Discord Community Management Skill

This skill provides comprehensive Discord community management for indie TTRPG Kickstarter campaigns, with specific focus on Dimm City's brand, community culture, and sustainable moderation for small teams.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need help with:

• Server setup - Channel structure, roles, permissions, bots
• Moderation - Handling rule violations, conflicts, difficult situations
• Community engagement - Keeping chat active, building connections
• Event planning - Game nights, Q&As, playtests, celebrations
• Backer management - Exclusive channels, special tiers, rewards
• Crisis handling - Dealing with drama, complaints, or issues
• Culture building - Creating welcoming, positive environment
• Daily management - What to post, when to respond, how to guide

Quick Start

Need Immediate Help?

Someone's being rude: → Check references/moderation-guide.md → "Common Situations"

Don't know what to post today: → Check references/events-engagement.md → "Daily Engagement Activities"

Setting up new channels: → Check references/server-structure.md → "Recommended Channel Structure"

Planning an event: → Check references/events-engagement.md → "Event Planning Checklist"

Reference Documents

references/server-structure.md

Complete server setup and organization guide.

Contains:

• Recommended channel structure for TTRPG communities
• Role system (backers, tiers, self-assign, team)
• Bot recommendations and setup
• Welcome experience design
• Server settings configuration
• Permissions guide
• Emoji and sticker strategy
• Community health indicators

When to read:

• Setting up new server
• Reorganizing channels
• Adding new bots
• Creating role system
• Onboarding new mods
• Server feels disorganized

references/moderation-guide.md

Moderation philosophy, tools, and response frameworks.

Contains:

• Moderation principles for indie communities
• Rules framework (what rules to have)
• Tier system for violations (minor → serious)
• Common situations and responses
• Proactive moderation techniques
• Mod tools and commands
• Dealing with burnout
• Working with dev team
• Crisis management

When to read:

• Dealing with rule violations
• Unsure how to respond
• Writing server rules
• Training new moderators
• Handling difficult situations
• Feeling burned out
• Community crisis

references/events-engagement.md

Events, activities, and keeping community active.

Contains:

• Types of events (recurring, one-time, special)
• Daily engagement activities
• Engagement strategies
• Voice chat strategies
• Seasonal events
• Measuring success
• Small team considerations
• Event planning templates

When to read:

• Chat feels dead
• Planning events
• Need engagement ideas
• Launching new initiative
• Community seems bored
• Want to celebrate milestone
• Unsure what to post

Dimm City Brand Voice on Discord

Voice Attributes

Most casual platform - Discord is where you can be most authentic

• Friendly and warm
• Enthusiastic without being fake
• Dark humor welcome (matches creaturepunk)
• Personal (sign with names: -Matt, -Todd)
• Can use stronger language than other platforms
• Emoji-friendly (3-5 per message fine)
• Show real personality

Example Tones

Announcement:

@everyone 

🌆 STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED 🌆

HOLY SHIT YOU ALL DID IT!

$45,000! The Dark Archives is happening!

[Details about what this means]

We're literally speechless. This community is incredible. 🖤

-Matt

Daily chat:

Morning everyone! ☕

Just got off a 3-hour design call with Todd. The whiteboard looks like a crime scene but we think we've cracked [mechanic].

How's everyone's week going? Any game sessions planned?

Responding to question:

Good question! [Clear answer]

The design thinking is: [explanation if relevant]

Does that make sense? Let me know if you want me to clarify anything! 😊

-Todd

Voice Guidelines

Do:

• Be yourself (authentic beats polished)
• Use emojis naturally
• Sign off with names when appropriate
• Share behind-the-scenes
• Admit when you don't know
• Thank people often
• Show enthusiasm

Don't:

• Corporate speak
• Fake positivity
• Ignore problems
• Over-moderate
• Take yourself too seriously
• Forget to have fun

Common Tasks

Task 1: Welcoming New Members

When: Someone joins the server

Quick response:

Welcome to Dimm City, [username]! 🌆

Glad you're here! Feel free to introduce yourself in #introductions and jump into any conversation.

Are you a Kickstarter backer? Let us know in #customer-support so we can give you access to backer channels!

The city is dark, but the community is friendly. 🖤

Why it matters:

• First impression sets tone
• Makes people feel seen
• Encourages participation
• Builds welcoming culture

Detailed guidance: server-structure.md → "Welcome Experience"

Task 2: Moderating Rule Violations

Assessment framework:

1. Is this a violation? Check against rules
2. How serious? Minor, moderate, serious, or immediate ban
3. First time or pattern? Check user history
4. Context? What led to this?

