Auction Guidelines

Expected process for all STs

1. An ST defines the object they wish to put up for auction. This item
must be within the ST's purview to provide (e.g., a plot at their level,
or interaction with an NPC they control).

2. The item is entered into the DB at the ST's approval level, and the
ST approves the item. This approval should include all pertinent
information about the item, including any relevant mechanics.

a. The item must be placed into the DB at least two months prior to the
auction in question.

b. The ST must list the information on where the Auction is being held
(which convention or event) and the dates of the event.

c. The item must be submitted with the type "Auction Item".

3. The item is auctioned

a. The player is provided with the approval number for the item to
reference in their application

b. The player is provided a 6 month limit to redeem the item (this is a
general policy that must be announced at the beginning of the auction so
as not to take players unaware).

4. The existing approval is updated with the purchaser information,
including:

a. Member name

b. Member number

c. Character (if known and applicable)

d. Chapter/Domain info

e. Selling Price

5. The player submits an application for the auctioned item to be
approved at the appropriate level by that member's ST chain.

a. The application must reference the approval number for the auctioned item

6. When the item reaches the appropriate approval level, the ST in
charge initiates the item. If the item is a scene or plot, the ST begins
running it. If it is simply an approval, then the item is provided to
the player on reaching the necessary approval level and after the
expenditure of any necessary XP.

a. All details of the item, including plot progress, character details,
or a summary of an NPC interaction should be logged in the item's
approval for later tracking and verification.

General Rules

Player Donated Items

1. Players who donate items are required to fulfill their donation.
Failure to do so will result in an ST recommendation for the docking of
twice the prestige earned for the donation of the item in question. That
prestige will be of the same type. (e.g., Bob donates a bloodline avus
to the auction for his custom bloodline. He earns 5 national for the
donation. Later, Bob decides he doesn't want to avus the character of
the buying member into the bloodline. The ST chain recommends to the
coordinator chain that Bob be docked 10 national for failing to fulfill
his donation obligation).

a. Donators who are unable to fulfill the donated item through
circumstances outside their control (e.g., the donator's character is
killed before the purchased item can be learned) should include the ST
with shared jurisdiction over both players in a discussion with the
purchasing player. If the players can work out an alternate, equal
arrangement, that should be done. If that's not possible, the ST should
work with the purchasing player to find an equal value item for the
purchasing player.

ST Donated Items

The following items should never be approved for sale at an auction:

1. Anything that would not normally be approved or sanctioned.

2. Anything that breaks existing settings or rules, including all
clarifications in the addendum.

Before the Auction

1. Donated items should be classified into "Regular" and "Gold Star"
items. Gold Star items are any item that is considered very rare,
special, or powerful. Typically, any power or item that confers rare or
unique mechanics to a character should be considered Gold Star.

2. A list of items available for auction must be posted for the
membership at least one day in advance. This can be posted anywhere at
the convention—at sign-in, on a bulletin board, or near the auction
room, for example. This list need not be all inclusive, as it is not
uncommon for last minute donations. However, all ST donated items and
Gold Star items must be on this list.
At the Auction

1. All members must be warned of the rules related to purchasing and
using items prior to the auction beginning. Ideally, members will be
provided a handout with these auction rules, for reference. Failure to
notify players of these rules does not invalidate the rules themselves,
nor provide sufficient grounds for appealing the application of any rule.

2. Before any ST item is auctioned, the players must be warned that they
have 6 months to initiate redemption of the item. There are no
exceptions to this policy. After 6 months, the item is lost. Players
will not be refunded for items lost.

a. Initiating redemption is defined as taking the first steps towards
using the item. This may mean beginning a plotline, beginning the
purchase of a discipline, etc.

b. Any time a player fails to respond to queries or prompts from the
supervising ST for more than 3 months without prior warning, or more
than 6 months with prior warning, the claim to the item is lost and the
supervising ST may decide whether to grant the item after that time.

c. It is the player's responsibility to initiate obtaining the item
through whatever means are defined in the item.

3. Purchased items do not supersede any other rule currently in place.
(e.g., a member cannot purchase a custom power at an auction and apply
it to their character if that character is already at the custom item
limit per the addendum).

4. Members are limited to purchasing no more than one Gold Star item per
auction (see "Before the Auction, item #1). They may additionally
participate in the group purchase of one additional item. Group
purchases are defined as two or more members pooling their money to
purchase a shared item (such as a haven or plot hook). Members may never
buy more than one individual and one group item at a single auction.

a. Gold Star items may only be transferred from one player to another
(either before or after entering play) with the explicit permission of
the ST who provided the item.

5. ST provided items may not be spontaneously created or donated, nor
changed at the auction. All items must be in the DB at least two months
before the auction begins.

After the Auction

1. Sold auction items should be reported in the ST's monthly report,
including date of purchase, purchasing member (name, member # and
contact info) and approval number.

2. Auction items expire if they have not been initiated after 6 months.

a. If the expiration is due to an ST who has not responded, or an
application lingering in the DB without response from an ST, then the
expiration can be appealed to the providing ST's superior. (e.g., an RST
provided item can be appealed to the NST, and so on).

b. Initiating redemption is defined as taking the first steps towards
using the item. This may mean beginning a plotline, beginning the
purchase of a discipline, etc.

c. Any time a player fails to respond to queries or prompts from the
supervising ST for more than 3 months without prior warning, or more
than 6 months with prior warning, the claim to the item is lost and the
supervising ST may decide whether to grant the item after that time.

d. It is the player's responsibility to initiate obtaining the item
through whatever means are defined in the item.

3. Players purchasing items that require approval must obtain approval
through the Approvals DB as usual.

a. STs who deny an auction item purchased by a player must work with the
player to replace the item with something of equal value that is more
suited to the game.

b. Players will not be refunded for denied items

c. If denied, a player may opt to use the auction item on a different
character, but must again obtain approval for its use on that character.

4. Each ST is responsible for tracking items they have provided to
auctions. STs are encouraged, but not required, to send a reminder to
players who are nearing the 6 month expiration.

5. STs are also encouraged to review the auction items from their direct
reports, to verify that purchased items are being honored appropriately.

6. All items that are not purchased with XP (e.g., special havens, magic
items, or Global advantages) expire and disappear after one year. This
does not include anything that becomes intrinsic to a character's
background (such as a canon NPC interaction), nor to anything purchased
with XP (such as a devotion or bloodline).

a. STs should include a pre-made story as to how or why this item
disappears after that year.

Global Items for Auctions

Requesting Items

1. Requests must be placed at least 2 months before the auction.

2. It is highly unlikely that custom powers, including custom
bloodlines, legacies, etc, will ever be approved for auction.

3. Global approval items will only be donated for national and global
level conventions (not for regional conventions)

--
Dawn Lloyd
US2002022740
MST