Code of Conduct

Conduct Rules

Participants are expected to abide by these rules at all times:

• Be inclusive: TorontoDnD strives to deliver inclusive service regardless of heritage, education, ethnicity, beliefs regarding religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental health, physical or cognitive capabilities, or socio-economic status. Any abuse or harassment based on these factors will not be tolerated. If an attendee is being blatantly abusive or in any way discriminatory, they will be asked to leave immediately and may be banned from the group. If you feel you are being abused or harassed, please talk to an organiser. Depending on the situation you can:

  • Ask the GM for assistance in the moment
  • Talk to the host during or after the event
  • Reach out to admin via email: admin@torontodnd.com
• Respect people’s preferred pronouns: We encourage all attendees to indicate their pronouns on their name tags at our events. If you are not comfortable displaying your pronouns you may leave them off. We require all attendees to respect and use the pronouns indicated on attendees' name tags.
• Abide by the TorontoDnD: Content Standards: These standards apply to both GMs and players and exist to create a safe space for all participants.
• Only play approved sources: Almost all of our games have restrictions on species, spells, classes and magic items. These restrictions are important for helping GMs plan their adventures and for providing power balance across levels. You can find all the details under our Allowable Character Options. If you arrive with a character using materials not on our allowable content, you may not be able to play that character.
• Don’t talk over anyone else: We all get excited from time to time but if somebody else is in the middle of speaking, let them finish! Constantly interrupting is disrespectful.
• Give everyone the spotlight: Enjoy your PC's moment in the sun, but also make sure that other players have theirs. If you are always in the spotlight, that means other players get less of it.
• Don’t put down another player for their actions in game: No matter what you think of their choices. Their choices are theirs alone. Additionally, don't insult or annoy a player who is not playing their character the way you would. It is okay to remind someone of a feature they may have forgotten, but if they clearly know that their Barbarian can rage in most combats but choose not to, that is up to them.
• Consider the party: When making choices that will impact the whole party, take a moment to consider how your actions affect the other players' enjoyment of the game. It is acceptable to play chaotically every now and again, but if you are constantly working against the interests of the rest of the party, then it is likely it won’t be a very fun session for the other players at the table.

• No PvP: Unless otherwise specified at an event, intentional player vs player violence is not allowed. The only exception would be when a player's action would injure another player as a side effect of achieving another goal. In those cases, consent is required. Players being cursed by the story and forced to attack the nearest combatant is also acceptable.

  Example:
  Player 1: Okay, I'm going to cast Fireball on those cultists before they do any more damage.
  Player 2: Oh no, Billy the Badass Barbarian is going toe to toe with the leader and will take damage!
  Player 1: My bad, I'll think of something else to do then.
  Player 2: Actually, cast Fireball. Billy can take it.
  GM: Smiling quietly because his players are great...

• Be on time: Because people depend on the TTC, they are going to be late from time to time. If you’re going to be late, please go to the event page on our website and click the running late button! If you do show up late and the game is in progress, please join in the least disruptive way possible. The GM will catch you up on anything you missed but may wait until a suitable break in the action to do so.
• The GM has the final say: It’s fine to point out a different interpretation of a rule, but once the GM has ruled, it’s time to move on. You may, of course, discuss further and respectfully plead your case after the session is finished.
• Pay attention to the game, even when your character isn’t involved: AAsking for a recap because you were on social media or just zoned out is disrespectful. Additionally, keep side conversations to a minimum; they are distracting and can be saved for a break.
• Mobile devices should be used sparingly: If you are not using your phone as a character sheet, please consider just putting it away for the game. If you are using it to run your character, please close other apps and don’t use it for any other purpose.
• Be welcoming to new players or players you don’t know: The nature of our group means you will often be playing with people you haven’t met before. Be as inclusive with them as you would be with any friends at the table.
• Be Willing to Learn: Do your best to know how your character works. If you’re new to the game or it’s your first time playing a particular class, it’s okay not to know everything. It is, however, important to be open to learning about the mechanics of playing your PC. If you have been playing a Sorcerer for 6 sessions, you should be comfortable with the rules of the character. This helps take some of the burden off the GM and the other players and gives you more time to do cool stuff at the table!
• Be a good guest: The places we play at are businesses and there is an expectation that you will be a good customer. Unless otherwise stated, outside food and drink is prohibited. Our venues and businesses offer us space in exchange for business. You should plan on ordering something. Unless included on the bill, be sure to tip the wait staff appropriately. Anything below 18% is considered below average. Refrain from any behaviour that negatively impacts the venue, including being excessively messy or annoying other customers.
• Remember, it’s just a game! Have fun and make sure everybody at your table is having fun too!

Breach Classifications

Depending on the behaviour in question, breaches of the above rules are classified in one of three ways:

• Reminder Required: This is for things considered relatively harmless, non-repeating, and honest mistakes. Reminders are collected and reviewed in context with other incident reports before any action is taken. Reminders can also fall under behaviour that is annoying or moderately disrespectful. Someone who gets repeated Reminders for the same reason will get a Warning.

  • Excessive lateness (more than 15 minutes)
  • Not paying attention to the game
  • Talking over other players/DM
  • Arguing with the DM
  • Being too loud at a table
  • Playing unapproved sources
  • Forgetting to pay their tab

• Warning Required: Behaviour that requires a Warning regardless of the participant’s history. A Warning will come with action steps to correct the behaviour, which must be taken immediately. If there is already a history of similar offences, Probation or Suspension may be considered.

  • Overtly disrespectful behaviour
  • A collection of three or more less severe but related offences at one event
  • No-showing to an event without a message
  • Unwanted physical contact

• Harmful: This is behaviour that must be prevented right away. This calls for an immediate Suspension of the subject pending an investigation. If the report is accurate, a Ban is generally recommended. Behaviours in this category include:

  • Slurs based on ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation
  • Malicious insults of any kind (ie; body shaming, insulting intelligence etc)
  • Intentional or malicious misgendering of other participants
  • Unwanted physical contact of a violent or sexual nature
  • Significantly offensive gestures

Consequences

If action beyond a friendly reminder is required, the Code of Conduct Committee have three main options:

• Probation: The subject is told that for a given time period - usually 6 weeks - the Committee Lead will be actively monitoring their behaviour by checking in with event Hosts. Further infractions are likely to result in a Ban. Members on Probation may not act as GMs or Hosts at any of our events. Additionally, GMs in upcoming games may be notified that one of their players is on Probation if the Probation is in any way related to physical contact or overtly disrespectful behaviour. A collection of smaller offenses or no-shows do not require advance warning to GMs.
• Suspension: The subject is not allowed to attend or sign up for events while this is in place, nor are they allowed to post on the Discord server. This is usually used when dangerous behaviour is alleged while an investigation occurs.
• Ban: The subject's account on the torontodnd.com website is disabled, the user can no longer login to the site, or sign up for or participate in any events. The Discord account for the subject is also disabled.

The Code of Conduct Committee investigates all complaints submitted by community members. If you have a complaint about an experience at a TorontoDND event, please visit the TorontoDND website and submit one through our ticketing system.