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Code of Conduct

1.) Preamble

District Dice Adventures is a professional Game-Mastering service which offers entertaining and engaging Sessions of Tabletop Role-Playing Games to its clients. A safe and welcoming environment is a crucial component of providing this service. In order to maintain this environment, this code of conduct outlines basic expectations for both game-masters and players to follow. District Dice Adventures reserves the right to refuse or terminate service for clients who violate the terms laid out in this document.

2.) Definitions

The following terms and abbreviations used throughout this document are understood as the meanings listed below:

  • DISTRICT DICE ADVENTURES (or "DDA") refers to District Dice Adventures LLC, a private company engaged in providing entertainment services to clients around tabletop role-playing games.
  • TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING GAME (or "TTRPG") refers to a system of rules and guidelines designed to encourage role-based narrative play within a small group of players, either in-person or over a digital communications medium. This definition distinguishes TTRPGs from electronic role-playing games that require computer or video game consoles to facilitate the story, as well as from live action role-playing games that ask players to physically embody and act out the roles they assume during the game.
  • A SESSION refers to a single event where one or more people assemble to play a TTRPG, led by a DDA representative. A CAMPAIGN refers to multiple interconnected Sessions played by the same group of players and linked by narrative continuity.
  • GAME MASTER (or "GM") refers to the District Dice Adventures representative assigned to facilitate a particular Session of a TTRPG. This is a generic term for this role; some games may use alternative terms such as "Dungeon Master" or "Storyteller," while other games may not explicitly include a Game Master role.
  • A PLAYER is a person who attends and participates in a TTRPG Session by assuming one or more roles within the game system. A CLIENT is a Player or other party who has paid money directly to DDA for the Session; each Session will have multiple Players and at least one Client.

3.) Expected Behavior

The following general behaviors are expected of all parties in order to foster a positive environment for safe and exciting TTRPG play:

  • All Session participants agree to treat each other with respect and consideration, encouraging genuine participation and collaboration between Players and the GM.
  • All participants are asked to be mindful of their surroundings and the comfort level of everyone involved in the game. All participants are asked to refrain from behaviors or speech that jeopardizes the safety or well-being of other Players or the GM.
  • Wherever possible, all pre- and post-Session communication between DDA staff and Clients should preferably take place through DDA email accounts or website forms, and should remain professional in tone and subject matter.
  • All participants are expected to follow basic hygienic standards, and are expected to maintain a clean and tidy environment during the Session.
  • If food and/or drinks will be present at the Session, all Players should communicate any allergies or dietary restrictions to DDA before the event. DDA will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate these restrictions.
  • All Players are asked to defer to the GM's decisions in the event of a serious dispute or distressing situation. The GM is responsible for ensuring all Players have a fair and fun experience, and is required to make decisions with that principle in mind.

4.) Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are not tolerated at District Dice Adventures. GMs may issue warnings, refuse service or terminate an ongoing Session if these behaviors are exhibited:

  • Violence, threats or violent language directed at another person.
  • Sexism, racism, homophobia or other bigoted language and behavior.
  • Harassment, stalking or doxxing of Session participants.
  • Inappropriate physical contact, touching without prior consent
  • Unwanted sexual attention or advances, including sexualized comments or jokes
  • Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behaviors
  • Other sustained disruptive behavior that persists despite repeated warnings

Any denial or termination of service as a result of unacceptable behavior on the part of the Client or Players will not entitle those parties to a refund.

5.) Content Advisory

During a TTRPG Session, it can be difficult to distinguish acceptable narrative content described within the game from acceptable Player behavior within and without the game. The following section outlines a range of content that's generally expected to occur within the gameplay of a TTRPG; these expectations can and should be modified by the GM and Players to ensure the comfort and safety of all participants.

5a) Violence: Sessions may include graphic depictions of fantasy violence, including descriptions of armed combat, injury and death. The following types of violence are not acceptable to portray in a TTRPG without the consent of all Players and the GM: extreme cruelty or torture, rape and other sexual violence, abuse.

5b) Graphic Content: Sessions may include descriptions of uncomfortable subject matter, such as body horror, injury and illness, cults, demonic activity, spiders and insects, and other topics. Players are encouraged to use the Safety Tools outlined in section 6 to control their exposure to uncomfortable graphic content.

5c) Sexual Content: Sessions will not contain explicit sexual content, descriptions or presentations of sexual activity. Sessions may contain romantic elements or mildly suggestive content provided all Players are age 18 or over and consent to the inclusion of such content. Players are again encouraged to use the Safety Tools outlined in section 6 to avoid unwanted sexualized content in their Session.

5d) Emotional Bleed: TTRPGs often involve Players acting as the persona of a fictional character going through an intense and thrilling adventure. While inhabiting this persona, some Players find it difficult to separate the emotions and reactions of the character from their own emotional responses; this is known as "emotional bleed," and can lead to negative experiences and interactions with other Players or the GM. If a Player notices or experiences uncomfortably heightened emotions during play, the GM may pause the game or call a brief intermission to remove Players from the situation and help reset emotions to continue play. Players are asked to respect the GM's decisions with regard to emotional bleed, and to be mindful of their own comfort level and the comfort level of those around them.

6.) Safety Tools

District Dice Adventures utilizes several informal mechanisms to ensure Players can fully enjoy their TTRPG Session. DDA GMs will review the following Safety Tools with all Players before each Session and ensure every Player has use and understanding of each tool before play begins:

6a) Lines and Veils: Before each Session, Players will have the opportunity to establish Lines and Veils around content they want to leave out of the game. Drawing a Line around a subject excludes it from the game entirely (e.g. "There will be no violence against children in this Session,") while drawing a Veil over a subject allows for mentions or allusions to that subject without direct portrayals (e.g. "Torture may come up during the Session, but it won't be described or featured in detail.") Lines and Veils will be made available to all Players throughout the Session, and the GM will moderate all discussion of listed content to accommodate Player comfort.

6b) X-Card: If a Player feels uncomfortable or unsafe during a Session, they can always call for a pause in play by invoking the X-Card. The X-Card is a mechanism for Players to moderate the content of a TTRPG Session by signaling the other Players and the GM. In some Sessions, a physical card may be present for Players to tap and invoke the X-Card; otherwise, raising a hand or crossing ones arms over the torso can also invoke the X-Card. Once the X-Card is used, TTRPG play is paused while the GM and Players determine what content is causing discomfort and how best to remove or play around it.

6c) Conflict Resolution: If disputes arise during a Session that detracts from the overall experience, the GM may take the following steps to arbitrate the dispute: pausing the Session, conferring privately with the disputing parties, soliciting outside opinions from non-involved Players, and issuing a ruling to resolve the issue for the course of the Session. If a dispute about the TTRPG rules or playstyle is resolved in this manner, DDA asks all Players to respect the GM's decision as final for the Session; in a Campaign setting, ruling appeals may be entertained over email at the GMs discretion. For interpersonal or material disputes, the GM may temporarily or permanently remove Players from the Session until the dispute can be resolved amicably.

7.) Contact

Questions or comments about this Code of Conduct may be addressed to mattpicht@districtdiceadventures.com.

8.) License and attribution

Parts of this Code of Conduct are derived from the Citizen Code of Conduct published by Stumptown Syndicate. This Code of Conduct is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

Version 1.0, published November 17, 2025