diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1e2a6ac2..cd88c055 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ Thumbs.db
 *.sdf
 *.opensdf
 *.cache
-*.txt
 *.pdb
 *.csproj.user
 */_ReSharper*/*
diff --git a/TShockAPI/FileTools.cs b/TShockAPI/FileTools.cs
index 91d7637e..daf4ffcc 100644
--- a/TShockAPI/FileTools.cs
+++ b/TShockAPI/FileTools.cs
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ namespace TShockAPI
             }
             return false;
         }
+
         public FileTools() { }
     }
 }
diff --git a/TShockAPI/Group.cs b/TShockAPI/Group.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3b22e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TShockAPI/Group.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace TShockAPI
+{
+    public class Group
+    {
+        private string name;
+        private Group parent = null;
+
+        public Group(string groupName, Group parentGroup = null)
+        {
+            name = groupName;
+            parent = parentGroup;
+        }
+
+        public string GetName()
+        {
+            return name;
+        }
+
+        public Group GetParent()
+        {
+            return parent;
+        }
+
+        public bool HasPermission(string permission)
+        {
+            //TODO: implement this
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/TShockAPI/Permission.cs b/TShockAPI/Permission.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75460d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TShockAPI/Permission.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace TShockAPI
+{
+    class Permission
+    {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/TShockAPI/TSPlayer.cs b/TShockAPI/TSPlayer.cs
index 60103e5b..e098b04f 100644
--- a/TShockAPI/TSPlayer.cs
+++ b/TShockAPI/TSPlayer.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace TShockAPI
         public uint tileThreshold;
         public bool syncHP = false;
         public bool syncMP = false;
+        public Group group;
 
         private int player;
         private bool admin;
diff --git a/TShockAPI/TShock.cs b/TShockAPI/TShock.cs
index 203d58f3..92e8e2a5 100644
--- a/TShockAPI/TShock.cs
+++ b/TShockAPI/TShock.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace TShockAPI
         public static Dictionary<string, Commands.CommandDelegate> admincommandList = new Dictionary<string, Commands.CommandDelegate>();
 
         public static Dictionary<string, Commands.CommandDelegate> commandList = new Dictionary<string, Commands.CommandDelegate>();
-
+        
         static bool[] BlacklistTiles;
 
         public override Version Version
diff --git a/TShockAPI/TShockAPI.csproj b/TShockAPI/TShockAPI.csproj
index 7db2762a..3eede161 100644
--- a/TShockAPI/TShockAPI.csproj
+++ b/TShockAPI/TShockAPI.csproj
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@
     <Compile Include="ConfigFile.cs" />
     <Compile Include="ConfigurationManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="FileTools.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Group.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Log.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Permission.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Tools.cs" />
     <Compile Include="TShock.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
diff --git a/TShockAPI/Tools.cs b/TShockAPI/Tools.cs
index 31b62775..c8b79911 100644
--- a/TShockAPI/Tools.cs
+++ b/TShockAPI/Tools.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ namespace TShockAPI
 {
     class Tools
     {
+        private static List<Group> groups;
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Provides the real IP address from a RemoteEndPoint string that contains a port and an IP
         /// </summary>
@@ -317,6 +319,39 @@ namespace TShockAPI
             tr.Close();
         }
 
+        private static void LoadGroups()
+        {
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Shows a MOTD to the player
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="ply">int player</param>
+        public static Group GetGroup(string name)
+        {
+            //first attempt on cached groups
+            for (int i = 0; i < groups.Count; i++)
+            {
+                if (groups[i].GetName().Equals(name))
+                {
+                    return groups[i];
+                }
+            }
+            //shit, it didnt work, reload and try again
+            LoadGroups();
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < groups.Count; i++)
+            {
+                if (groups[i].GetName().Equals(name))
+                {
+                    return groups[i];
+                }
+            }
+
+            //sigh :(, ok, you fucked up the config files, congrats.
+            return null;
+        }
+
         public Tools() { }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/TShockAPI/config/groups.txt b/TShockAPI/config/groups.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26fc2642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TShockAPI/config/groups.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#Format
+#name parent permisson1 permission2 permissionN
+#if there is no parent, put null instead
+#groups inherit permissions from their parents
+#put a ! before a permission to negate it
+#currently avaliable permissions: kick ban ignorecheatdetection
+#Do not remove the group default
+#Do not name a group SuperAdmin, that is hard-coded into the code, it grants total permissions
+default null
+admin default kick ban
+trustedadmin admin ignorecheatdetection
+newadmin admin !ban
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/TShockAPI/config/users.txt b/TShockAPI/config/users.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4e0aeb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TShockAPI/config/users.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#format
+#ip group
+#see groups.txt for a list of groups
+127.0.0.1 superadmin
\ No newline at end of file