Code of Conduct

v1.0, Updated 2020-12-13

This is the Polaris campaign’s Code of Conduct, written by me, Peter Duerst. Everyone participating in this campaign needs to follow these rules, regardless of whether or not they’ve actually read them. Enforcement of this Code of Conduct is up to my discretion. Severe or frequent violations might merit expulsion from the campaign, but usually only after the person is warned and allowed an opportunity to correct their behavior.

I don’t anticipate needing to enforce this Code of Conduct, since I expect everyone in this campaign is a reasonable person. If problems do arise, these rules are here to protect the players of this campaign so we can keep having fun playing together.

If you think someone’s behavior is violating this Code of Conduct, you should make them aware of this. If you feel uncomfortable bringing it to the attention of the individual yourself, you should notify the session’s DM, myself, or another person you trust to do so. Additionally, you should tell me about any severe or frequent violations of the Code of Conduct.

I expect I will need to change these rules at some point. Changes to the Code of Conduct will only take place between seasons of the campaign, and players will be notified of these changes, typically with an announcement on the Discord server.

The Rules:

  1. Facilitate Fun. Remember: this is a game we’re playing together to have fun. Be respectful and kind. Use correct pronouns for players. Work as a team.
    1. No PvP. There should be no player vs player (PvP) combat in this campaign, unless everyone present at the session (including those not in the PvP) enthusiastically supports the PvP happening.
  2. Be Punctual and Present. Respect the people you’re playing with by being at session at the times you agreed to be there. When at session, be engaged in what’s happening.
  3. Be Mindful of Sensitive Content. Both players and DMs should use care around sensitive topics like drug abuse, slavery, real-world politics, and sexual activity. As a general guideline, imagine this campaign has a PG-13 rating; things like sex and drugs (if present) are generally implied rather than explicitly described. Avoid overly graphic and gory descriptions of violence.
    1. Boundaries: Lines and Veils. Sometimes certain content is never okay for a person (it crosses a line for them), while some content is okay so long as it isn’t explicit or dwelled upon (they’re fine with that content if it is behind a veil). In a campaign of this style, it is hard to know when content might be triggering for other people in a session. That’s why all people in this campaign have the power to request content be put behind a line or a veil. The person invoking this power should specify which boundary was crossed (e.g. “that crossed a line for me” or “I’d like that to be veiled”). No one should question why content crossed a boundary for a person, but sometimes it’s necessary to ask clarification questions to figure out exactly what content needs to be adjusted so it doesn’t cross that boundary.
    2. Content Warnings. If a DM wants to run a session with sensitive content that they want to warn players about, it’s appropriate for the DM to include a content warning in the session’s description which generally describes the sensitive content (e.g. “CW: drug abuse”). Players are encouraged to ask the DM clarification questions about that content warning if they’re uncertain whether the session will be for them or not.