Code of Conduct

General Expectations

This code of conduct won't catch every situation that will arise but exists to put forward the general expectations of the staff of Gethsemane. If you have questions or concerns with the content of this guide feel free to reach out to the player liason.

Player Liaison

In general, all concerns outside of the actual story elements of the game should go through the Player Liaison. This includes complaints about players, concerns about rules, lack of clarity of this Code of Conduct, and suggestions for how to run a better experience for everyone. The player liaison can be reached at playerliaison@gethsemanelarp.com

Illegal Activities

No illegal activity, per the laws of California state or federal law will ever be tolerated. There is no exception to this, and any such activity will be immediately reported to the proper authorities, and result in expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events.

Inappropriate Behavior

The Gethsemane team is 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. The following list of examples includes, but is not limited to, behaviors that will not be tolerated. Exhibiting these behaviors will earn a player a documented Warning, though this is subject to the discretion of the Gethsemane team and the player may receive expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events. The second time a player participates in any inappropriate behavior, it will result in guaranteed expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events. No refund in part or whole will be given to a player who has been removed from an event or events.

  1. Abusive and/or Disruptive Behavior
  2. Bullying
  3. Griefing
  4. Trolling and/or Baiting
  5. Unnecessary Roughness
  6. Discrimination
  7. Sexual Harassment
  8. Blurring the Lines Between Out of Play and In Play
  9. Spreading Misinformation Out of Play

Metagaming and Cheating

Metagaming is the use or application of information by a character that was not learned by their character, but by the player. It could be as innocent as a casual, Out of Play conversation they had with another player, for example. Intentional or not, the use of this information is a form of cheating and will earn a player a Warning. More than one Warning may lead to expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events and is subject to the discretion of the Gethsemane team. Much of the content of Gethsemane, plot or otherwise, is hidden, thereby making secret information a treasure in and of itself. We encourage you to do your best to not ruin unknown plot or content for other players by egregiously sharing this content. This same concept applies to the secret content of your fellow players.

Be Considerate and Respectful to Your Fellow Players

While we encourage conflict and drama within the context of game play, this should never come at the cost of Out of Play disenfranchisement or abuse of other members of the player community. All members of the player community should do their part to make sure every other player is having a great time. It is expected that players will check in with each other and be open, honest, and respectful of each other’s boundaries. If you are unsure if a fellow player is uncomfortable in an In Play or Out of Play situation, ask them. On the other side of that, if you are uncomfortable in a situation, speak up and let the other player know, or bring it to the attention of an Gethsemane team member. If a player is found to be breaking this section of the Code of Conduct, it will result in expulsion of all current and future events of Gethsemane. We will not tolerate an environment where players are disrespectful to one another.

Honor the Spirit of the Rules

While the Gethsemane team has worked very hard to ensure that the rules and mechanics of the game cannot be taken advantage of in ways that were not intended, we are aware that it is difficult to find and fix every loophole. As such, we expect that our community will follow the “spirit” of the rules and mechanics. Gethsemane was designed as a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) LARP. 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. If a player does not follow the spirit of the rules, intentionally or not, then they will receive a Warning from the Gethsemane team. More than one Warning may lead to expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events and is subject to the Gethsemane team discretion.

Be Respectful to Staff

The Gethsemane team strives to provide a safe environment for the players and that safety should extend to the team itself. The same respect that we ask you to show your fellow players, we ask that you show to us. If any of these sections are broken during a player’s interactions with a Gethsemane team member, that player will either receive a Warning or be expelled from all current and future Gethsemane events, subject to the section that was broken and the discretion of the Gethsemane team. More than one Warning will lead to guaranteed expulsion from all current and future Gethsemane events.

No Tagging Without Consent

We would like people to be able to control their own images and personas. Feel free to share photos from events and take photos, but do not tag any individuals in social media for these photos unless you have specifically asked them. Let people tag themselves.

Refunds

If you are banned from the game for any reason you will NOT be entitled to a refund of any monies paid in part or whole

Give Others a Great Experience

While we encourage conflict and drama within the context of game play, this should never come at the cost of out-of-game disenfranchisement or abuse of other members of the player community. It is the goal of the Gethsemane staff to provide every player with a singularly unique, enriching, and personally rewarding live action gaming experience. Required, however, is the mutual cooperation and inclusion of all. To this end, all members of the player community should do their part to make sure every other player is having a great time.

You Are Not Your Character Sheet

Gethsemane is a world driven by the rich history of its world and the inhabitants therein. The rules and systems that were designed as a means by which to interact with this simulated world were done so with the intention that they would be secondary to, and enable real player creativity and imagination.

Much love and respect to the runners of Eldritch Larp (https://www.eldritchlarp.com/) whose great Code of Conduct said better than I ever could what a good community looks like in my eyes and whose Code of Conduct I have used almost verbatim