Developing a harassment and sexual misconduct policy for a LARP production group is complicated. While a LARP group is similar in some ways to a theater company or a convention, there are some key differences that limit potential powers and remedies. There are no financial incentives as participants are not being paid, the events are not strictly ticketed so don’t have the same terms and conditions, and the line between audience and participant is non-existent.
Additionally, because LARP is a collaborative art form, it involves emotional risks and rewards. LARPs involve balancing real social relationships with fictive social relationships in a way that carries the risk of bleed, with social and emotional consequences leaking into or out of the narrative framework. All of this is to say that a policy for an ongoing LARP group is different.
For this policy, there are several key principles.
The priority is community support with a sense of restorative justice. The goal of this policy is to provide space for healing and reconciliation when possible and to prioritize participant safety and harm reduction when not. The consequences offered are not meant to be punitive but protective.
Fifth Star games are private, community-curated spaces. There is not a right to participation, they are not open to the public and while the goal is to maintain participant safety, that does not mean that each individual has a personal right to game.
The relationship between the Head Storyteller and all other participants is a formal relationship. I take this very seriously. While this is complicated in practice, it is a principle that this system relies on. While I may have informal relationships with members of the community, within this context, the formal relationship takes precedence.
Overall, the goal of this policy is not safety but support. This is a process to help when things go wrong. No policy can make a LARP entirely safe and while we do include safety mechanics in game, this policy is about times when they aren’t enough. The goal is to provide help and protection while we work to try and fix things as a community.
This document is an outline of how to bring issues to the Fifth Star Productions staff, what to expect in terms of official action/response, and what your role is within these processes. The basic process is to report issues using the misconduct form available here and elsewhere on the website. There are some notes on jurisdiction and remedy, however.
Jurisdiction- LARPs are not a substitute community justice system. I cannot monitor the behavior of all participants at all times, nor should I have to. To that end, this process is focused on specific contexts relate to game.
Incidents that occur at Fifth Star Productions events. This means games, character creation sessions, cast parties or other events to which Fifth Star Productions has invited people. This does not cover incidents at events Fifth Star Productions is not involved with unless related to another context.
Incidents that represent an ongoing danger at Fifth Star Productions events. Incidents outside of Fifth Star Productions events may be indicative of a pattern of behavior that makes Fifth Star Productions events unsafe. These may require additional investigation, but can be reported.
Incidents that intersect with power dynamics of Fifth Star Productions. The relationship between Storyteller and Player is one that may allow for the abuse of power and should be reported. The same is true if in-game power dynamics are being used to harass or otherwise abuse. Reports about Storytellers will be investigated by groups not including that Storyteller. Reports regarding the Head Storyteller follow a special process of reporting and will not involve the Head Storyteller in the investigative or deliberative process.
Incidents that involve criminal conduct or civil legal dispute outside Fifth Star events. Any incident that has been addressed by judicial authorities outside of Fifth Star Productions may be addressed within as well. This is especially true if related to issues such as restraining orders or civil legal disputes.
Remedies-As someone who runs LARPs, I have power over only two things. Attendance at game and participation in the Storytelling Staff. Remedies may involve these two things, but only these two things. There is a tiered set of remedies that Fifth Star Productions will enforce.
Awareness and Monitoring- If there is something that we should be aware of but doesn’t currently rise to the level of misconduct, this remedy is appropriate. We will stay aware of the context, but won’t necessarily do anything unless things change.
Conversation and Contingency- If the issue can be addressed by a change in behavior but otherwise does not represent an ongoing problem, this remedy is appropriate. We will have a conversation with the person involved about required changes in behavior and monitor the situation. If behavior does not change, then the remedy might escalate to hiatus.
One Game Hiatus- If a situation would benefit from distance and consideration, a one game hiatus is an appropriate remedy. All hiatuses will involve a conversation with the ST staff before return.
Three Game Hiatus- If a situation requires additional distance and consideration, a three game hiatus may be required.
Full Chronicle Hiatus- If a situation cannot be resolved within the timeframe of the Full Chronicle, a hiatus may extend to the end of a particular game, then a conversation before involvement in any future Fifth Star Productions event.
Permanent Disinvitation- Particularly serious issues may result in a permanent disinvitation from all Fifth Star Productions events.
Special Remedies
Removal from ST staff- In cases of abuse of power or incidents related to a Storyteller, one specific consequence may be the removal of the person from the Storytelling staff for game. This may or may not involve other remedies.
