Policies
Applicability
Policies Apply Out of Game
Citadel Policies apply at all times when utilizing Citadel resources, not just during gameplay. This includes venues reserved for Citadel events (e.g. state parks or private residences) and technology resources (e.g. website, forums, discord). As the situation requires, violations of policy will be dealt with at the exclusive discretion of Citadel staff and may include a permanent ban from future participation in Citadel events, a referral to law enforcement or venue personnel, or both.
Agreement Required
You Must Sign to Participate
In order to participate in Citadel events, personnel and participants must sign an agreement to abide by Citadel policies and waive liability. Any attempt to participate or attend an event without signing an agreement and liability waiver shall be deemed trespassing and treated accordingly.
Physical Safety
Physical safety is the utmost priority for Citadel personnel and participants. Participants must never knowingly endanger other participants. In addition, there are other specific requirements that participants must abide by.
No Real Weapons.
Real weapons, including firearms and actual swords/daggers/clubs, are prohibited at all events. Any real weapons must be stored out-of-site in locked vehicles at all times. Knives, scissors, hammers, needles, and other tools that might be used to make or repair costuming or props are permitted but should be treated with care. For example, if a participant hands a bag, box, or belt containing a tool to another participant, they must explicitly state Out-of-Play what the tool is and where it is located, and the receiving participant must acknowledge their understanding.
Stop for Holds
All activity must immediately stop if “Hold!” or “Medic!” is called. Participates who are running, jumping, etc. must stop as quickly as is safe. As soon as it is safe, all participants must remain quiet and lower their eyes without looking around.
No Nonconsensual Contact
Participants may never physically touch another participant without permission, and consent to physical touch can be revoked at any time and for any reason. If a participant does not know how to engage with a particular scene or encounter without physical touch, they may request the help of a Marshal or place their hand on their head to communicate Out-of-Play about boundaries with the other participants. (Marshals may be identified by their white headbands or by their gray robes and other Guide costuming).
Weapon and Shield Inspections
All combat props, including weapons and shields, must be inspected by a Safety Marshal each event prior to use, who may approve or prohibit the use of individual props at their sole discretion. Use of an unapproved combat prop may result in temporary or permanent prohibition from engaging in combat.
Orange Headbands
Orange headbands are used to designate a participant who is a non-combatant. Participants must never strike a participant wearing an orange headband with a weapon (melee or ranged) or with a spell packet.
No Alcohol, Drugs, or Intoxication
Possession of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited at all events.
Participation in combat while intoxicated is strictly prohibited, including if the intoxication is due to consumption of intoxicating substances off-site or taking prescription medication. If a participant feels intoxicated, they must become a non-combatant and wear an orange headband.
Citadel welcomes the use of zero-proof liquors, botanicals, champagne, etc. during events. Please be respectful in your usage and role play surrounding zero-proof “alcohol.”
Alcohol is prohibited unless explicitly stated otherwise by Citadel Staff such as under the following circumstances:
Use in cooking - The alcohol must be stored in the kitchen and only used in dishes where the alcohol has a reasonable expectation of being cooked out.
Use in OOP religious traditions. - Please speak to staff if this applies to you. We may set a boundary on participation in combat for a certain period of time after you partake.
Non-combat events where alcohol is specifically called out as being allowed.
Breach of this policy will result in immediate removal from the event/site and a minimum a temporary ban.
If you have a question about our alcohol policy or if something is allowed, please reach out to staff for clarification.
Contagious Infection
Participants should not attend events if they know or strongly suspect that they have a contagious infection they can spread to other participants through the air or physical contact (including, but not limited to, Cold, Flu, Covid-19, Measels, Mumps, Pertussis, and Meningitis). Participants who are experiencing symptoms but believe the cause to be non-infections (allergies, etc.) are encouraged but not required to wear masks as a courtesy to others. Citadel Medics may, at their sole discretion, make determinations about illness and the appropriate action up to and including immediately excluding the participant from the event.
