Kingdoms of Novitas Staff

These are staff positions at Kingdoms of Novitas. Each of these players volunteers their time out-of-game to make the game happen.

Adrastea Inc

Kingdoms of Novitas is a game run by Adrastea Inc, a charitable not-for-profit organization based out of New York. The game was originally founded in 2004 by MVGC Inc. and sold to Adrastea in December 2022. We do not generally use Adrastea Inc to refer to the company, legally we do business as (DBA) Kingdoms of Novitas. The board of directors for Adrastea Inc are Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green, who serve as the first marshals of Kingdoms of Novitas.

A Charitable Non-For-Profit

As a charitable organization, some things related to Kingdoms of Novitas are tax deductible. It's important to note that not everything is and you should know the difference to correctly fill out tax information.

What is NOT tax deductible:

• Event entry fees (you are getting something in return)
• Merchandise purchases
• Raffles
• Volunteer time

What is Tax Deductible:

• Donations
• Auctions (minus the resale value of anything won)
• Gas or other expenses spent going to VOLUNTEER
  • For example standard game events are never volunteer situations, even for staff, but donating time helping to improve Camp Kingsley at one of their work days is.

Kingdoms of Novitas Staff

Kingdoms of Novitas is run by players who volunteer their time to make everything function. Staff is led by the first marshals: Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green. They set the tone for the entire game, handle the paperwork, and deal with any major issues. If you ever have an issue of great importance, please bring it to the attention of one of the first marshals as soon as possible.

Underneath the first marshals are seven workgroups who maintain different aspects of events.

These workgroups are:

• Inn: Oversees the volunteers who run the inn, purchases and cooks food for events. Manages the kitchen and all the game-owned equipment needed to use it.
  • Marshal: Jordan Bellassai
  • Second: Heather Miller
• Logistics: Handles internal paperwork such as waivers, tracking experience, , player attendance, and releases. Manages the item database, runs sign-in, and handles player production of items. Also oversees the games economy, handing out loot to encounters.
  • Marshal: Frank Tamburrino
  • Second: Taylor Dean
• Media & Communications: Oversees our social media and online presence. During games they can be seen taking photographs and video for marketing purposes.
  • Marshal: Kat Crossman
  • Second: Chris Toia
• Operations: Maintains our relationship with Camp Kingsley, oversees game site upkeep, storage shed maintenance, fire safety, game set up and break down.
  • Marshal: Chris Soukup
  • Second: Zach Goldstein
• Player Outreach and Education: Oversees teaching new players, manages rules enforcement, assists other workgroups with finding volunteers as needed. Runs community events, and staffs conventions.
  • Marshal: Brandon Febles
  • Second: Michael Maneri
• Plot & Continuity: Selects and oversees the Gamemasters. Determines major ongoing story elements, manages post event letters (PELS), oversees lore responses, oversees player initiated plots (PIPs), checks character backstories. Handles roleplaying skill advancement requests.
  • Marshal: Ryan Green
  • Second: Donald Tyson
• Props & Atmosphere: Manages the aesthetics of the Kingdoms of Novitas. Cares for existing props, creates or acquires new props as needed. Oversees the make-up desk. Check's garb, encampments and props to make sure they are up to standards.
  • Marshal: Christina Mevec
  • Second: Liska Gutierrez
• Rules Committee: This committee adjudicates rules situations as needed. They also change the rules periodically for purposes of balance or in the hopes of making rules easier for players to learn. Handles playtesting, designs mechanics for new creatures, and creating epic items.
  • The committee is overseen by the 1st Marshals: Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green.

Information about staff themselves can be found on our website.

"Who Should I Talk To?"

Use this guide to help figure out which person is the right person to speak with:

