Participant Safety Policies
By Jobert Aquino, Kris Corcoran, and BTF Game Staff with assistance from Kori Diaz Ciminera
Core Values
Prismatic Arts and Production Inc. is committed to the creation of an entertaining and safe game space for our player base and for ourselves. We also recognize that “The World Beyond the Fall” (a.k.a BTF) is not for everyone. Our content, genre, or ruleset philosophy may conflict with others’ notions of what is entertaining. For example, Dark Fantasy might be too grim of a setting tone. Likewise, simulated combat might not be for those who prefer a less physical arena.
Furthermore, this game allows Player versus Player activity but does not encourage it — meaning, Players who enjoy killing other Players or stealing from them may find that BTF does not match their preference. For the sake of Participant Safety, those who engage or are engaged in such activities are encouraged to fill out a form afterward (see After-Action Form).
Ultimately, we are dedicated to acting towards safety, entertainment, inclusivity, and fair play with the help of our Player Base. This includes but is not limited to the following:
No Discrimination: We will act against hateful rhetoric and discrimination such as racist, sexist, transphobic, and homophobic words and actions.
No Griefing: We will investigate and act against out-of-game harmful behavior, such as harassment, griefing, out-of-game theft, and similar behaviors.
Taboo Topics: While storylines may tackle darker aspects of humanity, we will never include sexual assault or exploitation in our plotlines. Players must follow the same ideal in their backstories or actions.
Contact Information
While any Game Staff member can be approached for assistance, our Participant Safety Taskforce is always on site. Game Staff wear a pink armband at all times during game.When the Safety Taskforce is required, look for them or notify any Game Staff of your needs, starting your search with the Staff room or NPCland. For Participant Safety issues that are less pressing, leave a folded index card with a Game Staff request at the corkboard outside the Staff Room.
The Participant Safety Taskforce is led by the following individuals:
Kris C., Jeffrey P., and the rest of their helpers.
Text Contact: You may text 609-468-7112 at any time on site. Please leave your name and contact info.
Email Contact: You may also email BTFParticipantsafety@gmail.com between Events. It is highly recommended that you submit your report as soon as possible after any incident.
If you feel uncomfortable approaching the Participant Safety Taskforce for any reason, you may approach and talk to the other Producer Staff members: Jobert A. and Matthew W.
General Site Policies
Below are the main regulations and policies that need to be followed on site and at every Event.
Photosensitivity Warning: On occasion, we use pyrotechnics and lighting devices that may cause discomfort and/or seizures for those with photosensitive epilepsy.
Bathrooms and Hygiene. You may use the bathroom of the gender to which you identify. However, keep nudity within closed showers or toilet stalls. Furthermore, all participants must adhere to basic standards of hygiene such as showering regularly, applying deodorant, and similar measures. Additionally, leaving wet socks or clothes on the heaters is prohibited due to safety concerns.
Keep Off Site Until 6PM. During the Friday of the Event weekend, Players are not allowed on the camp site or the parking lot until 6PM. Game Staff must inspect the campsite before Players may enter.
No Alcohol or Drugs. We rent from properties with very strict policies regarding the possession and consumption of alcohol and recreational drugs. Maximum sanctions await violators of these policies.
Observe Fire Safety. Unless explicitly authorized by Game Staff, no fires are allowed indoors, even candles or incense. Outdoor fires are allowed, but they must be attended at all times by a Player, with a bucket of water nearby. If combat occurs nearby, a designated fire tender must vocally self identify and must remain out of game (hand/weapon over head) for the duration of the combat and at least 5 minutes afterward, even if this results in character death.
On Camp Propriety. For the sake of safety and comfort, sexual activity is prohibited in the camp and parking lot. Furthermore, outside of bathrooms, all participants must adhere to basic rules of propriety in clothing. Reasonable swimwear-levels of attire are allowed, but nothing further when in public. Similarly, any player-made scenes that require physically sexual role-playing or simulation must be authorized by Game Staff beforehand.
