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.

  1. If you would equip the item for main spec (defined, for clarity, as "you will equip this item more than 50% of the time") roll Need.
  2. If you would equip the item for off-spec, first ask if anyone in the group wants it for main spec. Provided that nobody does, roll Need.
  3. Otherwise, roll Greed (or Disenchant, if available and desired).
As always the "don't be a jerk" (in this case, a loot hog) rule is in effect.

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.

Guild Bank as an Alternative to Fodder: An item with the potential to help the entire guild (such as a Bind on Equip epic pattern) may, at the option of the raid leader, be diverted to the guild bank if no character present can immediately use it.

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 in a single instance. 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.