• The First Marshals: Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green
  • To report a serious injury that needs immediate attention
  • To report serious issues, such as a crime.
  • To report harassment
  • To report something that doesn't fall to any of the other workgroups
• The Inn Staff: Jordan Bellassai and Heather Miller
  • To report food allergies
  • To volunteer to work at the inn
  • To make donations to the inn.
  • To find out about experience for inn volunteer work
• Logistics Staff: Frank Tamburrino and Taylor Dean
  • To find out where your experience for the month came from (before contacting another marshal about any missing experience).
    • Logs collects experience points, but they only assign XP for logistics volunteers and whats earned from check-in).
  • To handle pre-production questions or errors
  • For questions related to the item database
  • To replace out-of-date consumables items
  • To volunteer to work the check-in desk
  • To donate gems, ritual components, or other very generic props.
  • To find out information related to the such as character id number.
• Media & Communications Staff: Kat Crossman and Chris Toia
  • To offer to capture event photos or videos.
  • To volunteer for graphic design projects.
  • To inquire about our social media platforms.
  • To find event schedules and information.
  • To ask about our game’s branding.
  • To make suggestions for our marketing campaigns.
  • To discuss merchandise and promotional items.
  • To provide feedback on our .
  • To express interest in collaborating on team projects.
• Operations Staff: Chris Soukup and Zach Goldstein
  • To volunteer to help maintain the Camp Kingsley during events.
  • For questions about set up and break down.
  • For questions related to the Camp Kingsley.
  • To report broken items or issues related to the Camp Kingsley.
  • If you need to contact the Camp Ranger, go to the Operations marshal first
  • To check on experience related to setting up, breaking down, and doing laundry.
• Player Outreach & Education Staff: Brandon Febles and Michael Maneri
  • To say 'hi' if you are a new player.
  • For rules questions
  • To check about doing something you aren't sure you're allowed to do
    • If you aren't sure something works, always check
  • For safety inspection of props (particularly weapons and armor)
  • To report safety concerns
  • To volunteer to help with teaching new players
  • If you would like to find out which work groups are actively looking for volunteers.
• Plot & Continuity Staff: Ryan Green and Donald Tyson
  • To submit a character background
  • To ask questions about the setting.
  • To ask questions about lore.
  • To ask questions about roleplaying skill advancement.
  • To volunteer to be a lead NPC or a Game Master.
  • To check on experience from character backgrounds, Game Master related tasks, or special plot projects.
• Props & Atmosphere Staff: Christina Mevec and Liska Gutierrez
  • To see if garb is appropriate,
  • To see if props are appropriate,
  • To check on experience from donated props, personal boots, or costuming rewards.
  • To check on experience for creating new costuming or props.
  • To donate props.
  • To volunteer time for making new costuming or props.
  • To volunteer to wash or repair existing costuming.
  • To volunteer to work the make-up desk.
• Rules Committee: Christina Mevec, James Vertucci, and Ryan Green
  • To find out how a rules update impacts a particular epic item.
    • They will work with you to update things as needed.
  • To get a ruling on a strange rules situation.
  • If you think you've found an unintended rules interaction.

Staff Retreat

Every year staff gathers for what is known as staff retreat. At staff retreat, members of staff talk about the past year and make plans for the coming year. Most major decisions are made at staff retreat and then announced at the next public event afterwards, typically Feb Feast.

Staff retreats are closed to the public, though sometimes a new player or two will be invited along in order to help get perspective from someone outside of staff.

Providing Feedback

Staff always welcomes feedback from players. When delivering that feedback, there is some advice on how to make it have the most impact.

• Be direct: Tell us what you like or dislike about a specific thing. Stating "I think that the inn should have bbq sauce for hot dogs" is more useful feedback than "There should be more condiments in the inn".
• Use names, don't generalize: When expressing an opinion being able to name who feels this way is going to be more persuasive than "A lot of people think that..." statements. It tells us who to talk to for more feedback.
• Remember that this game is many things to many people: This game has been around for a long time and represents many different things to many different people. Recognizing who benefits and who will be negatively impacted by proposals is important.
• Remember that staff are volunteers: Everyone involved in this organization from staff to the players have day jobs and lives they are part of between events. Suggestions that require large amounts of work need people to do that work, are you willing to put that work in? If you are, you should say so with the feedback, it will help.
• There are many players impacted by changes: A lot of rules suggestions, other things as well, come from a place of "this change would benefit me". This is understandable, seeing first hand something not working gives you a good source for new ideas. However if you really want to sell that feedback, you need to sell why changing something is going to benefit more than just you. Are other people also affected by your issue? Say that. "Characters who use non-martial weapons would benefit from this change..." is better than "I think that non-martial weapons would be better for me if you...".
• Give us time: Changes in a large organization run by volunteers can be very hard to implement. Some things we want to change, but want to wait for the right moment when we can communicate the information to a large number of people at once. If we say we are working on something please believe us and show patience. Periodically asking for an update on progress is very reasonable, expecting something to be done immediately often isn't.
• This game has an identity of its own: Kingdoms of Novitas has established genres and goals that it tries to represent. We are a full contact but not full force boffer larp. If you enjoy lightest touch boffing, it's ok to say that we'll certainly make a note of which players want a different identity. However, don't expect the game to change because that is what YOU enjoy. A change in the games identity is a major undertaking we would not undergo lightly. It's understandable and reasonable to want something different, but please understand that this feedback more than any other kind of feedback is something we often will not have a response to beyond making a note of it. This covers other topics too, like the fact that we do not have Steampunk or Anime elements in our atmosphere.

We get feedback on what the game 'should be' a LOT, especially from brand new players who can sometimes be disappointed when what we are doesn't match their expectations of what they hoped we would be. It's totally ok to wish we were something different, what people want from a live action experience isn't always the same. Using this as a reason to tell us what we 'should be' is going to go over poorly. This game has lasted for twenty years as what it is, it adapts and changes over time but its fundamental identity is what the people attending want, at least on some level. So while change might be better for one person, please consider who already enjoys the game as is. Instead consider offering suggestions of things we could add to the game that wouldn't change it.

• The game's identity does evolve over time: With the rich history of Novitas, a lot of changes have happened over the years. This can be daunting for older players who return after a hiatus, especially now when the game has many new players since moving between sites. If you are one of those older players please understand the game's identity has evolved and what people want from the game has evolved. What was the right answer 10 years ago might not be the right answer now. Unrequested history lessons aren't persuasive arguments; tell us why players now will benefit.

Categories: Out of Game Rules | Staff