Physical Roleplay. Except for non-combatants, all participants must expect a measure of physical contact at this game. For example, weapon strikes or an arm/shoulder tap to deliver effects. Beyond these, any intentional physical contact must be consensual. “Clarify: Permission for physical role-play?” is an encouraged vocal question for participants to ask each other. Take note, consent can be vocally retracted at any time and must be respected.
Props and Weapons Safety. For the sake of safety, weapons, shields, and armor are subject to inspections when brought into the game for the first time and every 6 months afterward. Items that are deemed unsafe or violate our safety conventions will be disallowed for use. These dates may be moved at Game Staff’s discretion.
Protective Eye-Wear. Due to the use of projectile foam darts, all Participants are highly encouraged to wear protective eyewear and incorporate it into their costuming. We are not liable for injuries resulting from the failure to wear protective eyewear.
Quiet Hours (3AM–9AM; 5PM–7PM). These are times where Game Staff–driven content is halted or limited to allow participants time to rest, eat, or sleep. The enforced Quiet Hour times are 3AM–9AM (Saturday and Sunday) and 5PM–7PM (Saturday). During these times, all participants are encouraged to keep loud activity away from the sleeping areas. During Quiet Hours, modules from Game Staff will tend toward non-combat interactions or move combats farther away from sleeping areas.
Smoking Allowed Only in Smoking-designated Areas. Smoking is allowed on site but only in the parking lot. Pick up and properly dispose of cigarette butts. Failure to adhere to this may mean restricting smoking to the parking lot only, as well as sanctions against abusers for littering.
Throw Trash in Trash Cans. Police your personal trash and keep your sleeping areas clean. Wherever you find it, even if it’s not yours, pick up and dispose of trash properly.
Signs of Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, etc
It is important that the community is always keeping an eye out for each other. When it comes to combat, we should always be aware of the well being of the people we are fighting, even when it feels like the fight is getting overwhelming. If you see another player (or observe yourself) displaying the below listed symptoms, please immediately have the player sit to the side and grab a staff member or the active EMT (whichever person is closest). Signs of exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, and hypothermia are all very similar:
Stumble: The individual has a hard time standing while still (swaying) or walking in a straight line, or they find themselves either tripping over nothing or tripping a lot.
Mumble: The individual has a hard time gaining control of their voice. They mumble, slur their words, or lose their concentration mid-sentence.
Fumble: The individual has a hard time holding on to items. They drop small items they’re holding and, if guided to a chair, have a hard time turning to sit into it.
Tremors: The individual has a hard time keeping warm, or, even if sweating, continues to shiver. Their hands may shake when sitting still, or they may have tremors beneath the skin on their arms.
In-Game “Alert” Calls
Below are audible, vocal “Alert Calls” that have out-of-game meaning and uses. These are used to learn more information about happenings around you or are used for the purposes of safety.
“Clarify”
This Alert Call is used to learn more about what is happening to you or around you.
The person you use it on is expected to answer your question as best as they can on an out-of-game level and in a quick fashion. This is used to discern common information such as game mechanics or scene clarification. It is not used to learn knowledge that requires Skill use or in-game actions (e.g., “Clarify: What is the vampire lord’s weakness?”). In fact, a participant may say “Find out in game” when asked such a question via a Clarify.
While this Alert Call is useful for newcomers, extensive use of the Clarify Alert can slow combat or scenes, which is not the game's ideal speed of play. Deliberate, constant use of the Clarify Alert (a.k.a.“Clari-fighting”) to slow a scene or stall a fighter may be subject to an investigation from Game Staff and sanctions if abuse is discovered.
Example uses:
“Clarify: What effect did you just hit me with?”
“Clarify: What does Pain mean?”
“Clarify: What do I see?”
“Caution”
This Alert Call is used to highlight or point out an out-of-game hazard.
Oftentimes, an action scene or a combat may occur in difficult terrain or near some obstacles. This is most often used to warn someone you are fighting that they are about to back into a tree or step on a prone person. This is not used to indicate or warn of out-of-game hazards, such as a tarp that represents a deep pit or an enemy that is flanking your friend.
