Code of Conduct

Please note this Code of Conduct is a live document and still a work in progress. Any questions or concerns should be directed to sa.executiveofficers@nwlarpers.org. To see the full document, click here.

The full reporting process can be found here, and the form is here.


Shadow Accord Code of Conduct


These are our expectations for the behavior of everyone who plays Shadow Accord (SA). Participating in Shadow Accord is a privilege, not a right; being a member of our community is contingent on following this Code of Conduct. Failing to follow this Code of Conduct may result in losing the privilege to play Shadow Accord, or participate in other game-related activities. 


This Code of Conduct is broadly applicable to all spaces where Shadow Accord players interact, including official game events, unofficial events, and between game interactions both online and in person.


Some Shadow Accord spaces may have additional rules in place, which will be made clearly available to participants (e.g. kitchens at site, ST Camp). Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these rules.


This Code of Conduct is informed by the Mission Statement of our organization. 


(Attribution: This Code of Conduct is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Geek Feminism community.)

Reporting

All players are empowered and encouraged to report incidents of a player or staff member doing something which the reporter believes violates Player Code of Conduct or the Staff Code of Conduct or otherwise makes them feel unwelcome or unsafe in the community. 


Reports can be made to an XO using their reporting form [link]. Please see information about making a report here [link]. Reports will be reviewed by XOs, who will give appropriate warnings and revoke privileges of players who have been found to have violated the Code of Conduct or made others feel unwelcome or unsafe.


XOs are also receptive to reports about people and incidents outside the Shadow Accord community and away from Shadow Accord spaces. XOs reserve the right to exclude people from SA based on their past behavior, including behavior outside SA and Northwest LARPers spaces and towards individuals who are not a part of Shadow Accord. This includes players’ behavior at other LARPs. 

 

Reports must be made in good faith, with the intent to create a safer and fairer experience at game. Making reports in bad faith or with the intent to abuse the system is a violation of the Shadow Accord Code of Conduct. Reports are assumed to be made truthfully and in good faith unless evidence suggests otherwise.


Shadow Accord is not a legal body, and as such cannot provide due process.

Community Conduct

We are committed to providing players with a safe environment, free of harassment, discrimination, bullying, griefing, and any other types of behavior that create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive atmosphere.


No Harassment

Shadow Accord is determined to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. 


Harassment is defined as including the following:


In addition, the following are specifically not considered harassment:


 

Interact Respectfully

We expect all players to be good sports and interact with each other respectfully. Discussion, debate and disagreements are natural. However, we do not tolerate abusive or disruptive behavior or language directed at anyone in the community.


Examples of abusive or disruptive behaviors that are against our Code of Conduct include using ad hominem (personal) or disrespectful attacks, continuing to quarrel after a rules dispute has been officially arbitrated, or otherwise being a poor sport. 


Attempting to provoke conflict or derail discussion by baiting, trolling, being willfully obtuse, gaslighting, playing devil’s advocate, white-knighting, sealioning, mansplaining or willfully spreading misinformation are also examples of disruptive behaviors that are against our Code of Conduct. 

Be Kind to Staff

Players are expected to interact respectfully with staff, just as staff are expected to interact respectfully with players. Staff are volunteers who work hard to make this game happen, and we ask for understanding and patience from the players. 


The staff’s job is to create the game experience that we describe in our Mission Statement. In order to do this, staff make policies and give players instructions which players are expected to follow to the best of their abilities. Willfully working against the staff to disrupt our mission is against the Code of Conduct.


Staff teams may have specific rules for how players interact with their teams, and can restrict privileges for not following those rules. These rules will always be clearly communicated beforehand. Examples include:


Manage Character Bleed

Shadow Accord is a roleplaying community. Players may encounter situations in which their characters are recipients or perpetrators of conflict and antagonistic behavior toward other characters. We expect players to clearly distinguish between their in-game and out-of-game actions (see “What is Bleed” on the wiki), and not to engage in vindictive roleplay in-game, or vindictive interactions outside of game based on in-game interactions.