Response tiers:

• Tier 1 (Minor): Friendly reminder, no formal warning
• Tier 2 (Moderate): Official warning in DM
• Tier 3 (Serious): Timeout or temporary ban
• Tier 4 (Extreme): Immediate permanent ban

Example (Tier 1 - Minor):

Hey [user], quick heads up - memes go in #memes-and-shitposts not #game-discussion. No worries though! Just wanted to let you know. 😊

Detailed guidance: moderation-guide.md → "Rule Violation Response Framework"

Task 3: Keeping Chat Active

When chat is slow:

Daily Activities:

• Post "Question of the Day"
• Share development update
• Ask what people are playing
• Post relevant meme
• React to recent messages

Example prompts:

Question of the Day: What's the darkest character concept you've ever played?

Yo, what's everyone's weekend TTRPG plans? 🎲

[Shares piece of concept art] Thoughts on this creature design?

Don't force it:

• Some slowness is normal
• Community needs breathing room
• Quality over quantity
• Let conversations develop naturally

Detailed guidance: events-engagement.md → "Daily Engagement Activities"

Task 4: Planning an Event

Basic event checklist:

1. Decide type: Game night? Q&A? Playtest? Celebration?
2. Pick date/time: Consider time zones, weekday vs weekend
3. Create Discord event: Use native event feature
4. Announce 1 week ahead: Give people time to plan
5. Reminder 1 day before: Keep it top of mind
6. Day-of reminder: 1 hour before
7. Run event: Be there early, facilitate
8. Follow up: Thank everyone, share recap

Announcement template:

📅 EVENT: [Name]

**When:** [Day, Date] at [Time + Timezone]
**Where:** [Voice/Text Channel]
**What:** [Description]

[Details about what to expect]

Hope to see you there! 🎲

Detailed guidance: events-engagement.md → "Event Planning Checklist"

Task 5: Responding to Backer Questions

Determine type:

• Pledge/payment: Direct to Kickstarter support or team
• Shipping: Provide timeline, escalate if specific issue
• Game rules: Answer directly if you know
• Access to channels: Verify backer status, assign role

Response framework:

Hey [user]! Thanks for backing Dimm City! 🖤

[Answer their question clearly]

[If you need to escalate: Let me check with the team and get back to you]

[If they need access: I'll get you set up with the @Backer role right now!]

Let me know if you need anything else!

-[Name]

Keep #customer-support organized:

• Use threads for complex issues
• Mark resolved issues
• Follow up within 24 hours
• Escalate to dev team when needed

Detailed guidance: server-structure.md → "Category: FEEDBACK & SUPPORT"

Task 6: Handling Conflict

When two members argue:

Early intervention (best):

Hey folks, let's bring the temperature down a bit. You're both making points, but the tone is getting heated. Take a breather? ☕

If escalates:

@user1 @user2 - Moving this to DMs or taking a break. This is getting too heated for public chat.

If continues:

• Short timeout for both (5-30 min)
• DM each explaining why
• Don't take sides unless clear violation

Don't:

• Let it go too long
• Publicly shame either person
• Take sides in argument
• Ban without warning (unless extreme)

Detailed guidance: moderation-guide.md → "Common Situations"

Server Structure Overview

Essential Categories & Channels

📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS

• #announcements (major updates, @everyone sparingly)
• #kickstarter-updates (daily campaign news)
• #rules-and-info (server guidelines)

💬 COMMUNITY

• #general (main hangout)
• #introductions (new member welcomes)
• #random (off-topic chat)

🎲 DIMM CITY

• #game-discussion (rules, mechanics, lore)
• #character-workshop (share builds)
• #homebrew-and-hacks (custom content)

🎨 CREATIVE

• #fan-art (community creations)
• #lore-and-stories (fan fiction)
• #memes-and-shitposts (contained chaos)

🛠️ FEEDBACK & SUPPORT

• #feedback (suggestions)
• #customer-support (backer questions)

🌟 BACKER EXCLUSIVE

• #backer-lounge (requires @Backer role)
• #dream-masters (requires @Dream Master role - $250 tier)

Full structure: server-structure.md → "Recommended Channel Structure"

Role System

Public Roles

@Backer - Kickstarter backers, access to exclusive channels
@Dream Master - $250+ tier, ultra-exclusive access
@Playtester - Volunteers for testing
@Artist - Community artists
@GM - Game masters
@Player - Players
@LFG - Looking for group

