is only circumstance to blame in these situations but we will do everything we can to help those raids should problems occur.
 
The ultimate goal is to exclude as little people as possible but only exclude due to circumstance and not by design. This means we want to help as many of our raiding members as possible but some may have bad luck due to the first-come-first-serve basis of the sign-ups and the number of role slots available.

Go/No-Go Policy

A Go or No Go decision will be made no earlier than 10am server time but as close to 12 noon server time as possible the day of each raid. This means using a predefined set of criteria ranking officers will determine whether a raid will go as planned or get canceled.
The criteria is as follows:

  • Critical Tank Slots (2 for any raid size)
  • Unfilled Slots (3 for any raid size)
  • Unstable server conditions (any raid size)
  • Greater than 20% alts on un-farmed content (3 or more for 10-man, 6 or more for 25-man)
  • Greater than 20% under-ranked players (3 or more for 10-man, 6 or more for 25-man)

 
If one or more of this criteria is met a raid may be declared a No-Go
This criteria is subject to change and unforeseen circumstances may call for cancellation of a raid.
The guild leadership cannot be held responsible for cancellations and delays given by players after Noon the day of the raid. Only circumstance is to blame when a raid is canceled at the last minute.

Raid Loot Policy

At this time all loot from bosses on raids will be distributed in a free roll fashion. This means all party members should pass on all BoP loot and interested parties should /roll 100. The highest roll will win the piece of loot. Each piece should go the character who is best suited to use the item as an upgrade immediately.
The Tribe makes the following recommendations on loot:

  • Pass if you only want the piece for an alternate set of gear while someone else needs it for a main set
  • Pass if you are playing an alternate character while someone needs it on their main character
  • Pass if you have won a main epic piece while others have not (patterns do not count)
  • Pass on all Recipes, Patterns and Plans and allow those with the proper profession and skill level to roll first (Keep in mind when some patterns and plans make items that are BoP)

Some exceptions to the previous recommendations:

  • Alternate characters may roll against a main character if the main character only needs the piece for an alternate set of gear and the alternate characters needs the piece for a main set of gear.
  • If all players interested have won something during the raid already then all of them may roll again
  • If you take something that no one else wants, if only so it does not get disenchanted, you may still roll on another item if the raid leader allows.

Above all else, respect what the Raid Leader's choices. Raid leaders will help instruct the raid on those best suited to roll for the item. Any loot questions during a raid should go to your raid leader, however if possible save your questions until after the raid so you do not slow down its pace.

Dual Specs

The 3.1 content patch introduced Dual Specs to the game and thus the following are rules on how dual specing should be followed for raiding purposes:

  • All players who choose to dual spec must declare a main spec and off spec. This applies to all main characters as well as alternate characters. What you make your main and off spec is your choice.
  • No player is required to have an off spec, only a main spec declared. There are no special privleges that put players with off specs over players with main specs.
  • Priority for signups for all players in relationship to dual specs is as follows:
    Main Character/Main Spec > Main Character/Off Spec > Alternate Character/Main Spec > Alternate Character/Off sec
    NOTE: The same priority is given for loot distribution, but players after players win one item for their off spec should be considerate of Alternates there to help and be generous.
  • Players should consult their Class Champions and Class Forums for specific rules about their class and spec switching policy during raids and declaring their spec. Each class has their own rules for when its a appropriate to switch. If you are in doubt during the raid consult the Raid Leader.
  • Switching your Main Spec and/or Off Spec may result in the 3/6/9 lockdown rule, which will lock you into that main and off spec for 3, 6 or 9 months. Class Champions will decide when your spec choice will invoke this rule or not. Always consult your Class Champion when switching your spec after you have declared one already.

Ranking System

The ranking system allows players to attain certain ranks based on the gear and experience they gain while progressing through more and more difficult dungeons. The ranking system places player into a tier which will sometimes give them priority based on the dungeon they are ranked for.
 
Ranks are based on difficulty of one or more dungeons. When a player reaches the requirements for a rank they are entitled to the highest priority for the dungeon or dungeons that share that rank.
 
