ARCADIA GAMES CODE OF CONDUCT

You must not insult another person on the basis of an out-of-character attribute such as race, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, gender, disability, sexuality, neurotype, transgender status, age, or physical appearance.

You must not discriminate against other participants on the basis of any of these out-of-character attributes.

You cannot play a racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist or transphobic character, or a character who has preconceived negative ideas about other player races or cultures.

In the shared-world setting of Arcadia, all player characters are drawn from their own realms and planes and are all recent immigrants to the city. Players should approach roleplay under the assumption that characters may be curious, but not biased, about other characters’ backgrounds. We are delighted that D&D is finally moving away from stereotypes associated with certain character races, and we encourage players to find fun ways to roleplay that do not rely on these tropes. Characters in the world of Arcadia do not make any assumptions about characters based on their gender.

The option to use access aids or services are all done on a self-declared basis

You must not challenge another participant's right to use aids and adaptations put in place for players and staff

We signpost our participants to mental health resources and encourage our community to reach out for help

Participants may use mobility aids, request that ambient music be turned off, use our quiet spaces, or make other requests to ensure the venue is comfortable and accessible to them. These are all done on a self-declared basis. You must not challenge another participant's right to request or use these options. These provisions are there for those that find they have need of them.

The venue can be noisy during breaks and before sessions. Anyone who wants a quiet space can use our dedicated quiet room. People who make noise in the quiet room may be asked to leave by staff.

We signpost our participants to Mind and Samaritans and encourage them to reach out for additional help.

Mind UK’s Infoline: 0300 123 3393

Samaritans Helpline: 116 123

We support our trans and non-binary community members and their right to declare their own gender and that of their characters

You must use a participant's stated pronouns

Try to use “they/them” if you are unsure of someone’s pronouns

Avoid gendered nouns when referring to mixed groups

Avoid language that assumes gendered roles in the Arcadia Games setting

We strongly support our trans and non-binary community members and their right to declare their own gender. All participants must use a person's stated pronouns. We understand that it is easy to make honest mistakes in this regard, but refusing to acknowledge a correction or deliberately misgendering another player or their character is not acceptable. If you make a mistake, and are corrected, then accept the correction and move on with minimal fuss. 

Likewise, everyone has the right to play any character of any gender, and that gender should be respected. We provide space for pronouns on character cards and encourage participants to use and reference these.

Transgender and non-binary identities are commonplace in Arcadia’s setting and are considered unremarkable.

We specifically ask people to avoid using gendered nouns like "guys" to describe mixed groups, but even phrases like "ladies and gentlemen" can be problematic in Arcadia Games, since the setting includes large numbers of non-binary characters. A better alternative is "adventurers" or “explorers”. We encourage you to think of inclusive terminology that fits your character’s backstory.

Our bathrooms are gender-neutral.

D&D has a troubled history with race that all players must acknowledge and actively work against. Fantasy as a genre has absorbed and perpetuated racist tropes, and unlearning these is an ongoing responsibility for everyone at the table. Tropes, assumptions, and behaviours rooted in racism — whether directed at characters or at players — are not tolerated at Arcadia Games. If you witness a racist trope, invalidation, or microaggression at the table and say nothing, you are also failing your fellow players. All participants are expected to be active bystanders. If you are asked to check your unconscious bias or are called out for a microaggression, you must acknowledge it and work to improve. Refusing to do so is grounds for suspension or removal from Arcadia Games.