Conflict Resolution
Protect Immersion
Arguments about rules or a participant’s sportsmanship are not productive and extremely disruptive to immersion.
Rules
If there is confusion or a question about game rules, players may attempt to quietly and quickly resolve the issue. For example, a PC hits an NPC with an effect that they are unfamiliar with and the NPC asks “What does that do?” The two players, and any other nearby players, can briefly pause for the effect to be explained. However, if the discussion lasts more than a few seconds, players should place their fists on their head and step to the side of the current scene until the issue is resolved.
Sportsmanship
If there is a disagreement about sportsmanship or something that happened (whether a hit landed, how many spells or abilities have been used, etc.) please report the issue to a Marshal and allow the Marshal to address it. You may briefly communicate with the other participant, such as “Please don’t swing so hard,” “Please slow down,” “Did you get that [effect]?” If the communication becomes a disagreement ("No, that didn’t hit me!” "You're cheating!" "No, the effect works like this!") please consider the conversation closed. At this point, you may take it In-Play, swap positions with another participant to change who is fighting, or even take Fate of the Party to avoid the situation and/or find a Marshal.
Respect
Always treat others in a respectful manner. A game and community like Citadel requires participants to do their best to act in good faith and allow Citadel Staff to address any behavior otherwise.
Venue Rules
Participants must follow the rules of any venue where a Citadel event is being held. Violations of venue rules may be reported to the venue personnel in order to preserve Citadel’s reputation and relationship with the venue.
Restricted Locations
Staff Areas
Player participants must never enter staff areas without announcing their arrival. “PC on deck!” is the traditional announcement. This is to prevent disclosure of spoilers or other information related to the event or story that must be discovered In-Play.
Kitchen
Combat is never permitted in venue kitchens. Venue kitchens are primarily for the preparation of meals for all participants. Players and staff should generally refrain from using the kitchen for personal purposes unless necessary, such as retrieving refrigerated items that will be used or prepared elsewhere (including food and medication). During meal preparation such as breakfast and feast service, participants may not enter the kitchen without permission of the kitchen personnel. Any use of the kitchen area or equipment must be immediately followed by cleaning the same. Failure to comply with these rules may result in a formal warning from staff and a ban on being allowed into the kitchen area; a pattern of non-compliance with this policy may result in consequences as serious as a full ban from the game.
Bathrooms
Combat is never permitted in bathrooms, and players may not enter a bathroom specifically to avoid combat situations. If a participant suspects another participant is abusing this rule only to escape an attack, please report it to Citadel Staff.
Lodging
Participants may only enter a lodging area if their name is listed on the cabin notes except in one of the three following circumstances:
By Permission. A participant listed on the cabin notes may grant temporary permission for another participant to enter a lodging area. Permission cannot be granted by a participant who is only there by permission.
With a Marshal. A participant may enter a lodging area if supervised by a Marshal. A Marshal may enter a lodging area alone only with prior permission from a Citadel Director or their designee.
Emergencies. In extreme circumstances, it may be permissible for a participant to enter the lodging area of others. In this situation, the participant must call a Hold, Announce, and Wait. Examples of extreme circumstances include smoke coming from the building indicating fire, alarms sounding to indicate carbon monoxide or other toxins, obvious cries for help that do not appear game related, or similar.
Call a “HOLD!”
Announce the concern loudly and clearly to any nearby participants, Knock and clearly state you will be entering in 10 seconds unless an objection is heard
Wait 10 seconds, then enter the lodging area.
Once the situation is resolved, the participant who entered the lodging area should report the circumstances to a Marshal.
Smoking Area
Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited outside of the designated smoking area. The Smoking Area is In-Play may be used for combat, but a brief Hold may be allowed to fully extinguish any flame or embers if combat occurs. Refuse must be removed from the Smoking Area.