Team Roles

@Developer - Core team (Matt, Todd, etc.)
@Moderator - Trusted community helpers

Full role system: server-structure.md → "Role Structure"

Moderation Philosophy

Core Principles

1. Community over rules-lawyering - Context matters
2. Transparent but not performative - Explain actions, don't make drama
3. Consistent but flexible - Same rules for all, consider context
4. Proactive not reactive - Guide early, don't wait for explosions
5. Empower community - Trust members to self-moderate

Rule Tiers

Tier 1: Minor → Friendly reminder, no formal warning
Tier 2: Moderate → Official warning
Tier 3: Serious → Timeout or temp ban
Tier 4: Extreme → Immediate permanent ban

Full framework: moderation-guide.md → "Rule Violation Response Framework"

Engagement Strategies

Daily Activities

• Question of the Day
• This or That polls
• React to community posts
• Share dev updates
• Welcome new members

Weekly Activities

• Game nights
• Mechanic discussions
• Fan art showcases
• Community challenges

Special Events

• Milestone parties
• AMA sessions
• Playtests
• Lore drops
• Contests

Full strategies: events-engagement.md → All sections

Working With Small Teams

You Can't Do Everything

Prioritize:

1. Respond to questions (helpful)
2. Welcome new people (welcoming)
3. Share updates (informative)
4. Occasional events (fun)
5. Everything else (nice to have)

Set Boundaries

With community:

• Response times may vary
• Not 24/7 monitoring
• Doing best you can

With yourself:

• Can't be everywhere
• Quality over quantity
• It's OK to miss things
• Community can self-moderate

Leverage Community

• Thank helpful members
• Let them run events
• Empower answers
• Trust them to be awesome

Batch Your Time

Set specific times:

• Check all channels (15 min)
• Respond to questions (20 min)
• Post updates (10 min)
• Plan events (weekly 30 min)

Rather than:

• Constantly checking
• Scattered attention
• Burning out

Guidance: events-engagement.md → "Special Considerations for Small Teams"

Community Health Signs

Green Flags (Healthy) ✅

• Multiple conversations happening naturally
• New members posting within a week
• Low moderation needs
• Mix of game talk and social
• Self-organizing activities

Yellow Flags (Needs Attention) ⚠️

• Only team members posting
• New members lurking not posting
• Same few people dominating
• Need constant prompting for activity

Red Flags (Urgent Issues) 🚨

• Harassment or toxicity
• Team members burned out
• Dead channels
• Negative sentiment dominant
• Mass departures

Full indicators: server-structure.md → "Community Health Indicators"

Best Practices

1. Be authentic - People back people, not corporations
2. Respond promptly - Especially to new members and backers
3. Celebrate often - Milestones, contributions, wins
4. Thank generously - Community makes everything possible
5. Stay positive - Tone from top sets culture
6. Share behind-the-scenes - Build connection
7. Admit mistakes - Builds trust
8. Have fun - Your enthusiasm is contagious
9. Trust community - They'll surprise you
10. Take breaks - Sustainable > burned out

Quick Reference Guide

"Someone's being toxic"

→ moderation-guide.md → "Common Situations" → "The Heated Argument"

"Chat is dead"

→ events-engagement.md → "Daily Engagement Activities"

"Need to plan an event"

→ events-engagement.md → "Event Planning Checklist"

"Setting up channels"

→ server-structure.md → "Recommended Channel Structure"

"Which bots should I use?"

→ server-structure.md → "Bot Recommendations"

"How do I welcome people?"

→ server-structure.md → "Welcome Experience"

"Dealing with burnout"

→ moderation-guide.md → "Dealing with Mod Burnout"

"Crisis happening"

→ moderation-guide.md → "Crisis Management"

Campaign Phase Strategies

Active Kickstarter (Current - 17 days left)

Posting frequency: Very high

• Multiple daily updates
• Celebrate every milestone
• Share backer progress
• Answer questions quickly
• Keep energy up

Focus:

• Community excitement
• Converting lurkers to backers
• Backer appreciation
• Stretch goal hype

Post-Campaign

Posting frequency: Moderate

• Regular dev updates
• Keep community warm
• Long-term engagement
• Self-organizing activities

Focus:

• Thank yous
• Behind-the-scenes
• Community building
• Sustaining interest

Final Thoughts

Discord is where your community lives between games. It's where backers become friends, where lurkers become contributors, where a customer base becomes a community.

Your job isn't to control it—it's to guide it, nurture it, and trust it.

The city is dark, but the community is light. 🌆🖤

You've got this!