Example uses:
“Caution: Tree behind you!”
“Caution: Lighter hits, please!”
“Caution: This area is muddy, be careful moving around here!”
“Hold”
This emergency Alert Call completely pauses the game, for safety or clarity.When invoking a Hold, loudly say, “Hold! Hold! Hold!” If you hear someone shout this, repeat the words so that others may hear you.
On a Hold, all participants are expected to stop moving, stop talking, and kneel or sit down. The exception to this are Game Staff and any designated emergency personnel who must ascertain the cause of the Alert Call and resolve it accordingly. Anyone may call a Hold at any time, but this call should only be used for safety or medical purposes. Game Staff may also use this Alert Call to stop the action and describe a scene or inflict an effect upon the Player Base in the area.
Status Ask and Scene Exit
Unlike the other Alert Calls, the Status Ask is quiet or non-verbal and primarily consists of a hand gesture to inquire about a fellow participant’s emotional status in the middle of a scene. This is usually during or after a particularly intense scene or interaction. Often called “Checking In,” the inquirer makes eye contact with the person they want to ask and makes an “Ok” symbol. They may also verbally ask, “Are you okay?” while making the gesture.
The person they are asking should respond in one of three ways:
Thumbs up. This means that the responder is “fine” and does not need assistance.
A level horizontal hand, palm down. This means that the responder is not sure.
Thumbs down. This means that the responder is not okay and would like to leave.
In the case of a thumbs down or even a level hand, the asking player and any Game Staff that are aware of the Status Ask are expected to expedite the responder’s Exit from the Scene. Similar exits can be given to those who let Game Staff know the need for it—this “Scene Exit” is given unconditionally.
That said, the Status Ask and the Scene Exit is not a way to get out of the consequences of one’s in-game actions. Its use is primarily to take care of the mental and emotional health of the game’s participants. That said, while a Scene Exit may prevent any awards from participating in a scenario or a Delve, there are no penalties for leaving the Scene early—Player Characters who use the Scene Exit are assumed to not have joined the Scenario or Delve at all.
Developer’s Note: We care deeply about our Players and our Game Staff. Participants who consistently and regularly need to Exit scenes may need to self-analyze their current state. Constant Scene Exits may be a sign that they are not currently enjoying this type of content, and should take a break from Events. Despite our desire to help, the Game Staff are not mental health professionals and are not trained with assisting in emotional recovery.
Non-Combat Participants
For any reason during or at the beginning of an Event, a participant may declare themselves a non-combatant and wear an orange armband on each arm. These players may not be struck in combat or participate in any combat scenarios.
If combat happens around them, they must vocally identify as a “Noncom” (Non-Combatant), go out of game, and leave the vicinity. Optionally, they may request assistance from a willing participant. This is similar to a “Scene Exit,” which allows a Player to leave a scene that is too stressful or otherwise harmful to them.
When within a step and arm’s reach of a Non-Combatant who is not leaving the vicinity, any Player or Non-Player character can invoke a Death Blow upon them after 4 counts—unlike other Death Blows, this does not involve any physical contact and will instantly kill the Non-Combatant Character and send their Player to Logistics. If others decide to “loot” the body, this follows the looting mechanics for determining if something is destroyed or looted.
Headbands and Going Out of Game
Like many other LARPs, wearing headbands of particular colors have specific meanings in BTF.
Blue or Violet Headband → Spirit. This person is a spirit and cannot be seen or interacted with unless you have certain Skills. The presence of spirits (but not their location) can be discerned by any Player. Those who have skills such as Arcane Ember, Detect Presence, and Keen Perception can speak to spirits. On the other hand, spirits can talk to anyone via whispers. Take note, some entities have the power to disrupt or even destroy spirits. Players whose characters have died must wear these headbands.
White Headband → Out of game. This person is out of game. Do not interact with them on an in-game level. White headbands are worn by Game Staff in referee roles or by participants entering the site while an Event is ongoing.
