Loot Rules

We try to give items to people who can make the best use of them, while making sure, to the extent possible, that nobody goes home empty-handed. These rules apply equally to guild members and non-members by default. However, all guild groups are free to set different rules as long as these are agreed to by those present. For convenience, you may safely assume these rules apply to any five-person group, but should ask the raid leader what rules apply in any group larger than that.

Step one: Roll or Pass

• ROLL ("need") on Bind on Equip Green items, except for patterns. On the off chance someone else wins one of these that would actually be an upgrade for you, just mention that. Unless they also need it, they should give it to you.
• PASS on everything else. This includes blue or better items, all bind on pickup items, and all recipes, patterns, plans, schematics, and formulae.

Step two: Allocate Passed Items

Items are allocated according to the following rules, with the highest priority case taking the item. If two characters have equal claim to an item, it is distributed to the winner of a /roll.

1. Upgrades to Main Gear: First priority goes to those who can and will immediately use or equip the item as an upgrade to the gear they usually use. In the case of patterns, this means
2. Other Upgrades to Main Gear: Second priority goes to those who can and will immediately use or equip the item as an upgrade to the gear they usually wear.
3. Upgrades to Special-Circumstance Gear: Third priority goes to those who can and will equip the item as an upgrade to a set they wear less than the majority of the time. For example, a backup set of gear for use only when the character's main set is broken, a set of fire resistance gear, or something a primarily restoration or balance-specced druid would only use while in feral form.
4. Upgrades Not Yet Usable: Fourth priority goes to those who intend to use or equip the item as an upgrade to the gear they usually wear, but who do not meet the item's minimum level or skill requirements. If multiple characters fit this description, the one closest to being able to equip the item takes it.
5. Fodder: Fifth priority goes to the winner of a "fodder" /roll.

Special Cases

• Primal Nether: All who can personally create an object using the nether and/or who want someone in the group to craft something for them with it may /roll. If no present character meets that description, everyone may /roll.
• Corruptor's Scourgestones: These are Bind on Pickup, but just roll (need) for them anyway.
• Rare Patterns/Formulae: If an item that teaches a tradeskill (pattern, formula, etc.) drops and that tradeskill is not currently known by a guild officer, a guild officer present can learn it, and the pattern can be used for the benefit of others (typically enchantments and patterns that allow the creation of BoE objects) the guild officer present gets it. After the tradeskill is known to one guild officer, all subsequent drops are allocated in the standard way (/random 100 among those eligible to learn it). This may seem a bit unfair, but we have seen many helpful patterns earned by the guild lost when people leave the guild, with the unfortunate end result that ALL lose access to those abilities.
• in Zul'Gurub only:
• "Rare Drop" Epic Mounts: Characters who have riding skill but do not already have a "rare drop" epic mount, such as the raptor and tiger mounts from Zul'Gurub, may roll /random 100 for these. Characters who do not have riding skill, or who already have one of these rare mounts, may not roll.
• Bijous: While these are blue, roll "need" for them anyway. They drop so frequently it simply slows down the raid to allocate them any other way. You may do with these whatever you want, including selling them or destroying them for reputation, although it's nice to offer at the end of the raid to trade them one-for-one with guildmembers who need specific colors to complete quests.
• Primal Hakkari Idols and Class-Specific Voodoo Dolls: these go preferentially to a member of the appropriate class who is collecting them for the Zul'Gurub enchantments, who has the faction to use them immediately, and who already has an item worthy of the enchantment (usually a Tier 2 epic).
• AFK: You shouldn't be AFK during fights... EVER. This includes going AFK between fights for a long enough time (or without notifying folks) such that they start without you. It's rude, both to the others on the raid and to those who would like to actually occupy your spot there. If you are afk for any part of a fight for ANY reason, or if you are too far away to participate in a significant part of the battle (raid leader's call, don't whine), you don't get to roll for loot. This is just common sense fairness.

Making Good Judgment Calls

• How Much is Enough? We do not impose a set limit on the number of blues and/or set pieces a character may receive on a single raid. However, if you win something really great, or several lesser items, it's good form to pass for a while to let others get something good too. If you win an epic item, seriously consider passing for the rest of the raid (although nothing should prevent you from asking for items that would otherwise be fodder).
• Is that really for you? Many items can be equipped by several classes, but are really more useful to some than others. When items go to the characters who can most fully utilize their properties, everyone wins. Remember: we are a team, and we will be adventuring together on a regular basis. If you pass on an item because someone else's character will get better use of it, you can reasonably expect that when something that's best for you drops, they'll return the favor. Just as importantly, when items go to the characters who can get the most benefit out of them, the guild as a whole improves, helping us drop more and bigger bosses, and get more and better loot for everyone!
  
  For example, leather armor with significant bonuses to intellect and/or healing, can be equipped by rogues or druids, and plate armor with similar bonuses can be equipped by either warriors or paladins. However, when such items drop, rogues and wariors should generally pass if spellcasters present would use them as upgrades. Conversely, non-feral-specced druids should generally pass on agility and critical strike gear in favor of rogues, while paladins should seriously consider passing on items with strictly physical bonuses if they would also be an upgrade for a warrior present (although this is a murkier call, depending on the paladin's play style).
  
  Even within a particular class, certain items can make more sense for some characters than than others. For example, holy priests can inflict shadow damage, but items that grant significant bonuses to shadow damage really serve shadow-specced priests and warlocks best. Likewise protection-specced warriors rolling for items with defense bonuses should probably be given great deference.
  
  This is the hardest part of the loot rules to understand, because it's necessarily vague. There are just too many possible combination of items and characters to set forth a bright-line rule that covers them all. Morever, reasonable minds can differ as to the best class to use many items. In closing, remember that it is far better to err on the side of passing, and be thought of as a classy, generous person, than to roll in questionable cases and be perceived as greedy loot-monger. Remember: what comes around goes around, even if it takes a little a while.