Code of Conduct

Our code of conduct is underpinned by our manifesto for playing LARP well.

Manifesto

  • Being a generous player is winning.  Generous play is good play.
  • Make interesting situations happen. If you can’t make, seek out. If you can’t seek, be open to interesting situations.  
  • Avoid being a protagonist. Main character energy sucks the life out of everyone’s play. How can you make someone else feel like the main character?    
  • Your backstory is not your character. What is more important are your motivations. Think of a hubris and a virtue for yourself and respond with them.    
  • Your character can and should change. Be surprised by your own character’s actions.    
  • Failure is an integral part of your character’s story. Failure will define your character. Do not expect to ”win” in all experiences.    
  • Trust your witnesses/GM’s. Do your best to be trustworthy yourself.     
  • Your mental and physical safety is more important than the game. 
  • Remember that you and everyone else is a character. Remove yourself from the game if you need.    

Conduct  

  • The player’s safety is the most important aspect of the LARP – a character can go through a lot, but a player should not.    
  • The LARP world is a consensual and collaborative fictional world. Behind the guise of play, we are all still people, therefore real world laws still apply. Genuine antisocial behaviour will be treated seriously and immediately.     
  • Consent can be revoked at any time. Continue to check in.    
  • Simulated violence not real violence.    
  • Do not harass anyone. You may be asked to leave an area or leave another player alone if you continue to harass. 
  • Do not mess with a participant’s out of character/player personal belongings.    
  • Do not get drunk.    
  • Do not use or distribute illegal substances.    
  • Treat everyone with respect OOC.    
  • You must be 18 years or older to attend.    
  • Try to avoid carrying real world technology. If you need to use real world technology, please move to the designated spaces.    
  • Speak to a GM if you think anyone is in breach of these rules.

Come Close & Listen is dedicated to providing a harassment-free environment for all participants, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, intersex status, disability, ethnicity, or religion. We do not tolerate bullying and harassment in any form.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive event. We pledge to cultivate a culture that is safe, accessible, fosters inclusiveness, promotes diversity and celebrates the unique skills and qualities of all our participants.

Consequences

Organisers will take whatever action we feel is necessary for the safety and emotional wellbeing of the participants in our game. The following list is a guideline of the measures Organisers can take.

  • Verbal Warning – taken aside by a GM who will discuss the issue briefly
  • Official Warning – outside of a play zone discussion with at least two GMs present
  • Must Leave – you may be told you must leave a certain scene or situation, and you must do so both In Character (IC) and Out Of Character (OOC) as much as possible. We understand this can be difficult, but we are all mature adults and can act within reason. This decision can come from another player or the GM team, it always affects both people involved.
  • Ban or Expulsion from the current event.
  • Ban from all future Come Close and Listen events.
  • Blacklist – ban from all Come Close and Listen events as well as events we are associated with. If other clubs in the community wish to know who is on our blacklist we will inform them. This level of action will often be paired with legal action.