Hand or Weapon placed on top of Head → Out of Game. This functionally acts as a White Headband. Usually, it is used by NPCs playing antagonists before or after a scene, or while awaiting the next attack wave. It is also used by participants walking in to register for the current Event or performing a Scene Exit.
Meta-gaming: Out-of-game versus In-game Info
What a Player knows is not the same as what their character knows. For example, Robert may know that Ekta’s character is conspiring with evil cultists due to conversations they have between Events, but unless Robert’s character is told or otherwise witnesses these happenings, he must pretend not to know it as his character.
The use of out-of-game knowledge to affect in-game activity is called Meta-gaming. Contrary to popular belief, not all Meta-gaming is harmful to a game. In fact, Game Staff recommends Meta-gaming when it comes to physical and mental safety, as well as when it contributes positively to a Game Environment.
Good Meta-gaming
Here are examples of good Meta-gaming:
Invoking “Caution” to stop someone from backing off into some stairs
Checking with a Player first to ensure that your PVP action is acceptable and acting accordingly
Using one’s knowledge of other Player’s out-of-game triggers in order to avoid said triggers
Occasionally choosing an uncharacteristic action to avoid PVP or to facilitate cooperation with other Players
While on site, turning an out-of-game discussion into in-game dialogue to improve immersion
Bad Meta-gaming
Not all Meta-gaming is good. Actually, it is easy to use one’s out-of-game knowledge for self profit. Doing this is a major offense and is subject to harsher than normal Sanctions when investigated and discovered.
Examples of bad Meta-gaming:
Following out-of-game Staff to see where they are putting treasures or components in the woods
Using knowledge from out-of-game conversations and reporting on/blackmailing another Player’s secret activities without actually witnessing them first
Manipulating a new participant and extorting them of wealth through of their lack of knowledge
Intentionally using a Player’s out-of-game triggers against them to force them away from an in-game scene
Player versus Player Activity
Player versus Player activity (often called PVP) can range from greater PVP activity to lesser PVP activity. Players who engage or are engaged in greater PVP are encouraged to fill out an After-Action form at the Staff room ASAP. This helps to track the participants so that Game Staff can ensure the wellbeing of all parties involved. Players who continuously persist in starting greater PVP activity without filling out a form may be subject to investigation.
Examples of greater PVP:
Willfully attempting to kill or down another Player Character
Taking another Player Character’s unattended weaponry
Actively preventing another Player Character from being revived
Verbally or physically provoking another Player into combat with you
Examples of lesser PVP:
Keeping knowledge from other Player Characters
Engaging in economic warfare with another Player Character
Being afflicted by a Frenzy or Dominate effect and attacking another Player Character because of it
Hiring an NPC to kill another Player Character
The Effects of PVP. Left unchecked and unwarranted, PVP can lead to hurt feelings, dead Characters, and even Players leaving the game for good. Thus, Game Staff encourages Players to self-assess the impact of their PVP activities when it comes to greater PVP activities, regardless of their initial intent.
If Game Staff determines that a Player is performing greater PVP activities without an in-game reason, and/or without checking-in with their fellow Players (called “Griefing”), the Player in question may be subject to an investigation, with severe sanctions if the activity is detrimental to the general Game Environment.
Naturally, Players under an effect such as Frenzy or Domination from an NPC source are given immense considerations for their actions. These effects may cause Player Characters to turn on their allies with melee or ranged attacks. Naturally, this is not a license to perform Behavioral, Policy, or Safety violations.
Good PVP. PVP activity is best conducted when both parties are aware of and consent to such activity, role-playing their animosity in-game while ensuring respectfulness out-of-game. Clashes of personality or emotional outbursts can be entertaining if done in an emotionally and physically safe manner.
However, Game Staff heavily discourages Player Characters whose sole purpose is the destruction, burglary, or exploitation of other Players. At its core, the World Beyond the Fall is a cooperative game. As per the beginning of the document, when Players make these anti-social Characters, we highly recommend a different concept or Game altogether.