Dungeons & Dragons has its roots in a creative tradition that — like much of the fantasy genre — borrowed heavily from racist frameworks, particularly in how certain races and cultures were portrayed. People of colour have historically been marginalised, stereotyped, or erased within these spaces. Wizards of the Coast has begun to address some of these issues in recent editions, but the work of actively unlearning racist tropes at the table belongs to all of us. Black people in particular remain enormously underrepresented as players and as GMs, and it is the reponsibility of the community to ensure that we change that by making these actively inclusive spaces. Racism in a tabletop setting can be directed at characters or at players — and often both at once. Arcadia Games is committed to creating a space where people feel safe enough to raise concerns without fear of ridicule or dismissal. Examples of racism directed at characters include: - Assigning negative traits to entire fantasy races ("all goblins are sneaky", "I don't trust elves")
- Dark-skinned NPCs who exist solely as enemies with no backstory, motivation, or humanity
- Defaulting to whiteness when describing characters, treating it as the unmarked or "normal" state

Examples of racism directed at players include:
- Treating a player's assertiveness or passion as threatening or inappropriate in ways you would not apply to others
- Assuming cheating, misconduct, or bad faith without evidence
- Minimising the interpretations or experiences of a player ("You're overreacting", "That's just what the game is")

These behaviours are often unintentional. They are frequently the product of unconscious bias absorbed from media, games, and culture over a lifetime — which is precisely why it is so important to name them when they arise. At Arcadia Games, we ask everyone to approach these moments with humility rather than defensiveness. If someone at the table raises a concern about a racist trope or a microaggression, that is an act of trust and community-building. The correct response is to listen, acknowledge, and adjust — not to argue or dismiss. If a participant refuses to engage with these corrections, or rejects requests to examine unconscious bias or microaggressions, this will be treated as a conduct breach and may result in suspension or permanent removal from Arcadia Games.

Sexual harassment will not be tolerated

A person of any gender can be a victim of sexual harassment, as can the perpetrator. Our definition of sexual harassment includes any of the following behaviour:

Repeatedly asking a person to socialise within or outside the venue when they have indicated they are not interested

Repeatedly standing or sitting too close to or brushing up against a person without their consent

Sexual comments, banter, jokes, or innuendo in company that includes people who have not expressly consented to it

Nonconsensually sexualising or sexually objectifying another person

Nonconsensually touching a person in an intimate or sexual way

Sharing photos or videos without consent

If you hit on other participants after they have indicated that they are not interested, or if you make sexual comments or jokes that make other participants uncomfortable - then we will treat that as sexual harassment and respond accordingly.

You must not sexualise another participant without their consent. This rule covers how you speak to another participant, but also how you speak about them, as well as any writing or art that you publish. 

Staff members and GMs must not abuse their status to harass other participants or gain advantage over them.

You must not make other people into an audience for overt sexual activity whether in-character or out-of-character at an Arcadia Games venue. Everyone has different levels of comfort and we must respect each other's boundaries.

Your roleplaying must avoid any reference to rape or any form of non-consensual activity

All sexual activity must be based on informed consent in and out-of-character

Any individual with a conviction, or pending trial, for a sexual offence that is in the public record cannot attend Arcadia Games events

If asked to stop, you must do so immediately

The Arcadia setting includes themes of mind-influencing magic, violence, and, yes, even death. The setting does not include any form of non-consensual sex. Sexual activity is never intrinsically shameful in Arcadia and you must avoid slut-shaming language. If you wish to have your character steal in-game from another character, ask the other player first. Mild profanity is acceptable, but please keep in mind the comfort of others.

These rules also apply to any material you write or publish in-character.

If another participant's romantic roleplaying is making you feel uncomfortable, you can ask them to stop if you feel able to. If you do not feel able to, or if the participant persists, then please speak to a member of staff or the safety council.

If you are asked to stop – you must do so immediately. 

We encourage you to report any behaviour by a community member that falls short of these standards in any way that causes you distress.

All participants must refrain from bullying

Participants must not abuse any status they may have

Bullying can be any behaviour that is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting. It may involve the abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates, or causes physical or emotional harm to someone. No participant may bully another participant. 

Staff and players who have authority or status as part of playing at Arcadia Games, or organising for the game, must avoid using their position to benefit themselves inappropriately. Anyone in a position of prominence must not abuse an in-character relationship with another participant for out-of-character gain - such as demanding sexual favours for in-character benefits. Anyone in a position of prominence must step down should they wish to begin a relationship with a player.

