Harassment and Inappropriate Behaviour Policy
The Rules
- 1. No hate speech or bigotry. This should be pretty self-explanatory. This convention is a welcoming space and no bigotry of any kind is welcome.
- a. In-character bigotry. In-character bigotry is NOT tolerated either. If you are using period games or characters as a shield to protect yourself from criticism for your language you are not welcome. GMs may negotiate some exceptions to this rule if the game requires it and it is handled tastefully and with the consent of all players (eg Harlem Unbound requires some elements of this).
- b. Pronouns. Pronouns are not “preferred” — they are mandatory.If someone requests that you use their pronouns, you are to do so. Intentionally misgendering (using they/them can be misgendering) or avoiding pronouns is not acceptable. Accidents do happen, but you must make an effort.
- 2. No harassment or threats. This should be obvious. Respect people’s privacy; do not DM them without permission; don’t message anything creepy or sexual; no doxing people; don’t threaten to do any of these things.
- 3. Be polite to others!
- 4. Mature content. The convention is not strictly over 18 and as such we recommend that if your game contains any mature content you mark it as an 18+ game and provide content warnings. This is especially true for any sexual content. Running any games with more than a few light references in the presence of a minor will betaken very seriously.
- 5. It is against convention policy to stream games.
- 6. A Weekend With Good Friends is run on a strictly volunteer basis. If anyone requests remuneration of any sort please contact convention staff immediately.
A Note on Free Speech
It is important to note that the protection of free speech applies only to the government. They cannot legally censor you for what you say. This convention is not a government department and so freedom of speech does not protect you from being banned from the convention if you break the preceding rules.
What Should I Do if I See or Experience Inappropriate Behaviour?
Please report it to the convention staff (@Convention Staff) as soon as possible; you can DM us, use the “A Weekend With Good Friends help” button in #awwgf-help, or if you wish to stay anonymous use this Google Form.
AI Usage
AWWGF staff and volunteers do not use AI generated content in any materials related to the convention, and our strong preference is that no AI is used to create materials for this convention. If you do choose to use to use AI generated content at the gaming table, its usage is restricted to character sheet portraits and handouts provided during game, and you must disclose AI usage in your submission description.
Roleplaying Safety Tools
The convention recommends the use of roleplaying safety tools when appropriate. The only required safety tool required by the convention is for games to follow a “open table” policy. Please see the section below for a discussion of roleplaying safety tools.
What Are Roleplaying Safety Tools?
Roleplaying Safety Tools are a means to help facilitate communication between GMs and players and amongst players to ensure that everyone involved continues to enjoy the game and that topics that may be traumatic or sensitive for an individual are handled with the appropriate level of care.
The Open Table
Players may leave the game at any time without question if the content makes them uncomfortable. They do not need to provide an explanation. This is the only safety tool mandated by the convention.
Content Warnings
If you know for certain that extreme or controversial content is going to come up in your game, it is a good idea to provide an upfront warning so people don’t sign up and then decide the content isn’t for them. For example, if a GM were running Monsterhearts, they should provide the disclaimer “Contains mature sexual themes” so anyone who does not want that in their games would know to stay away. Please see Example Content Warnings at the end of this page for a selection of common content warnings.
Lines and Veils
Lines and Veils are terms used to convey the limits of the game. They might include subject matter that participants find objectionable or traumatic and do not wish to interact with.
Lines are themes or elements that a participant wishes to be off-limits entirely. When you establish a line that content does not come up in the game no matter what.
Veils are themes or elements that a participant does not wish to interact with directly but can be alluded to. Typically, veiled material is only implied or very briefly mentioned and immediately cut away from by the GM.
It is a good idea to establish some ahead of time, but you can also come up with new ones during the game. As a GM it can be useful to come with some of your own to prompt others’ ideas and then have them send them to you privately. For example, a GM might say “I have a line on sexual assault, that theme will not come up in the game, and I draw a veil over consensual sex so things don’t get too gross; do you have any?” and then prompt them to message me privately.
The X-Card
The X-card is a safety tool that is traditionally a piece of cardboard with an X on it where at any point in the game any player or GM may tap the card to indicate they are uncomfortable with what is happening and to skip it. This provides some challenges online but some options include sending just the letter X in chat, or setting up a card on a virtual tabletop if you’re using one of them.
Additional Safety Tools
The TTRPG Safety Toolkit is a resource co-curated by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk. The TTRPG Safety Toolkit is a compilation of safety tools that have been designed by members of the tabletop roleplaying games community for use by players and GMs at the table. You can find it at ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com.
Example Content Warnings
The following list represents several content warnings. It is not exhaustive. Please do not feel restricted to the contents of this list if you have potentially sensitive content that is not included.
If making use of a content warning with multiple related themes, please be sure to explicitly clarify which specific themes the content warning covers. For example: “Death of Spouse” instead of “Death of Family Figures”.
- Abortion/Pregnancy/Miscarriage/Harm to Pregnant People
- Alcoholism/Drug Abuse
- Awkward/Hostile Childhood or Adolescent Environments
- Body Mutilation
- Body Shaming
- Bugs on/in people
- Bullying/Gaslighting
- Claustrophobic Environments (Caves/Mines/Buried Alive, etc)
- Childhood Abandonment
- Classism
- Consensual Relationships between PCs
- Death of Family Members
- Dementia
- Depiction of Real-World Religion
- Domestic Abuse
- Epidemic/Plague
- Excessive Grieving
- Genocide
- Graphic Gore
- Harm to Animals (other than pets)
- Harm to Children (under 12)
- Harm to Pets
- Harm to Teenagers
- Harm to/Potential Death of PCs
- Heights
- Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, or Other Bigotry
- Hospital Scenes/Medical Procedures
- Insects (consider specifically calling out Centipedes or Spiders)
- Loss of Agency/Mind Control
- Medical Procedures to Alter Appearance
- Natural Disasters
- Needles/Injections
- Physical Restraint
- Police/Authority Figure Aggression
- PvP (Player vs Player)
- Rape
- Self-Harm or Self-Mutilation
- Sexual Assault
- Eye or Teeth Injuries
- Slavery
- Starvation
- Suicide
- Terrorism
- Torture