The Main Types of Game Violations
Behavioral Violations
Interactions with a large number of other participants is one of the biggest advantages and main activities of the World Beyond the Fall. Problems or conflicts between individuals can be a common occurrence; these are expected to be kept out of game and off site. Behavioral violations also include willful behavior onsite that is hurtful to another person on an out-of-game level.
Examples of behavioral violations are:
Verbally harassing another person out of game
Physically touching another player without their consent outside of game/combat mechanics
Engaging in non-simulated physical combat with another player without their consent
Maliciously misreporting a person’s actions to “get them in trouble” as retribution
Policy Violations
Policy violations cover actionable offenses that break the letter or the spirit of the ruleset. These are especially egregious because fair play and self-policing are central to the World Beyond the Fall experience. Offenders appear unworthy of the trust required for this game environment to work. Also, those violations that defy easy categorization are considered policy violations. For minor or one-time violations of this type, warnings are applied before actual sanctions are levied.
Examples of policy violations are:
Consistently and maliciously miscounting HP/damage
Purposefully misrepresent rulesets to other Players for personal gain
Breaking a rule in front of Game Staff “to prove a point”
Constantly misusing one’s Skills or using Skills that one does not have
Drug and Alcohol consumption on premises and violating site rental policies
Purposefully making false accusations of other Players to Game Staff
Safety Violations
While simulated combat and fictional scenarios are core activities in the World Beyond the Fall, the Game Staff endeavors toward maintaining safety as much as fair play. Naturally, the chaotic nature of such activities make absolute and sterile safety an impossible matter. With systems and safeguards, however, we can prevent physical injury to participants so we can engage with the fictional story and environment in a safe manner. Failure to adhere to these rulesets or to comply with the Game Staff enforcing them is a safety violation.
Examples of safety violations are:
Routinely swinging too hard
Flagrantly and routinely hitting illegal target areas (head, neck, groin, feet)
Leaving an open flame unattended or having an open flame indoors
Wielding or using sharp or pointed props
Punishment and Sanctions
Below are the various punishments and sanctions that Game Staff may levy against behavioral, policy, and safety violators. This is in order of least to most potent.
Warning: For most minor violations, this is the first response. Game Staff will discuss the offense or violation with the guilty party. This may occur in person at an Event or via email between Events. Game Staff will ensure that (1) the party is aware of the offense and (2) that they must take actions to avoid performing it again. This is an important lead up to further sanctions. Certain violations may skip this step altogether.
Probation (Final Warning): For this Sanction, Game Staff will administer a final warning to the guilty party. This means that there are no further warnings and subsequent offenses (of the same nature or otherwise) will be met with stronger sanctions. In some particular cases, Probation may precede Temporary or Permanent Suspension. Probation may last a specific amount of time or be indefinite, depending on Game Staff’s assessment.
Restriction: For this Sanction, Game Staff will ask that a Player refrains from certain activities or environments. A Player that routinely has minor conflicts with a specific Player may be asked to have low contact with that Player. Similarly, a Player that has proven themselves unsafe in combat may be told to avoid it for several Events.
Temporary Suspension: This is colloquially called a “Temporary Ban.” A Player placed under temporary suspension is not allowed to participate in BTF Events for a set amount of time. Three month or six month periods are the typical durations of temporary suspensions. Upon a Player’s return, they may be placed under probation.
Expulsion: An expelled Player is allowed to gather their things under supervision and is escorted from the game site. Those who refuse to leave or otherwise cause mischief will force Game Staff to call law enforcement.
Take note that Game Sites are rented private property and, as its renters, Game Staff is allowed to invite or disinvite individuals who violate any policies. Those who persist in going are considered trespassers and can be subject to the full force of the law.
Permanent Suspension: This is colloquially called a “Permanent Ban” or “Perma Ban.” A Player with this Sanction is disallowed from attending any BTF Events or related Events by the same LLC. This is usually the last resort of Game Staff with most individuals and the result of particularly egregious violations or unrelenting offenders.