In-game actions between characters are expected to be fictitious, and not directed at the actual people involved. Intentionally choosing a character’s in-game actions to direct harassing behavior at a player is a violation of the Code of Conduct.


If an in-game action accidentally causes distress or discomfort for a player, players and staff are expected to work together to find a reasonable solution that avoids causing further harm. Continuing to use your character’s action to harass another player is a violation of the Code of Conduct. 

Uphold the Community Values

Although we can’t prescribe behavior for every situation, we hope that everyone who plays Shadow Accord will abide by the spirit of our values, as described in our Mission Statement. These values are Fun, Immersion, Accessibility, Fairness, Safety, Inclusion and Diversity and Community. 


Everyone is asked to use their good-faith best judgment to uphold these values in the way that works toward the overall good of the game. Where these values come into conflict, the wellbeing of players is the priority. 

Make Everyone Feel Welcome

Shadow Accord welcomes anyone who upholds this Code of Conduct. Players are especially encouraged to be welcoming and supportive toward new players. 


It is acceptable to limit your interactions with players you don’t like, but please don’t bully anyone through exclusion. Persistently making anyone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in our community is against the Code of Conduct. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable interacting with someone, please inform the XOs. 

Conduct In Game

Follow the Game Rules


We expect players to hold themselves to a high standard of fairness. Players should try to thoroughly understand the rules that relate to their characters, and as much as possible, to NPCs they portray. Players should proactively seek explanation of rules they don’t understand, or quickly check with someone out-of-game. If there’s an ambiguity, players should go with the interpretation that gives them the least in-game advantage until they can look up the actual rule. 


We understand that mistakes and misunderstandings can happen, especially when there are lots of mechanics interacting, or during chaotic situations. We are tolerant of new players and those who quickly amend their mistakes. We are less tolerant of those who continue to break the rules to their advantage when they should know better or have already been given a correction. 


Cheating, in all its forms, is a violation of the Code of Conduct. These are some examples of what constitutes cheating at a LARP:


Bending/Breaking & Deliberate Misuse Rules – by participating in this game, you are agreeing to play by the rules of the game (see the rulebook). Bending and breaking these rules to gain an advantage is not tolerated.


Gibbering – many aspects of the rules require a sig call that must be spoken clearly for the other players to hear. If you say the sig call too quickly, quietly, or slurred to the point that no one can understand what you are saying, that is gibbering. Intentional gibbering is considered cheating. 


Machine Gunning – you cannot make more attacks at a time than what is specified in the rulebook. Attacking too fast is called Machine Gunning, which is against the rules. 


Metagaming – means acting on information that you as a player know, but your character does not know. It is considered cheating when it is done to give yourself an advantage. See the “Avoid Metagaming” section for specific information on metagaming. 


Rhino Hiding – not going down and continuing to fight after you have lost all your health is cheating. The same logic applies to any of your character’s stats.


Lying to Character Guides - Lying about concept or trying to play a restricted subfaction without permission is a form of cheating. 


In addition to the "letter of the laws", we expect that our community will follow the “spirit of the law" when it comes to the rules and mechanics of this game. Therefore, if a player thinks that taking advantage of a rule in a certain way does not fit the intention of the rule, then they should not follow through with that action.

Prioritize Player Well-Being

Player wellbeing always supersedes any game rules. If a rules-based circumstance prevents a player from doing something important for their wellbeing, such as eating, drinking, resting, or tending to a medical issue, the player may temporarily and discreetly disregard the rule to take care of that need. 


Players are expected to return to following the rules as normal as quickly as they can and minimize disruption to other players. If a player finds that they frequently need to disregard a rule or that they cannot resolve the issue quickly and without disruption, they should contact Safety Team or the XOs to come up with a longer-term accommodation. 


