What does the community code ask of members?
The code is short enough to be remembered and long enough to be useful. It applies at the table, on the screens and in the chat, and it applies to me as it does to everyone.
What does each member undertake?
- To seat every newcomer who arrives at a table, and to explain the game in plain words before play resumes, without condescension and without hurry.
- To play honestly, to accept the decision of the game master or the referee, and to raise any disagreement afterwards rather than during the session, when the table is no longer waiting.
- To speak with courtesy, in person and in the chat, and to assume good faith before assuming offence, which is generally the correct assumption.
- To keep spoilers, strong opinions and technical corrections away from a newcomer's first game, where they do the most harm.
- To treat every game, table and screen with care, and to ask before touching another member's dice, books or equipment.
- To refrain from harassment, mockery and exclusion of any kind, in the room, on the screens and in every channel of the chat server.
- To photograph others only with their permission, and to remove a photograph without question and without delay when asked.
- To leave the room as it was found, with boxes repacked, cups washed, chairs returned and cables coiled, and to leave a note for the Warden if something has been broken.
How is the code upheld?
A gentle beginning
I begin with a word, spoken privately and without audience, because nearly every lapse I have seen came from tiredness or enthusiasm. If the matter is repeated, a second conversation follows, and I put the substance of it in writing so that nobody can later be unsure what was said. Members who receive such a note are always invited to reply, and the reply is attached to it.
A pause, where necessary
Where a member's conduct continues to distress others, I ask them to step away from the chat and the room for a period, usually a fortnight. The pause is explained, it is not announced to the guild, and the member is welcomed back at its close. In more than one case the member in question has since become a Guide, which I take to be the best possible outcome.
A parting, rarely
Harassment, threats and deliberate cruelty end a membership at once. I have had to take that step on only a handful of occasions in all our seasons, and each time the decision was reviewed with the organiser and the referee before it was confirmed.
Ranks and the code
The four ranks are awarded for conduct, never for skill. A Guide is a member who has hosted at least five first sessions without complaint, and a Warden is a Guide who has also taken responsibility for some part of the house. Neither rank carries authority at a table beyond that of any other member, and both are expected to give way gracefully to a game master.
Appeals
Any member who disagrees with a decision, however small, may ask for it to be reviewed by the organiser and the referee, who will hear them separately and who will not have taken part in the original matter. The outcome is communicated in writing, and a decision that proves mistaken is corrected openly. A code that cannot admit an error is not worth keeping.