Negotiated Concurrent Hiatus- In circumstances when a dispute between participants involves out of game issues that are out of scope of the Fifth Star Productions events but are creating issues within event space(e.g. A messy breakup between players), we may ask both parties to take a no-fault hiatus until these issues can be resolved between them. Both must agree to end the hiatus in order to return to the game.
Level One
In the Chicago Theater Standards, Level One in the reporting process is to try and resolve issues directly between the parties involved. We would ask participants in Fifth Star Productions events to do this if possible. Please do not use the process for reporting serious abuse as a substitute for having an uncomfortable conversation.
And on the other side, please be open when people address uncomfortable matters with you. If it matters enough to someone for them to express it to you, then you should take it seriously. It is an act of trust which signals that they think you may be able to help them.
Ultimately, I am not your parent, your therapist, or your lawyer, for the simple reason that I am not qualified to be any of those. Asking me to take on all responsibility for social monitoring is a quick way to make me unwilling to run games. While I recognize the need to work together as a community to watch for misconduct, that means working together as a community. If you can address things at Level One, please do so. Otherwise, use the reporting process.
The reporting process of misconduct is similar in different contexts, but may involve extra steps in certain cases.
Player A submits request for involvement form
Requires an email address(see anonymous reports below)
Describe incident as fully as possible
Include statement of jurisdiction
Include requested remedy
Form reviewed by HST
If an incident requires it, the process may continue with a subset of ST Staff.
Form reviewed by ST Staff
Preliminary Decision Made
Will Pursue
Proposed remedy
Next Steps
Won’t Pursue
Due to lack of jurisdiction, appropriate remedy, need for more involved process
Conversation with Player A arranged
Covers decision and next steps
Discuss feasibility of next steps
How STs will approach discretion and requests for confidentiality
Timeline of process
Default Conversation is between Head Storyteller and Player A
May involve a second Storyteller and additional person if requested by Player A for support.
ST Staff may meet again if necessary
Remedies enacted
Conversation arranged with Other Parties involved in incident
Other Party informed of incident and decisions by ST staff
Discussion with Other Party about issues related to incident
Discuss incident with Other Party
Address next steps
If necessary, meet again with Player A to discuss issues
Inform Player A of actions taken
If remedies include hiatus, follow up conversation with Other Party before end of hiatus.
ST-Initiated Investigations
Issues witnessed by members of the Storytelling Staff may be investigated whether a form is submitted or not.
Incidents at a Game Event
If reporting an incident at a game event, please both fill out the official form and communicate with a Storyteller that you have done so. If you need help filling out the form, a Storyteller can help with that. The form is a necessary part of the process, even if you communicate verbally, because we are often juggling things and may not be able to accurately record your information, no matter how hard we try.
Reporting When Not at Game Event
You may also report incidents when not at a game event. In this case, please use the official Harassment/Sexual Misconduct form here or on the website. While we recognize that you can’t always control the timing of incidents, please try to report things with enough time before upcoming game events to allow the investigation process to take place.
Anonymous Reports (sort of)
We do not support entirely anonymous reports. An entirely anonymous report would give us no way to follow up with questions if any aspect of the report is unclear and gives us no way to report back findings and remedies. By default, we will not be announcing the results of investigations publicly, so our actions may be invisible if we do not have a way of communicating back.
To enable semi-anonymous reports, we recommend creating a new email address specifically for reporting the issue. Multiple services allow the creation of free email accounts and this will allow us to communicate any questions and decisions related to the report.
Reports involving the Head Storyteller
I hope that it never comes up that someone needs to report me, but there is a process to do so. For these reports, please setup a new email address similar to making an anonymous report and note in the incident section that your issue relates to the Head Storyteller. Another member of the ST staff will reach out to you. If you wish a specific member of the ST staff to be in charge of this, please mention this in the incident section.
What are your rights and responsibilities as a participant in Fifth Star Productions events? These can change, and do vary based on whether you are an active participant(have attended events in the past) or a prospective participant(invited to game through normal processes), but here are a few specific and clear ones.
You have both a right and a responsibility to report misconduct.