A player exploiting this leniency to give themselves an in-game advantage is considered to be cheating.


Pause Scenes Only When Needed

Players are empowered to pause game-play as needed to create a safe environment for everyone. However, players should avoid pausing game play unless absolutely necessary.


There are certain circumstances where it is appropriate to pause a scene or go out-of-game.  Situations where this would be appropriate are described below. 


Pausing a scene cannot be done to avoid in-game consequences or save a character from dying. These rules are here for the comfort and safety of players, and using them for an in-game advantage is cheating. 

For a Fade to Black

If a scene is going in a direction that would be inappropriate or uncomfortable to actually act out, the players should stop and call a “Fade to Black”. This can be used for anything from kissing to a graphic torture scene. A Fade to Black must be used when roleplaying sexual activities. 


A player may ask for a Fade to Black to occur at any time (except during combat) by announcing out-of-game that they wish to Fade to Black. Those that agree may stay and participate in the scene; the individuals who do not agree to stay for the scene may leave. If a player walks in on a Fade to Black scene, those who are a part of it inform the player what's happening. That player can then decide to join or to leave.


Once there are no other players around, the participating players cease roleplaying and instead switch to talking out what is happening in the scene without acting it out. This description can be very general (e.g. “our characters have sex”, “my character tortures you”), more specific (“we fumble around like teenagers”, “I slowly remove your toenails one by one”), or entirely explicit, depending on the players’ comfort level. 

Real-Life Distress

It is possible for in-character action to unintentionally cause real-life distress. If a participant in a roleplay scene is uncomfortable to the point that they feel they are unable to continue the scene, even as a Fade to Black, they are empowered to call for a Stand Down and either explain the problem and give everyone involved a chance to change direction, or exit the scene. In the latter case, they should notify an XO of the situation.


This policy does not protect you from in-character consequences. At the discretion of the Executive Officer(s), this may be handled immediately on-site or may be postponed until after the event.

Rules Disputes 

If there is uncertainty about a game rule during a situation that could result in character death, the players involved have the right to pause the scene to ask for a rules clarification. 


If no one present can answer the question to everyone’s satisfaction, and it’s not possible to quickly find and ask a member of Rules Team, the players may pause the scene and go to ST camp. 


At ST camp, the players should seek help from STs and/or Rules Team members to clarify confusion and ensure that the rules are being followed in the scene. STs, Rules Team members and XOs may look at character sheets, if needed. 


STs may choose to determine how the situation resolves, or they can leave it to the players to resume the scene at the original in-game location, or resolve it with a Fade to Black at ST camp. 


This should only be used to ensure that the rules are being followed in critical moments, not used for rewinds or to avoid certain outcomes. The player facing imminent character death should be aware that by calling a pause, the scene may be resolved at ST camp, and there is no guarantee that it will go in their favor.

Safety Concern

Safety Team does their best to identify and communicate hazards present on site before game, but it’s good practice to also keep an eye out for yourself. Examples of unsafe conditions include muddy ground, slippery steps, fallen branches, tripping hazards in dark areas, etc. If you spot something that’s potentially unsafe for gameplay, pause play until you’ve fixed the situation or alerted Safety Team. 

Players should also monitor themselves and others for signs of hypothermia, exhaustion, sunstroke and dehydration, and encourage everyone to take care of themselves first and foremost while playing at an event. 


Guidelines for PvP and Character Death (WIP)

Avoid Metagaming

Metagaming is when a character acts on information that was learned by the player out-of-game, rather than by their character in-game.  For example, in between events, players often chat about their characters and what they did. If your character was not involved with what happened, then you can not bring any information to the game as your character. Also, even if you know all there is to know about the lore of the game, that doesn’t mean your character does. Metagaming to give yourself an in-game advantage is considered cheating. 


Players may not pass any tagged items, in-game money, or information between their own characters. This includes characters who are being cameoed; their actions should not directly impact the actions of the player’s other characters. 