Our staff, community moderators and GMs are entitled to the respect of the community for the hard work they do in supporting the game. They must not abuse this responsibility by invoking their status in any relationship with another participant in any way, for sexual, romantic or material gain.

Arcadia Games is built around exploration and cooperation, not PvP

You should avoid in-character confrontations with other characters where there is out-of-character animosity, or when you are angry out-of-character for any reason

In-character conflict should only occur when all parties have consented, and should not continue out of character

Arcadia Games is a player-led story designed around exploration; the primary source of conflict derives from the mystery of the Unknown beyond the city walls and the need to gather and share information between characters. Conflict between characters should therefore not be a significant driving force behind character actions. The game is open to players new and old – many of whom have not played at a table together before. Your primary goal should be to work together to solve the many puzzles, mysteries, and enemies you will find beyond the walls of the city.

Always be mindful that other players may have a different tolerance for conflict than you do.

No participant should ever feel out-of-character intimidated or threatened by the roleplay they are participating in. You must take reasonable steps to ensure that nobody is out-of-character physically intimidated by your roleplaying. Never shout, bully, belittle, or hurl abuse at another player.

All participants must remain civil when dealing with staff or GMs who are in pursuit of their Arcadia Games duties

You must not argue with GMs over their decisions on their table

All our staff and GMs are entitled to carry out their roles without being abused or mistreated. Arcadia Games is completely dependent on the goodwill of our community. You should assume good faith when dealing with a GM or member of staff and remain civil towards them when they are carrying out their appointed role.

Players are not permitted to argue gameplay decisions with GMs at the table. We believe in the rule of cool and in allowing our GMs to tell the best story they can with the tools they have.

All our GMs are required to uphold all our conduct policies. If any GM is the subject of a conduct complaint that results in a formal warning then they will be permanently removed from the roster.

If you feel safe to, please challenge any behaviour at events that violates our conduct rules

If you do not feel able to do so, then please speak to your GM, a member of staff, or the safety council about the incident

The GM may ask a player to leave a table at any time

If your behaviour is challenged at a table, you must cease

We ask all participants to support our efforts to enforce our conduct rules by making clear that misbehaviour will not be tolerated. We encourage all participants to call out poor behavior – “Hey, stop doing X” is often enough. If you feel unsafe raising these issues, or if you feel that bad behaviour is not noticed or adequately responded to by the GM, we encourage you to contact the safety council at safety@arcadiagames.co.uk

If your home game group has additional social rules for your own space, such as a ban on drinking or profanities, you may instruct players to leave if they break your rules.

If your behaviour is challenged in this way, then you must back off immediately. If you are asked to leave a table by a GM then you must do so.

We expect reasonable and appropriate online behaviour from all our participants

Breaches of our conduct rules are reportable regardless of where they take place

Our code of conduct includes behaviour of all participants in online public forums and spaces devoted to Arcadia Games

On our Discord servers, players should not be DMed without consent.

Everyone in the Arcadia Games community should follow our code of conduct online and in-person. We will look into any evidence of behaviour that violates our rules that is reported to us, regardless of where it takes place. For example, it is not acceptable to sexually harass someone in private messages, or to post racist or homophobic content on any platform.

If you have concerns that the online behaviour of an individual who attends Arcadia Games breaches our conduct policy, then please let us know. You can email our safety council (safety@arcadiagames.co.uk), or you can speak to any staff member or member of the safety council when the venue is open. Anything that is reported to us will be taken seriously and investigated. 

Arcadia Games provides an official Discord for all participants to discuss the game. These are overseen by a team of moderators who ensure that our groups remain welcoming, friendly and on topic. Having a post moderated does not automatically constitute a breach of conduct - but if a post does violate our conduct rules then the moderators will pass the matter to our safety council to deal with after they remove it.

Mods and staff may DM players for gameplay reasons – for example, levelling up a character, or following up about booking a space for your home game. Members of the Safety Council may DM players as part of their duties. Any DMs by staff on other topics should be reported to the mods.