Example:
3 players sign up for a Rank 2 Dungeon. Player 1 is Rank 1, Player 2 is Rank 2, and Player 3 is Rank 3. Player 2 is given the first available spot on the run. Players 1 and 3 are given equal priority for the remaining spots.

 
Rank priorities are used to ensure the people who need and meet the requirements of the dungeon get to go first. Those who are undergeared and inexperienced for the dungeons as well as those who's gear and experience exceed the dungeon are given spots afterwards.
 
Rank prioirties are only enforced until Noon on the day of the raid. After that everyone gets the same priority.
 
The Main vs. Alts rules always superceeds this rule, meaning regardless of your ranks Mains will be given priority.
 
Dual spec players can and should be ranked individually by each spec they choose. Only the Main and Off Spec can be ranked, no other gear sets can attain rankings. Even the ranking of Off Specs can affect your signup priority.
 
For additional rules and explinations see the categories below.
 

Attaining a Rank

To attain a rank for your character or characters see your class forum. Each Class Champion will set forth a set of criteria or simply request you contact them to discuss your ranking one-on-one.

Ranking criteria is based on by not limited to the following:

  • Stats vital to a class's role in a raid 
  • Gear required to attain vital stats 
  • Experience in previous dungeons and filling one's role 
  • Ability to fulfill one's role accurately 
  • Ability to perform in a raid under the direction of a raid leader 
  • Ability to come prepared with consumables for a raid

Class Champions may employ as much discretion as necessary to accurately fill the ranks players request. This means you should listen closely to your Champion and accept the direction they ask you to take for optimal raid proficiency. 
Rankings are not a right you can demand, they are privilege and a guideline for players to follow to meet the requirements the Tribe has asked of them. By accepting the criteria for your rank and listening to your Class Champion you prove you are ready to become a important member of a raid.

No player may be discriminated or given special favor for ranks regardless of guild rank or otherwise. Every player is entitled to each rank if they put forth the effort to meet their requirements. Frequency of raiding will not affect your rank unless ranks change while you are away from the game and you no longer meet the requirements. Ranks are a free and open system meant for all players to utilize, not a select few.

Champions should be contacted personally, not by way for public forum. You ranking requirements are private and the ability to work with a champion is a privilege. When requesting a rank DO NOT send only links to the armory. The armory is not always accurate or even on line. Please send a list of the stats your Class Champions require.

See your Class Forum for these details and criteria. Contact your class Champion with any concerns over ranks first.
 

Ranks & Farm/PUG Status

When a dungeon reaches farm status it may not necessarily have rank restrictions and priorities. Only raids which state that the signups will be Rank Enforced will hold these restrictions.

Dungeons on farm status and put together as a Tribe PUG on off-nights will not be Rank Enforced. Farm status will be determined by the guild leadership and clearly stated to the guild.

Groups & Activities

Stanard policies concerning Tribe groups not including official raids. These rules are set in place to both protect players and create consistency amongst official and unofficial activities.

TPUG Guidelines

TPUGs (Tribe Pick-Up Groups) are unofficial groups and raids formed within the Tribe ranks. While they are not as closely regulated or monitored like official raids they should still adhere to a standard set of rules, listed below:

Scheduling

  • TPUGs must not interfere with any current scheduled runs by either player or official. Players can share multiple times with other Players by working it out in advance.
  • No TPUG should be scheduled for two hours before any scheduled run. These runs may run late, thus causing players to miss a scheduled run. You can still be considered a no-show if you are in another raid when a raid you signed up for beings to muster.
  • No player may schedule a TPUG for unfarmed content without seeking approval from the Chief and Chieftains first. 5-mans and farmed content TPUGs need no such approval.

Loot
Tribe loot rules should apply as they do with official raids for the sake of consistency. Any loot descisions made on the run may be examined if complaints arise.

Raid/Group Composition
Raids should be fair to all those interested and not show unfair signup procedures that alienate any Tribe member qualified to attend (Qualified meaning proper level, rank requirements if used, keys if needed)