In some instances positive metagaming is permissible. Positive metagaming is metagaming when the purpose is to create a better experience for others. Examples of positive metagaming might include spending extra time interacting with a new player, or choosing not to remark on a character’s absence because you know the player couldn’t make it to an event.

Respect Others’ Experiences

Shadow Accord is a collaborative effort, and the actions of an individual affect the whole community. 


We expect players to avoid behavior that disrupts other players' experience, such as making out-of-game jokes, “rules-lawyering” mid-scene, and other obnoxious behavior. We expect players to make a reasonable effort to adhere to our expectations for deco and immersion. 


We expect players to adhere as much as they can to our community roleplay conventions, such as “what you see is what you get”, and “no rewinds”, as described in the rulebook.

Conduct for Safe Roleplay

Physical Roleplay

“Do you accept physical roleplay?” 

 

This question must be asked before any physical roleplay (beyond a gentle touch on the shoulder used for some powers) is done to another player. 


There are many reasons why you need to ask, ranging from a common courtesy to not causing outright physical or emotional damage. Some people may have injuries you don’t know about; some people just don’t like being touched. There is no excuse for touching someone without their permission. 


There are special rules for searching a character: In-game items need to be stored in accessible locations, such as bags, belt pouches, etc. Before searching these areas, players must still ask if the other player accepts this kind of physical roleplay. If the other player declines to have you search them, they must reveal all the items that would have been found if they had been searched. 

Portrayals of Prejudice

We do not allow portrayals of real-world prejudice by characters in our game.


As a rule, we do not allow any characters (PCs or NPCs) to portray prejudice based on marginalized traits that exist in the real world, such as a character’s ethnicity, culture, religion, orientation, gender, ability, etc. As a rule of thumb, “if you wouldn’t say it as yourself in real life, it’s not okay to say it as your character.” Saying "but that's just what my character thinks" is not an excuse to bring themes of racism/sexism/homophobia/ableism, etc. into our game. 


So can your character still hate the Tremere? Can you crack jokes about the Corax? Absolutely. No one is a Tremere or a Corax or a in real life, so there’s no one getting hurt by this. 


Our game has an alt-historical setting, however, we always always value the wellbeing of our players over any attempts at historical realism.

Portrayals of Sexual Content

Players should use a Fade to Black (see below) if they want to roleplay any sexual activity between characters. Please don’t actually have sex at game (see “Behave Appropriately at Site”).


Players should be aware that depictions or descriptions of sexual violence, including simply mentioning them as part of a character’s past history, can cause real-life distress to other players. Therefore, depictions of sexual violence are not permitted at Shadow Accord (even in a Fade to Black scene). Players should be cautious about including references to sexual violence in descriptions of off-screen events or character backstories, and must obtain OOG consent from other players before bringing it up. 


Likewise, be aware that not everyone appreciates dirty humor or likes having dirty jokes being made about them, even if it’s in character. If someone expresses OOG discomfort over a joke, you must stop until you get OOG consent to continue. 

Portrayals of Other Sensitive Content


In general, players should pay attention to those around them and check in OOG if they decide to steer roleplay toward topics or content that could be disturbing or sensitive for other players. Likewise, players are always free to express OOG that they’re not comfortable roleplaying around a particular topic or type of content. In either case, the participants in the roleplay should quickly move a different direction with the scene, or switch to a Fade to Black instead. 

Portrayals of Religion (WIP)


Cultural Appropriation (WIP)


Race-Facing and Makeup

In accordance with our anti-harassment policies, coloring your skin (darkening or lightening) to effectively appear as a member of a different nonfictional race is not permitted at Shadow Accord.


Makeup to represent burn marks, scars, birthmarks, warts, pox, blemishes, and other skin conditions is permitted, but players should not be wholly covered by a significantly darker or lighter tone. 


