Community Rules
18+ Only in the Discord Server
Do not join or participate in the Variety Society Discord unless you are 18 or older.
All underage users will be banned.
If you have an underage child/sibling/family member you'd like to bring along to an in-person event, please refer to our “No Unaccompanied Minors” policy in Event Rules.
All members joining the Discord are required to complete the entry form.
Be Respectful
Be mindful of how you treat others; when you’re interacting, discussing or disagreeing with other community members, always be respectful of their intelligence and emotions.
Respect Boundaries
If another member says or does something that makes you uncomfortable, whether at a game table, in the Discord server or elsewhere, directed at you personally or just done in your presence, you have the right to ask them to change their behaviour and create a boundary. They are then required to respect your boundary.
If you witness a failure to comply with this rule, it should be reported to the Lead Organizer/Head Janitor or a Moderator as soon as possible.
Respect Privacy
Do not disclose the personal information of other members, or pressure them to reveal their information to you. Do not post someone else’s contact information without their permission.
User Profile
Do not have an inappropriate/offensive username, nickname, or profile picture. No alt-accounts allowed.
No Harassment
Do not pick fights, pester, bully, or otherwise antagonize other members. Using the server as a platform to coordinate harassment against any person, group or location will not be tolerated. If you have an issue with another member, contact the Lead Organizer/Head Janitor or a Moderator and it will be dealt with.
No Hate
People from all stripes of life are welcome and wanted here, don’t try to make them feel otherwise.
No Spamming
Do not post a large quantity of identical or similar messages in rapid succession.
Sensitive Content Policy
Subjects considered Sensitive Content include but are not limited to abuse, bigotry, explicit eroticism, political oppression/violence, realistic graphic violence, gore/torture, self-harm, sexual violence, and substance abuse.
To keep in compliance with Discord’s guidelines, discussing and/or creating posts containing imagery, audio, or text of explicit/suggestive sexual materials, and/or materials of blood, gore, or violence in the Discord server is strictly prohibited.
Do not discuss subjects related to other Sensitive Content on the Discord server beyond a cursory level.
If you are unsure if the content of a game/module should be classified as Sensitive Content, contact the Lead Organizer/Head Janitor or a Moderator for review and a way to proceed.
If you feel the content/media you want to post is an edge-case, please Direct Message the Head Janitor to review and decide if it can be posted in the Server.
If you have a complaint or concern about another member or organizer
Direct Message the Lead Organizer/Head Janitor or a Moderator and they will open a Private Thread to discuss it. Your correspondence will remain completely private and anonymous.
If you have a complaint or concern about a Moderator
Direct Message the Head Janitor and they will open a Private Thread to discuss it. Your correspondence will remain completely private and anonymous.
Right to Appeal
If you feel your case was mishandled or not resolved appropriately by a Moderator, you may reach out to the Head Janitor to request an appeal. The Head Janitor will review your case and at their discretion grant or deny appeal on the basis of its merits.
Event Rules
Open-Door Policy
Players reserve the right to get up and leave the table/event at any point, no questions asked.
No Dungeons & Dragons
This includes all editions. You can run and play them somewhere else, but not here. (this rule does NOT apply to other Dungeoncrawlers, B/X Retroclones, or OSR games.)
If you feel the game you want to run is an edge-case, please either message the Lead Organizer on Meetup or tag him in the #help channel on the official Discord, it will be sorted out with respect to your efforts.
No Unaccompanied Minors
Anyone under the age of 18 is required to be accompanied by an adult while attending an event, unless the event is age-restricted, in which case the attendance of minors is strictly prohibited.
Additionally, if you want to bring an under-18 Guest to an event, unless the Gamemaster’s policy on underage Players is explicitly stated in the posted event information, you should contact the event’s Gamemaster in a timely manner to make sure they are comfortable with having a minor play at their table before RSVPing them as a Guest, if the GM doesn’t have a posted policy on this matter and you don’t check-in and receive approval before arriving to the event, the GM reserves the right to turn you away.
Age Restriction Policy
The Variety Society uses two classifications for age restrictions.
The first is Required Restriction, if a Gamemaster plans to run a game/module containing
Sensitive Content, they are required to age-restrict the event to at least 18+, or the alternative of
21+, and explicitly state so in the posted event information with a disclaimer as follows:
This Game/Module/Scenario contains Mature content, Player discretion is advised. All Players,
including Guests, must be 18+/21+
An event is considered to contain Sensitive Content (see Sensitive Content Policy in Community
Rules) under the following conditions:
- The Gamemaster plans to include descriptions of Sensitive Content at any point within the
game’s narration, and/or allows the Players to do so.
- The Gamemaster plans to include/use mechanics of the game system which engage in
Sensitive Content, and/or allows the Players to do so.
- The Gamemaster plans to distribute/use any hand-outs, game materials (including character
sheets), or props to/with the Players that possesses imagery, audio, or text containing Sensitive
Content at any point before, during, or after the event, and/or allows the Players to do so.
The second is Preferential Restriction, for when the Gamemaster plans to run a game that is
conceptually appropriate for general audiences, but doesn’t want anyone under the age of 18,
or alternatively under 21, attending their event.
Preferential Restrictions are not required to be stated in the posted event information, as it’s a
chaperone Player’s responsibility to ask permission and receive approval before bringing an
underage Player to your table.
However, if a Gamemaster wishes to explicitly state the age-restriction in the event information,
they may post a disclaimer identical or similar to the following:
All Players, including Guests, must be 18+/21+
Content Warning Policy
If a Gamemaster plans to run a game/module containing Sensitive Content (see Sensitive Content Policy in Community Rules), they are required to include a Content Warning in the posted event information listing the specific subjects and topics that will be included in the game itself.
Additionally, Gamemasters should include in the Content Warning any subjects that could conceptually make someone uncomfortable or otherwise on-edge, even if it wouldn't warrant classification as Sensitive Content (i.e. common phobias).
If you’re unsure if a subject or topic warrants a content warning, play it safe and include it anyway.
X-Card Policy
Gamemasters are required to possess functional knowledge of the X-Card safety tool, and if not already using it, be ready to deploy it at their table upon request.
If the Gamemaster plans on running a game/module containing Sensitive Content (see Sensitive Content Policy in Community Rules), the presence of the X-Card is required.
While the X-Card itself is not required to be an index card or sticky note with an “X” drawn on it, it should be a single, distinct object that serves no other function to the table outside its utility as a safety tool. The Gamemaster must clearly communicate the object’s designation as an X-Card when the Players join the table, and make sure all Players are familiar with its operation.
Gamemasters may utilize other safety tools at their own discretion.
Players may, before or during an event, request the Gamemaster to incorporate other safety tools into the game, and the GM may grant their inclusion at their own discretion.
While the Variety Society does not mandate the use of other safety tools outside the X-Card, it is heavily recommended that Gamemasters running games/modules containing Sensitive Content incorporate additional safety tools into the table (Veils and Lines, Consent Checklists, etc.) to ensure a safe and positive experience for all Players.
Gamemaster Fiat
Event Organizers/Gamemasters can run their tables however they see fit, as long as it is in accordance with the rules of the Variety Society. GMs reserve the right to moderate the conduct of their table, pull Players aside for private sidebars, and eject disruptive Players from the table if necessary.
Players are expected to comply with lawful GM Fiats, and failure to do so may result in the Player being barred from attending that Gamemaster’s future events, particularly serious violations may result in the Player being barred from all future Variety Society events. If you witness a Gamemaster abuse their Fiat powers, please report it to the Head Janitor or a Moderator as soon as possible.