Codes of Conduct

Codes of Conduct

Policy

These are our policies about interpersonal behavior between players.

Code of Conduct Summary

Kingdoms of Novitas does not tolerate harassment in any form, including sexual harassment, and will take immediate action to address knowledge or complaints of violations of this policy. To aid in documentation, please try and report offending behavior during the event in which it occurs to any available marshal. For the purposes of this policy, any person attending a Kingdoms of Novitas event will be referred to as a ‘player’.

By participating in a Kingdoms of Novitas event, you are consenting to comply with the following guidelines:

Harassment

Harassment is defined in this policy as any physical or verbal action intended to coerce, threaten or intimidate a player (as opposed to a character). While harassment is not exclusive to the following examples, this guideline for what constitutes harassment will help determine what is a violation of this policy:

• Verbal harassment includes comments that are unwelcome or offensive to any person’s religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, pregnancy, age, appearance, marital status or other protected status, including slurs or negative stereotyping.
  • Please note that willfully and maliciously misgendering a person using the incorrect name and pronouns can and will be considered verbal harassment.
• Nonverbal harassment includes the distribution or display of written material encouraging harmful stereotypes, violence, or discrimination based on the aforementioned protected classes, occupying somebody’s personal space with the intent to intimidate, threaten or coerce them, and aggressively touching somebody with said intentions and without consent.
  • As we are a roleplaying game, it is acknowledged and encouraged that roleplay is immersive. However, if somebody expresses discomfort out-of-game, the instance of roleplay should immediately end. Continuing said instance in spite of expressed discomfort will constitute harassment as if the violations of this policy were performed out-of-game.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment of any form is prohibited by Kingdom of Novitas’ code of conduct in all instances.

Sexual harassment occurs when unsolicited or unwelcome sexual or romantic advances, requests, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual or romantic nature:

• Is persistently enacted on a player that is visibly uncomfortable or avoidant.
• Is persistently enacted on a player that has established a verbal boundary against it.
• Is roleplayed without the explicit out-of-game consent of any person that is present or participating in the instance.
• Creates an intimidating or otherwise hostile environment.

Sexual harassment often takes many different forms. While sexual harassment is not exclusive to the following examples, this guideline for what constitutes sexual harassment will help determine what is a violation of this policy:

• Verbal sexual harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks and threats; requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated, unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or "kidding" that is oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which is sexual in nature and unwelcome.
• Nonverbal sexual harassment includes the distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an individual or group because of sex; suggestive or insulting sounds; leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; or other forms of communication that are sexual in nature and offensive.
• Physical sexual harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, and forced sexual intercourse or assault. Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, noncoercive interactions between players that are acceptable to and welcomed by both parties are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.

Sexual Activity on Site

Even when consensual between parties, engaging in sexual activity at Kingdoms of Novitas events is strictly forbidden. This includes public structures like lean-tos, cabins, and A-Frames, as well as areas where others might accidentally view or hear the encounter. Violations of this policy will be subject to an investigation as well as swift disciplinary action if discovered.

Confidentiality and Retaliation

No loss or penalty will befall a player for:

• Lodging a bona fide complaint with a staff member regarding a breach of this conduct.
• Acting as an eyewitness and reporting a breach of conduct to staff.
• Appearing as a witness to a breach of conduct.

Reporting a bona fide breach of conduct will in no way be used against the player reporting their concern. However, filing a malicious or baseless complaint will constitute a violation of this policy. All complaints will be treated with confidentiality to the best of staff’s ability, and information will only be disclosed on a need-to-know basis. If requested the identity of the complainant will remain anonymous unless circumstances demand otherwise, and staff will take steps to ensure that the complainant is protected from retaliation.

Reporting Procedure

The following procedure is recommended upon experiencing or witnessing a violation of this code:

1. If comfortable, address the player in question and clarify your boundaries. If this does not resolve the issue or the player does not stop, move on to step two.
   1. Note: If this occurrence happens in-game, please immediately go out-of-game for the purposes of addressing this to avoid any confusion on either player’s part.
2. Report the incident as soon as possible after its occurrence to a game volunteer, who will direct you to a member of staff, or go directly to a member of staff. Please try to have a name and/or description of the offending player available. A list of current Marshals and Second Marshals can be found here.
3. The Marshal or Second Marshal in charge of this complaint will report it to the First Marshals. This investigation will include gathering witnesses or other evidence of the infraction and involve discussions with parties involved in the incident. As aforementioned there will be utmost attention focused on confidentiality, and the complainant will be informed of all steps in the investigation before they occur.
4. If the complaint is found to be well-founded, disciplinary action will be taken. This is to be approved by the Marshals and Second Marshals and can include but is not limited t a warning, the removal of the offender from the area, the expulsion the offender from the event (if the investigation and complaint happened within the same event) without a refund, removal from staff (if a staff member or work group volunteer), or a temporary to permanent ban from attending Kingdoms of Novitas events.

Please address any questions, comments or concerns about the contents of this policy to the First Marshals. Thank you for your understanding and we hope Kingdoms of Novitas can be a safe, fun and engaging space for all of its players.

Gender and Roleplaying Policy

Kingdoms of Novitas is committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive experience for all players. We recognize that gender is a complex spectrum, and the comfort level of our players may vary in different situations as their Out-Of-Game (OOG) identities evolve. As a role-playing game, we want to pay special attention to matters of gender identity.

1. Players are expected to play both Player and Non-Player Characters (PCs and NPCs) with the same gender identity and pronouns that they would use OOG. PCs should maintain a consistent gender identity.
   1. Should a player need their PC’s gender identity to transition, the player should reach out to the First Marshals to implement that change for their PC.
2. Under no circumstances are players at Kingdoms of Novitas’ games, events, and platforms allowed to:
   1. Intentionally use the wrong pronouns for a player
   2. Mock and/or parody any gender identity
   3. Encourage discrimination against any gender identity
      1. As per our harassment policy, these actions are expressly forbidden. All infractions of this policy will be met with swift disciplinary action.
3. If a player suspects a deliberate or malicious violation of this policy, they should utilize the grievance form or speak to the First Marshals.

Thank you for your commitment to helping us make Kingdoms of Novitas fun and inclusive for all of our players. If you have any questions or concerns about these policies, or if you require further clarification, please reach out to the First Marshals.

References

Staff

Categories:Basic Rules | Game Safety | Policies