TTRPG Rules, Codes of Conduct, and Polices
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TTRPG Topic Bans
There will be a TL;DR copy of our Codes of Conduct, Banned Topics for our general audience, and Rules in the gameplay area(s) as a reference. These references will also be clearly printed on the consent forms, which all GMs and players would be required to sign.
In addition to the general topic ban, each table will potentially have additional banned topics that are built out from consent forms. This is elaborated on in the Consent Forms section of this policy write-up.
The Nerd Dungeon and GMs would keep a copy of all consent forms, collated topic bans for individual tables, and a signed policy document that clearly details the consequences of violating topic bans. The players would also be provided a copy of their individual consent form and the signed consequences policy document.
The following topics are banned from any and all tables inside of The Nerd Dungeon during TTRPG gameplay:
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Sex
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Sexual Assault
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Homophobia
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Racism
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Real-world Religion
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Sexism
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Transphobia
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Slavery
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Genocide
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Self-harm
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Suicide
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Torture
The reason for this ban is to:
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Ensure a safe playspace for everyone, including people in the common areas that are not at the immediate TTRPG table in use (i.e. underage kids).
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Minimize conflicts or trauma that might be experienced through the representation and/or roleplaying of these topics.
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If you want to be able to include these topics at your table, then we must insist that your table be somewhere other than our premises.
Consent Forms
There are other topics that must be discussed on a table by table basis. Although these topics are not expressly banned by The Nerd Dungeon, these topics might still be triggers for some players and/or GMs. We would ask for GMs and players to exercise reasonable caution with these topics in the presence of minors or other potential observers.
To reasonably attempt to ensure everyone’s safety, we are providing a Consent Form that must be filled out by all players (or their legal guardians) and GMs. Signed copies must be kept by the GM overseeing the individual table and the Nerd Dungeon. Players will be provided with a copy of their individual consent form for their own records.
Additionally, a revised topic ban list will be collated and kept by both the GM and The Nerd Dungeon for each table that the GM runs at The Nerd Dungeon.
A staff member, or a GM holding a The Nerd Dungeon approval badge, must be present during the consent form completion process to answer any questions and offer any assistance that a player might have while completing their consent form.
Consent forms currently cover the following topics:
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Horror, and more specifically:
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Blood, Bugs, Demons, Eyeballs, Gore, Harm to Animals, Spiders, and Rats
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Relationships, and more specifically:
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Romance in general, Romance with Fade to Black, Explicit Romance, Romance between player characters and NPCs, and Romance between player characters and other player characters
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Mental and Physical Health Issues, and more specifically:
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Cancer, Claustrophobia, Gaslighting, Paralysis, and Physical Restraint
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More topics might be added by community request and a space has been provided on the consent forms for any player or GM to both elaborate on immediate and specific player needs or accommodations as well as request consideration for additional topics to be added to the form.
The Nerd Dungeon requires GMs to have a copy of the specific collated banned topics list for their table with them during game play. If they don’t have this document on them, they cannot play on premises.
If they don’t have their copy of the banned topics for their table, we can print a copy for them at a cost of 5$.
You can access the consent form --> HERE
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Data Privacy for Players and Subscribers
Our consent forms contain information that could be considered sensitive. Although we don’t have something as stringent as HIPAA , we promise to keep customer consent form data as private as possible, sharing it only with your GMs as needed to ensure that you get the best possible experience at your table.
That said, if we have to share information with law enforcement, we will.
Consequences for Violating Topic Bans
The Nerd Dungeon has a three strike policy for people who violate topic bans:
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The first violation would result in a verbal and written warning.
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For GMs - a copy of this warning would be kept on file and any profile we have on the GM would be flagged.
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For players - the Nerd Dungeon would watch for additional problematic behavior but defer to the individual GM for their recommended course of action at this point.
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The second violation would result in the person in question being temporarily banned from TTRPG related gaming, events, and town halls, but would still retain their rights to be a customer of the retail and cafe venues.
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If a problem persists, or if said individual consistently misuses or violates the rules of the premises, we will reach out to the non-emergency police line to escort the offenders off the premises and then ban them from returning.