Makeup is encouraged for certain subfactions, and is acceptable provided that the makeup appears fantastical or abnormal and does not imitate the natural variations of human skin tone.  Colors like red or black can be used with care provided they are applied in a specific pattern or design that does not cover more than half a given area (Black around eyes to show deathly pallor or war paint? Neat! Symbols on a hand, forehead, or cheek? Super cool!) When in doubt, please consult with an XO.

Conduct for Physical Safety

Play Within Your (and Others’) Limits

LARPing is physically taxing. Listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself past its safe range. It’s much easier to become seriously injured when you’re cold, tired, dehydrated or exhausted. Take water and food breaks when needed, change into dry clothes, take a moment to breathe when you need to. Be aware of the physical limits of others around you and adapt your roleplay to accommodate others’ real-world physical needs. 


Please talk to Safety Team or XOs if you need long-term accommodations outside the regular rules. 

No Roughness

There is no need to engage in roughness in this game. Do not engage in roughhousing or grappling with other players. Do not attempt to physically push past someone or restrain them. You must always ask for permission before touching another player (see “Physical Roleplay”, above). Striking some with your actual hands (rather than a fist boffer) or bashing them with a shield is not allowed.


Be aware of how you’re moving in a space and recognize that not everyone can get out of the way quickly. Do not create an unsafe situation by charging toward people or forcing them to dodge to avoid being hit. Also be aware that others may have injuries or conditions that aren’t visible to you, and you should never assume what level of roughness is ok for another person. 

Use Boffer Weapons Safely

Boffer attacks are used to hurt characters, not players. The person getting hit should know they were struck, but if anyone experiences pain from a strike or touch, then the aggressor is striking too hard. It is up to the target to determine what is too hard. If another player says they are being hit too hard, you must pull your blows. 


Shadow Accord uses boffer weapons (i.e. made of foam and latex) only. Please leave any replica, prop, or real weapons at home.


Every weapon and shield used at SA must be approved by a member of Safety Team at site before it can be used during that event. Dodging weapon checks or using an unsafe weapon (or a weapon that becomes unsafe during the course of an event) is a violation of the Code of Conduct.


Specific allowable measurements for different types of weapons can be found in the player handbook, the rulebook, and on our website. Using weapons outside these specifications can be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct. 

Abide by Stand Downs

A Stand Down is a temporary pause on some or all aspects of gameplay, and is called when conditions are not safe to play in (e.g. weather, injury). During a Stand Down you may be asked to only engage in social roleplay (no combat), stay in certain non-hazardous areas, or completely pause and stop moving. Listen to Safety Team and follow their guidance. 

Practice Fire Safety

Only those who are approved by the XOs and Safety team may light fires. While the fire is lit, a person approved by XOs and Safety must be present to watch it at all times. If no such person is available to watch the fire, the fire must be completely extinguished. Fires may only be in designated areas. No portable fire pits are allowed. Email Safety and XO teams at least two weeks before the event to request approval.


No combat is allowed around fires. The area around an active fire may be used for roleplay only. All physical combat must move away at least 10 feet. If combat breaks out in an area where there is a fire, then a Stand Down must be called until the area is safely cleared. A player may not enter the area around a fire during combat as a way of avoiding the combat. 


Conduct on Site

Follow Site Rules

Being able to LARP is dependent on having sites who will host us. The rules of the site we play at superseded most other rules. It is a violation of the Code of Conduct to engage in any behavior that endangers our group’s ability to rent and play at a site.


Sites may have specific rules or guidelines about use of fire or different kinds of space heaters. Check with Safety Team to make sure any heaters you bring comply with these rules.


Examples of behaviors that could be breaking site rules include going in areas which you are not allowed in, damaging site property, driving or parking where you're not supposed to, being rude or disrespectful to site staff, misusing site amenities such as the kitchen, or otherwise engaging in a behavior that’s not allowed at site. Specific site rules will be communicated in the before-game announcements.

