Please read the Player’s Code of Chivalry and other policies below and raise any concerns or questions before playing in your first session.
These are the expectations to which we aspire when we play a roleplaying or storytelling game together. Each player may find certain expectations more challenging and others easier. We promise to do our best.
Player’s Code of Chivalry
Engaged. I will participate in the game in a way that helps my fellow players have fun and tell a great story.
I will keep my attention primarily on the game session, listening even when it is not my turn to act.
If I need to fidget or move around, I will do so in a way that is not distracting to others.
I will not play any other games or watch videos during the game session.
I will avoid excessive conversation that is not relevant to the adventure.
Kind. I will support, validate, and encourage myself and others, so all feel welcome.
I will respect boundaries, not engaging in topics or themes with which my fellow players are not comfortable.
I will inform my GM privately of any topics or themes to be avoided (hard line) or described only in passing (soft veil).
I will use players’ and characters’ names and pronouns as they are provided to me.
I will clean up after myself at the end of the session.
Considerate. I will control my own actions and not attempt to control, overly influence, or detract from others.
I will not touch other people or their possessions without clear consent.
When I or my character encounter misfortune, bad rolls, or inconvenient rules, I will accept it gracefully or remove myself until I may do so.
If there is background noise in my environment or if I need to eat or drink, I will mute my mic except when talking.
I will abide by the GM’s Content and Romance policies as applicable to my group, and will ask the GM for any clarifications I may need.
Ready. I will be at the table and ready for the game session at the scheduled time, with everything I need ready to play.
In person: Character sheet, dice, and writing utensil.
Online: Headphones, webcam, and microphone; character sheet, map, and video chat open and logged in.
Content Policies
The player characters are a team of heroes, working together to do good in the world.
While PCs can have a dark past, ulterior motives, or shady methods, in the end, the heroes should still be heroes.
If a PC turns fully to a path of evil/against their party, they become a non-player character under the control of the GM, and the player will make a new PC to join the party. If you would like to take such a path, discuss it with the GM.
This applies generally to all my games, with specific exceptions for some adult groups.
Game content will be age appropriate, using something akin to MPAA movie ratings, with the addition of ‘lines’ and ‘veils’ as safety tools for roleplaying (see Code of Chivalry above) and stricter guardrails for romance (see Romance Policy below).
Under age 13: PG - Stylized violence, some slightly dark themes or rude language allowed but more serious adult topics avoided or dealt with simplistically as appropriate
Age 13-17: PG13 - Violence and war without excessive gore. Dark and serious themes explored without being too explicit or disturbing. Strong language allowed in moderation.
Age 17+: R - Content appropriate for a general audience of adults, with no restrictions on language. A strong emphasis on safety tools like ‘lines’ and ‘veils’ due to the intensity of inhabiting a character in a roleplaying game (see Code of Chivalry above and Romance Policy below).
Romance Policy: Themes of attraction, romance, sex, etc. will be handled at one level less explicit than what you’d expect from an age-appropriate movie.
For everyone’s safety and comfort, these themes must be handled even more carefully than if kids were exploring these ideas with their peers.
I will not roleplay any romantic relationships involving PCs played by kids, regardless of the age of the characters involved.
I do not allow kids to roleplay such relationships with each other (to avoid uncomfortable situations and unrequited advances). If kids want to roleplay that their elf and orc PCs are smooching, they can do so on their own time.
In a game with kids (PG or PG13), I may mention that an NPC couple kisses or flirts to show their connection and affection. In a game with only adult players, an NPC couple might be described absconding ‘off-screen’ for personal time (sometimes called a ‘fade to black’).
Only in a 17+ game will players be welcome to roleplay romantic relationships — and only then with all parties fully on board after an out-of-character conversation, and still with a ‘fade to black’ for intimate scenes.
I will not play out intimate/explicit scenes under any circumstances.
LGBTQIA+ people and relationships are real and awesome and will be described as such following the guidelines above.
Other Policies
For most groups, a quorum is three players, so a scheduled session will proceed as long as three players (plus the GM) can show up,
If a session must be cancelled, I will attempt to reschedule it within the same calendar week with at least a quorum of players agreeing to the rescheduled time.
In the unlikely occurrence (it has never happened yet) that we are unable to make-up the session before the end of the season, I will refund the fee for one session.
Players must pay for the session using the online scheduling page before they will be allowed to join.
Since I run games for so many different players every week, I cannot keep track of alternative payment plans or IOUs.
Game session audio may be recorded by the GM for note taking purposes.
I sometimes listen back to a session as part of preparing for the next session.
I will store this audio on my device only as long as it is needed and I will not share it with anyone.
Values
I welcome and celebrate neurodiversity. As a parent of autistic and ADHD kids (and as a former 2E kid myself), I can relate to the unique needs and strengths of quirky brains. I’ve found that my tendency to improvise within the guardrails of a structured adventure works especially well for neurodiverse players.
All are welcome at my game table. I make a conscious effort to include and celebrate LGBTQIA+ folks and people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
After all, why be a villain when the world could always use more heroes?!.