Age Restrictions
18+. Players must be 18 years of age or older to participate in Citadel events. Any request for an exception must be submitted in writing and may be granted or denied entirely at the discretion of Citadel Staff. If a child under the age of 18 is granted permission to attend, they are required to have a parent or guardian on site, and they and their parent/guardian must adhere to all guidelines and rules set forth by staff.
Disability & Accommodations
Since Citadel is a Live Action, boffer LARP and we play at state parks that don't always have the most luxurious accommodations, there are some inherent risks and limitations to our game. At any time, players are welcome to ask a staff member Out-of-Play details about the physical requirements for an upcoming encounter and choose your level of participation based on that. Players are also welcome to take “Fate of the Party” in regards to specific challenges that they feel would be unsafe for them.
If you have any special requirements or needs, please speak to a staff member before attending. We would be happy to answer any questions, explain what accommodations we already have for players (such as non-combatant rules), and work with you to determine if we can collaborate on specific accommodations to fit your unique needs. Game staff may also refer you to Park staff for questions specifically referencing the park buildings and facilities.
Social Safety
Social safety is a critical part of creating a welcoming environment.
No Harassment
Out-of-Play harassment of participants will not be tolerated. These include expressions of bigotry, comments perpetuating racism or sexism, discrimination based on religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and continued sexual advances after requests to stop.
Prohibited Themes
Citadel prohibits certain themes from gameplay. These themes include sexual violence (e.g. rape, sexual assault, incest), and graphic depictions of physical torture/mutilation.
Okay Check-in.
This is a safety mechanic used by participants to assess or gauge another player’s Out-of-Play comfort. In other words, it is a way to figure out if another player is comfortable with the current situation or scene direction. This mechanic relies on using eye contact and three key hand signals close to their torso with the following meanings:
👌 “Okay” sign gesture. This is the symbol for asking the question, “Are you okay?”
👍 “Thumbs up” gesture. This is the symbol for stating “I am okay, please continue.”
👎 “Thumbs down” gesture. This is the symbol for stating “I am not okay.”
If you check in with someone and they give the thumbs down, we recommend making an opening for that person to gracefully leave or otherwise conclude the scene. If that person chooses to remain, we recommend toning down the intensity of the scene or changing the focus of the conversation.
If someone checks in with you, and you give a thumbs down, we recommend providing some direction to the other Participants in the scene. This could include a change of subject or an indication that the intensity is too high.
At any time, any Participant may give a thumbs down gesture to indicate that they are not okay with the current situation and leave the scene. If the option to leave would not be available to the character In-Play, the Participant may take Fate of the Party and leave the scene Out-of-Play (as described below).
Fate of the Party
If a participant needs to step away from a current scene (including combat), they may do so by stating “I take the Fate of the Party,” “I Fade from the Party,” or similar. They must immediately put their hand on their head and step to the side of the scene. Once a participant takes this action, they may not enter play without the approval of a Marshal who can determine the least disruptive way to facilitate resuming play. Any negative In-Play effects that were on the character at the time Fate of the Party was taken (statuses, wounds, bleed-out counts, etc.) should be disclosed to the Marshal when requesting to resume play. Results of an encounter will be deemed to apply to any character utilizing Fate of the Party. For example, if the party is killed, the character using Fate of the Party will also suffer the effects of death, or if the party is knocked unconscious and all possessions are stolen, the character using Fate of the Party must surrender all in-game items in their possession at that time.
Thievery and Stealing
Player(s) taking the Out-of-Play possessions of other player(s) is Stealing and strictly prohibited. Character(s) taking the In-Play possessions of other character(s) is Thievery and is not prohibited by the rules. If a player places In-Play items inside a container, that container is considered temporarily In-Play until the In-Play items can be removed. Any Out-of-Play items or containers must be immediately surrendered to Citadel Staff with a statement about the circumstances of the thievery (time, location, victim, etc.). Thievery without timely surrender of the Out-of-Play items will be treated as Stealing.