Follow the Law

Don't break the law: No illegal activity, per the laws of Washington state or federal law will ever be tolerated. There is no exception to this, and any such activity can be reported to the authorities, and result in expulsion from events. While we prefer community solutions over traditional criminal justice, we do keep this as an option in our toolkit for providing a safe environment. 


Shadow Accord also reserves the right to consider previous illegal activity when discussing banning people from participating in our game. We will not automatically bar someone for past illegal activity, but we may consider it if it affects people in our community or makes anyone in the community feel unsafe.

Respect People’s Stuff

Taking things that do not belong to you is not allowed. Full stop. While it may not make sense to press charges over pieces of paper, we can and will suspend or ban someone for stealing a tag out of someone else’s car. 


Note: there are very specific rules that pertain to when you can steal items from other characters in game (must be a valid item usually with a tag, be in an in-game area, you have to return the prop to the player afterward, etc.; read the rulebook for more info). That’s not what we’re talking about here. 

Play Sober

Alcohol is strictly not allowed at official Shadow Accord events (we are an 18+ game, not a 21+ game). Any “alcohol” served in-game is soda or juice. 


Don’t consume anything that could impair your judgment or make it difficult for you to play the game safely. Remember that you can find yourself in the middle of the action at any time. Don’t participate in Shadow Accord while intoxicated, because that puts yourself and others at risk.

Behave Appropriately at Site

Players have varying comfort levels with sexual content. To accommodate everyone’s comfort, we ask that you don’t engage in sexual exhibition around other players, and that you stay sufficiently clothes (at least underwear). There’s no space that’s in-game where you’re guaranteed privacy, so refrain from sexual intercourse anywhere on site. To roleplay sexual activity in character, use a Fade to Black (see below). 


Use the Kitchens and Bathrooms Respectfully

Players must leave the kitchens in good shape after using them. This includes cleaning the counters and washing dishes after using them. Follow the instructions you’re given for storing food in site fridges. If you plan to cook, you must also check with the in-game owner of the building to make sure you’re not interfering with their foodservice plans.


The kitchen at the Wandering Bear is rated "industrial" and cannot be used by anyone without a valid and up to date food handler's permit for any reason. This includes the use of small appliances such as microwaves, coffee machines, and electric kettles. Contact Safety team for more information. 

 

Failure to follow the kitchen policies may result in loss of the privilege to use the kitchens. 


Likewise, make sure to leave bathrooms in a tidy state for the next people. In shared bathrooms, avoid having too much clutter around the sinks. Use storage in other areas for garb and the spaces under beds for OOG storage.


Be An Adult

Quite literally you need to be 18+ to play Shadow Accord. This rule has to do with our event insurance and the extra liability associated with hosting events with minors. Additionally, Shadow Accord contains content and themes that aren’t appropriate for all ages. 


We also hope you will behave like an adult when interacting with other members of the community and resolving disputes. 


Staff Code of Conduct


Staff members are held to standards of conduct above and beyond the standards for regular players. Staff must follow the Staff Code of Conduct laid out below, in addition to the regular Code of Conduct. 


Failure to follow the Staff Code of Conduct is grounds for losing the privilege to serve on staff. 

Be Respectful

Staff members are expected to be respectful of others at all times and during all interactions related to Shadow Accord. This includes interactions with players and community members, interactions with other staff members, and interactions with people outside Shadow Accord when representing the game. 


Do not disparage other staff or other staff teams to players; do not disparage players to staff; do not degrade anyone! It is best practice to assume the best intentions in others, and to be charitable and kind in your judgments. 


The other teams are made up of people giving up their time and trying to help the game thrive. Members of staff don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but it is expected that they maintain respectful behavior while working together. 


When there are conflicts with other staff members, staff members are expected to work toward a resolution amongst themselves. If they cannot reach a resolution, staff members should seek mediation and use support from XOs to resolve the disagreement. 

