By the rec.games.frp.advocacy ratings system, my campaigns are generally (ie: unless otherwise specified):
By which I mean:
I expect the players to try and be nice to each other. Don't make characters which are deliberately antagonistic to other PC's. Try and resolve conflicts, resorting to player level discussions if necessary. Work together. Some players feel that they must be true to their characters, which is fine.
The characters are going to be nice people. No long term evil characters. Having a planned short term character to shake the other players up is fine. (Avoids the situation of "We trust him. He's a PC!" being too prevalent).
The game world well treat the characters fairly lightly. The characters aren't going to be tortured, raped, or placed under excessive psychological pressure. Exceptions include situations in which the characters know they are at risk, and can avoid. I may also ask in advance for permission.
The game world isn't so nice to other people though. The NPC's may have bad things happen to them, although this will be glossed over. I will never use explicit descriptions.
I also consider the character to be the property of the player. This means that I will always ask before committing acts which greatly change the nature of the character. The history of the character is the purview of the player, even if the character has no memories. I may ask permission beforehand, or you may grant me a blanket permission if you choose. Physical disability is not included in this, since the characters tend to live dangerously. Unless you feel like playing a cripple, a way can be found to remove it.
These are really just restrictions on myself, and show the type of game I would prefer to run. If you want any particular conventions to apply to your character, then just say so. For example, you might like to explore the idea of a blind character, in which case I will arrange it so that the character is not cured. You may like to play a character who is not a combatant, but don't want them to be killed.
Glenn Butcher / knight