If you have negative experiences related to harassment by another participant in the game-- whether player, NPC or storyteller-- please tell us. PLEASE. We do not want to tolerate misconduct, but we can’t do anything about things we don’t know about. You can report issues you experienced personally or issues you witnessed. Do not report issues to us secondhand if at all possible, instead encourage those involved or present to use the report form, as we will be looking to speak to them directly regardless.
You have a responsibility to respond to this process.
Take this seriously. If you are approached about harm or misconduct, either by a member of the ST staff or another participant, it is your chance to make things right. Harms may be unintentional, but are still real, and reducing harm to the community is everybody’s responsibility. Please engage in good faith and try to resolve things.
Active participants have a right to be heard regarding misconduct allegations.
If there is an allegation of misconduct against an active participant, we will communicate with that participant about the allegations. We will not impose consequences on someone without communicating with them about what and why, unless those allegations are sufficiently serious and well documented to merit an immediate ban. We may not agree with your interpretation of events, but we will talk to you about them.
You have a right to discretion, but not total confidentiality, in the process of investigation
While the initial form for reporting will remain confidential unless that confidentiality is waived, the process may not be entirely confidential. Our general process will be to deal with the investigation of reports with the highest possible level of discretion. This may require communication with people involved in incidents, though we will communicate with anyone filing a report as to how things will go forward and any communications that Fifth Star Productions will undertake in terms of remedy and follow up to provide a chance for discussion of desired levels of discretion/confidentiality.
This right is waived if communications that are part of an investigative process are shared with people not involved in the incident in question without consulting Fifth Star Productions. If you do feel the need to share material, please let us know and we will discuss how to move forward.
You have limited rights related to character and game related content
Narrative consequences will not be used as a penalty in game. If a participant is requested to take a hiatus(or requests one), effort will be made to prevent that hiatus from penalizing the character. Characters will continue to earn experience if applicable and in-world reasons for absence will be provided that allow a potential re-entry to game after the hiatus, if possible. Permanent removal from either the Chronicle or all Fifth Star Events will be resolved by the departure of a participant’s character.
If requested behavioral changes create issues in access to parts of the narrative, please talk to the ST staff and we will work to find narrative solutions that keep you from missing out on game because of good faith efforts to resolve issues.
Particular circumstances may make it impossible for a chronicle to continue. This decision is made at the discretion of Fifth Star Productions. In this case, game content will not be shared with other parties and we ask that game not continue.
Within the context of an incident investigation, there may be conversations related to behavior or incidents. There are a few things to know related to how we will approach mitigating circumstances. While investigations may seek to better understand the context of an individual incident or behavior, there are several specific issues that we have observed in other contexts that we want to mention ahead of time.
“Only Joking”
The line between satire and cruelty is often very blurry and a lot of harassment hides behind a kidding tone. A joking intent does not undo harm, so an excuse of “I was only joking” does not undo the need to make up for that harm. Only sincere acknowledgement of harm can be part of a redress process. The spirit of this rule is that harassment often hides behind a light tone to deflect responsibility.
“In Character”
Within the context of game, a participant may choose to do things based on their interpretation of what their character would do. These choices are still made by the player and the player bears responsibility for them. The spirit of this rule is that when making cooperative art, you have responsibility to those you are working with not to engage in harassment or other misconduct.
“Neurodivergence is not an abdication of responsibility”
Actions have consequences, regardless of intention. While we recognize that neurodivergence may make aspects of interpersonal interaction more complicated, being neurodivergent does not automatically make an individual blameless or render actions harmless. It is NOT our intention to enforce neurotypical standards of behavior or to make spaces unwelcome to the neurodivergent, but to find ways to prevent future incidents or behaviors that make people feel unsafe. The spirit of this rule is that while we are eager to work with participants to help make remedies compatible with neurodiversity, we will not tolerate people abusing this to escape consequences.
On Following the Spirit (borrowed directly from Jackalope Games)
"Willfully abusing the clear meaning of language in an attempt to gain personal advantage or amusement might masquerade as cleverness in lesser minds. Similarly, feigning ignorance, offense or stupidity to avoid consequences might masquerade as guile in those same minds. We’re amused by neither."
"If nothing in the above paragraph made sense to you, here’s a summary – don’t operate under the delusion you are clever enough to avoid the intended consequences of our rules."
"Being destructive to our events and the environment surrounding our events will be dealt with. Tortured citations of language and protestations will not deter this."
For our purposes, this basically means that the spirit of these rules is more important than the letter. Technicalities will not prevent consequences.