Introduction
Safety at game is of vital importance. In order to tell the best stories we can - including stories that may be challenging or hard to participate in - we must all feel a sense of safety. This sense of safety is what permits us to stretch beyond our normal comfort zone to tell the stories we wish to tell and be the people we wish to be. Safety is the ultimate concern.
Safety is not just about physical safety, but about mental and emotional safety as well. We encourage all players to practice self-care in the face of any kind of injury, whether it be twisting a knee or spraining a feeling. We want players to be comfortable expressing boundaries - physical, mental and social - and to respect the boundaries of others. Below you will find some guidance as to what our culture is like on these topics. If you have futher questions, please feel free to contact an owner, or our DEI coordinator.
Contents of This Page
- Physical Safety
- Mental Safety
- Emotional Safety
- The Pause Game Rule
- Bleed
- Metagaming
- What to Expect if Something Goes Wrong
Physical Safety
Safety of the body is the first concern we shall address. Our game is what's known as a 'lightest touch' boffer system, meaning we use foam-covered weapons and strike only hard enough for the opposing player to feel the blow and know they were hit - no harder. We also try to remember at all times that the people we're fighting are our friends too - at least, out of game. So, in the event that you see someone backing into a dangerous situation, or if someone trips over something or collapses for any reason, the expectation is that you will immediately stop combat with a "Pause Game" call (see the Pause Game section below), and see to the safety of your companions.
There are also non-combat rules for people who are not comfortable with combat. We call these people "Pages" and you can see our page policy here. These players are NEVER to be touched with a weapon - only packets in SOME cases - and the purpose is to include people who cannot safely participate in combat. People may elect to page for many reasons - some lack the physical strength to fight, others are disabled and cannot safely be hit, others still have PTSD or other situations that make combat hard for them. We welcome these people to our game, and encourage them to page if and when they think it is appropriate. We also have rules about younger players - who are generally required to page until they are old enough to not be injured in the event of an accident on the field.
Overall, physical safety is paramount. We do not allow players to use their strength to trap weapons, control a weapon other than their own, or physically touch other players during combat - except for a light touch on the shoulder for some specific situations. Our goal is to keep people as safe as possible, and we encourage our players to keep each other safe, too.