Be Ethical

Staff members are expected to adhere to the Player Code of Conduct and to be role models for others in the community. As a staff member, you should hold yourself to the highest standards when it comes to being a good sport, an inclusive player, and a follower of the rules. 


Staff members work toward the betterment and best interests of the game. Using a staff position for personal gain is grounds for removal from staff. Personal gain includes both things that could give you an in-game advantage as well as out-of-game advantages in the community. Personal gain also extends to giving advantages to friends or other individual players. 


Staff members are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest they have when they arise (staff hiring/firing decisions, leading investigations, etc.) and recuse themselves from making decisions in situations where there is a conflict of interest.


In general, the community values transparency from staff. Whenever possible, policies and general team information should be public (ie, what a team is responsible for or in general how they do something). Detailed information (the minute details of how something happens or norms that change from head to head) can be kept to staff only, but must be saved on SA drives and be accessible to XO’s. Staff members are expected to keep all staff material only on staff drives. At the end of a person’s time on staff, all documents on their individual staff drive must be moved to their team’s drive.


Certain situations require staff members to be discreet and not share some kinds of information (e.g. private information about players, characters, plots, on-going staff matters). Staff members are expected to ask if they’re unsure on what is okay to share. HoS members should keep HoS-level information private, apart from what’s shared in the meeting notes released to players. Unless it’s specifically about their team and only their team, staff should hold off on making any announcements on behalf of the organization unless they’ve gotten the okay from the other relevant people on staff. Likewise, staff members should be sensitive about sharing information to others which could fuel the rumor mill. Sharing information that you’ve been asked not to share is grounds for removal from staff. 


Opportunities to join staff should be advertised to the whole community. Hiring decisions should be made based on which candidate will best serve the needs of the team, rather than on personal connections.

Be Diligent 

The regular cycle of events requires that staff members be timely and organized. Staff members must be diligent about completing tasks that are assigned to them, or communicate with their Head of Staff if they’re unable to accomplish them. Heads of Staff should talk to XOs if their teams aren’t able to keep up with their duties.


As important as it is to be committed to a staff position, a cardinal rule in Larp is that real life comes first. If you are unable to balance your staff commitments with your real-life commitments you must communicate that to your teammates, HoS or XOs. 


Holding a staff position without the bandwidth or spoons to actually follow through on your job does harm to the organization. Regularly falling through on commitments, without communicating to a Head of Staff or XOs about it, is grounds for removal from staff. There is no shame in making space for someone else to serve on staff if you find that you are no longer able to uphold your commitment. 


Staff members should be responsive in conversations with players and other staff teams. Email conversations should be replied to within two weeks with either the response or a status report, including when a player can expect further responses.


Staff members should also adhere to their team’s expectations, as defined and communicated by the Head of that team. Regularly acting without or against the instructions of the Head of the staff team is grounds for removal from that team. 


Specific Duties of the Heads of Staff and XOs

Each team has specific duties which are essential to keep the game functioning. The Heads of Staff are responsible for ensuring that these duties are carried out by successfully delegating the task among the members of their team. 


If a team is consistently unable to complete its duties, the Head of Staff for that team should consult with the other Heads of Staff and the XOs to come up with a plan to reduce the team’s workload or otherwise overcome the issue. Repeated failure to manage the work of their team is grounds for a Head of Staff to be replaced. 


Character Guides are responsible for:


Check-In is responsible for:


Deco Team is responsible for:


Crew Team is responsible for:


Rules Team is responsible for:


Safety Team is responsible for:


Story Tellers are responsible for:


The Treasurer is responsible for:


Tech Team is responsible for:


XOs are responsible for:


HOS are additionally responsible for:

Consequences

Shadow Accord players must agree to follow this Code of Conduct to the best of their ability. The consequences for players who don’t follow this Code of Conduct is losing the privilege to participate in some or all aspects of Shadow Accord. Examples of potential lost privileges include: