Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== Conduct and Acceptable Themes Policy ====== We as the //Palimpsest// GM team wish for the game to be an enjoyable and memorable experience for all players involved. The following page concerns various sensitive themes and topics and how we intend to handle them, and advises a sensitive approach for players on dealing with these same themes within the Society Game. This policy should be followed at all times when interacting with the game //Palimpsest// including during uptimes, when writing turnsheets, and when sending messages on the game's Discord Server. The Conduct and Acceptable Themes Policy, also known as the CAT Policy, is the method by which we set out what themes we expect will or may come up in play, providing players with full knowledge of what themes to expect and how they will be handled. As an official ORPGSoc game, //Palimpsest// is subject to **[[ https://oxfordrpg.com/CATPolicy2025.pdf|the ORPGSoc CAT Policy]]** and it is essential that players familiarise themselves with this policy before playing, for awareness of what themes are allowed and disallowed. This page in some cases reiterates the ORPGSoc CAT Policy and in some cases adds more specific restrictions and clarifications that apply to //Palimpsest//. Regardless of the CAT Policy, all players and GMs should treat each other with respect. If someone else asks out of character that you stop roleplaying a particular theme or topic around them, for any or no reason, respect their boundaries and stop. We aim to create an environment in which all players can feel safe and comfortable. Whilst we use the following policy as a guideline in how themes in our game will appear and be handled, the policy should always be taken in good faith and attempting to reason to the wording instead of the spirit of the policy will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about our explanations of, or our presentation of, certain themes, please feel free to contact the **[[gm@palimpsest.oxfordrpg.com|GMs]]**. If you feel the CAT policy has been breached, you can reach out to any member of the GM team. If you have a concern about a particular GM, you can reach out to one of the CAMPOs, **[[ameal.wolf@outlook.com|Ameal]]** or **[[rhysponsford@gmail.com|Rhys]]** (rather than the usual game address, as those emails are seen by all the GMs). Any such issues will be handled with the specific case in mind and we will do our best to account for the safety and comfort of all players. If you have a concern about either of the CAMPOs, please contact the Welfare Officer for the Society, Fionn, either on Discord or through **[[fionn.mcconnon@ccc.ox.ac.uk|email]]**. You may prefer to contact the Society President, Ben, either on Discord or through **[[ourpg@owen-range.co.uk|email]]**. =====Age===== All //Palimpsest// players must be 16 years or older to play. Most players will be between the ages of 18 and 30. If you are under 18 years of age, you must disclose this to the GM team for safeguarding reasons. //Palimpsest// player characters must also be 18 years old or older. =====Requesting Not To Roleplay With Someone===== You may request not to roleplay with another player or GM before or at any point during the game, and we will do our best to ensure that you come into contact with that person as little as possible. You may ask us to inform that person of your request or you may keep your request confidential, though keeping the request confidential will prevent us from asking that person not to roleplay with you during the course of the game. =====Conduct===== Society Games have certain **[[uptimes and sessions|safety calls]]** that players must familiarise themselves with and respect in-session. Due to the nature of Roleplaying Games, it is necessary to maintain a strong divide between In Character (IC) and Out of Character (OC) issues. This is generally referred to as the IC/OC divide, and means that all arguments, tension, or other in character feelings **should not** spill into the real world. Similarly, OC feelings should not be brought IC. Before making OC physical contact with another player while roleplaying, you should always ask for consent. Romantic or similarly emotionally intense relationships---including intense rivalries---between characters (known as **[[Glossary#Ballgowning]]**) should be checked OC with other players or GMs involved before beginning. NPCs will not initiate romantic relationships with Player Characters unless they have the Romance Me **[[quirks|Playstyle Quirk]]**. Please note that some people will opt into themes that other players wish to avoid. If you have opted out of a theme (e.g. via a **[[quirks#playstyle quirks|Playstyle Quirk]]**, including a note in your **[[Character Creation]]** submission, or informing the GMs directly), you will not be forced to encounter those themes in Downtime. However, players that have touched on those topics may discuss them in Uptime. In this case, you can use **[[uptimes and sessions|safety calls]]**. ====PvP==== We do not generally expect **[[Glossary#PvP]]** in //Palimpsest// Uptimes. However, in the exceptional case that it does occur, it should only happen after planning with GMs and the other player(s) involved. It is, however, possible for PvP to take place in //Palimpsest// turnsheets. =====Themes That Are Not Permitted===== * Sexual assault, sexual coercion or any other form of non-consensual sexual activity * Sexual activity with those lacking the capacity to consent e.g. children * Sexual harassment * Use of real-world discriminatory slurs * Suicide and self-harm as an expression of emotional distress * Miscarriage and stillbirth * Discrimination on the basis of gender or sex * Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation e.g. homophobia * Discrimination on the basis of gender identity e.g. transphobia * Discrimination on the basis of physical disability, mental health condition, or neurodivergence * Discrimination on the basis of real-world ethnicity or race * Discrimination on the basis of real-world nationality, religion or faith * Forced abortion * Incest * Genital mutilation * Eugenics * Real-world current figures and events * Real-world historical figures and events * //Real-world historical figures and events should not be directly referenced in game.// * //Meta-level or OC references to our reality are allowed (provided it does not fall under other unacceptable themes), on the understanding that any reference made within the context of //Palimpsest// is distinct from the real world thing, since our real world history does not exist in setting.// * //Parts of the setting of the game take inspiration from various real-world historical figures and events, but direct analogues are not intended.// * Dieting * Eating disorders * //Eating disorders are not a theme that will be explored. However, disordered eating caused by lack of resources (ie. famine) may occur. Nevertheless, due to the nature of the dream vision, any physical effect caused by disordered eating due to lack of resources will not be present in Uptimes.// =====Sensitive Themes That May Occur===== These are themes that we suspect may become relevant. Because they are sensitive themes, we ask that you read the information below carefully and respect the depictions of these subjects in game. * Extreme violence * Extreme gore * //A player will only receive GM descriptions of this theme if they take the **[[Quirks#More Gore]]** Playstyle Quirk.// * Medical malpractice * Discrimination on the basis of fictional culture * //**The people of Untir do not have a concept of race**, and the world's diversity is such that it is not possible to discern a person's regional origin based on their physical appearance. However, there are tensions and conflicts between the fictional **cultures** in game.// * //Prejudice based on fictional culture may be expressed by characters in game, however it must be done sensitively and with the OC consent of all parties involved in the interaction.// * Colonialism and imperialism * Slavery and human trafficking * //Chattel slavery and the ownership of people as property will not occur in game.// * //However, de facto slavery in the form of forced/unfree labour will be explored in game.// * Infectious disease and epidemics * Famine * Torture * //A player will only receive detailed GM descriptions of this theme if they take the **[[Quirks#More Gore]]** Playstyle Quirk.// * Cannibalism * //A player will only receive detailed GM descriptions of this theme if they take the **[[Quirks#More Gore]]** Playstyle Quirk.// * Mind control and loss of agency * //During visits to the House of Fame, living characters' physical appearances may change to reflect the nature of their fame in waking life. If a player takes the **[[Quirks#Mutability]]** Playstyle Quirk, these changes may be unsettling and/or extreme.// * //Additionally, dead player characters who have become **[[Glossary#Echo|Echoes]]** are likely to experience an extreme instablity of memory, personality, and sense of self. For more information, see the **[[Quirks#Echo]]** Playstyle Quirk.// * Emotional/physical abuse, e.g. domestic abuse or bullying * Animal abuse * Genocide * //While systematic mass killing will not occur in game, cultural genocide is a theme that will be explored.// * Genocide denial * //Denial of cultural genocide may occur in game.// =====Further Sensitive Themes===== These are themes we are not expecting in the game, but nonetheless may arise unpredictably. These should be handled sensitively both by GMs and players. * Consensual sexual activity * //While this may occur and be referenced in game, it will not be detailed. If it occurs in turnsheets, it will be handled in a **[[glossary#fade-to-black_style|fade-to-black style]]**.// * //Sexual activity should not be described or joked about in explicit terms, IC or OC.// * Mental illness * Physical disability * Suicide and self-harm as anything but an expression of emotional distress, e.g. self-sacrifice * Drug or alcohol addiction * Gambling * Homelessness * Terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism * Indiscriminate violence * Child abuse * //Player characters may have experienced child abuse in backstory. They may neither inflict or have inflicted abuse on children.// * Other real-world biases and discrimination not covered within Appendix B * Pregnancy * //Due to the nature of the dream vision, pregnancy will not appear in Uptime.// * Childbirth * //Childbirth can only take place in Downtimes.// * Chronic illnesses * Degenerative diseases or cancer conduct_and_acceptable_themes_policy.txt Last modified: 2026/04/19 09:42by gm_ameal