Lurking Fears is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive gaming community. Everyone is welcome at a Lurking Fears table.

Lurking Fears embraces all gamers, no matter their gender identity, gender expression, race, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, or other status. Everyone has a seat at a Lurking Fears table.

Lurking Fears explicitly prohibits any harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, race, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, or other status. Everyone is equal at a Lurking Fears table.

Lurking Fears actively seeks feedback from all gamers. We welcome suggestions to improve, include, and better represent everyone. Everyone has a voice at a Lurking Fears table.

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Player's Code of Conduct

1. Expectations and Boundaries
   1. Lurking Fears management and GMs hold themselves to all relevant convention policies, guidelines, and standards of conduct (hereafter “rules”). Players at Lurking Fears tables are held to these same rules. Players that violate these rules will be asked to leave any Lurking Fears spaces and may be prohibited from any future Lurking Fears events or conventions where Lurking Fears has dedicated space.
   2. In instances where there are conflicts between the Lurking Fears Players Code of Conduct or Lurking Fears Code of Conduct (for Lurking Fears representatives), and convention rules, convention rules will take precedence.
   3. Lurking Fears recognizes that not all themes are comfortable or acceptable to all players. GMs are expected to clearly lay out, to all Players, the expectations for the rules and themes of their games beforehand. Players reserve the right to intervene when themes cross their personal boundaries. GMs are expected to modify their game, as it is practicable, to ensure the Players are comfortable, when notified by Players. Players are encouraged to notify Lurking Fears management or administration if GMs do not comply.
   4. Players that are uncomfortable intervening are encouraged to notify Lurking Fears management or administration for assistance in remediation. Players may also leave the gaming space if they feel the need to.
   5. Players may take pictures and video of their experiences at Lurking Fears events, at their discretion, with the consent of all involved, pursuant to any convention rules.
2. Harassment and Feedback
   1. Lurking Fears management, administration, and GMs are expected to treat all Players with kindness, respect, and courtesy. Lurking Fears fosters an inclusive gaming environment where Players get to play, and GMs get to run the games they love. Lurking Fears will not tolerate harassment towards anyone involved at any Lurking Fears events. Harassment may be based on, but is not limited to, gender identity, gender expression, race, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, or any other protected status.
   2. Harassment includes, but may not be limited to, any unwanted or unsolicited physical, sexual, and verbal interactions.
      1. Physical harassment is any intentional contact in an unwanted way toward another individual.
      2. Sexual harassment may include, but is not limited to, teasing, jokes, innuendo, photos and images, gestures of a sexual nature, touching of a sexual nature, not respecting someone’s personal space, and giving gifts of a sexual nature.
      3. Verbal harassment may include, but is not limited to, unwarranted hostile behavior, threats, intimidation, and includes said behavior in written media which may be found in online messages, posts to social media, and other visual forms of communication.
      4. Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or critique offered in good faith. However, continued disagreement/critique may constitute harassment.
      5. All reports of harassment will be treated confidentially, as it is practicable, and seriously.
   3. Players harassing GMs will be reported to convention and/or local authorities, pursuant to any applicable convention rules and (if necessary) local, state, and/or federal laws as well, and will be asked to leave any Lurking Fears spaces. Said Players may also be prohibited from any future Lurking Fears events or conventions where Lurking Fears has dedicated space.
   4. GMs harassing Players will be handled, as above (Players harassing GMs), and that GM will also no longer be invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
   5. These standards also apply to online events hosted by Lurking Fears.
   6. Players are encouraged to report all instances of harassment to Lurking Fears management or administrations through whatever means the Player is comfortable communicating the issue. Players may use the current game feedback system to anonymously report harassment. Lurking Fears management will act on all reported instances, as they are received, with the appropriate urgency.
   7. Players are encouraged to and may, at their sole discretion, leave anonymous feedback for GMs following games, concerning the quality of their game and GM skills. GMs may not unduly influence Players one way or another regarding the feedback but are encouraged to promote the feedback system currently in use. If a GM attempts to influence a Player’s feedback, said Player is encouraged to report this to Lurking Fears management or administration.

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GM Code of Conduct

1. Be Present and Prepared
   1. Invitations to conventions as a GM, with Lurking Fears, is dependent on a commitment to running prescheduled games. Repeated failures to be responsible to those commitments – such as a failure to run and failure to be on time to run - may result in no longer being invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
   2. Prescheduled games are set as early as is practicable with the conventions and with Lurking Fears. GMs are expected to be prepared to run the games on the schedule to the best of their ability. Changes to the schedule should be made as early as is practicable, and preferably before the convention’s last submission date, when applicable. Repeated failures to run the prescheduled games, or credible - and repeated - feedback from players of unpreparedness may result in no longer being invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
2. Be Badged and Fair
   1. Follow all convention policies, guidelines, and standards of conduct (hereafter “rules”). Violations of convention rules may result in no longer being invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
   2. GMs are expected to clearly lay out the expectations for the rules and themes (if necessary) of their games beforehand to all players. Lurking Fears recognizes that mistakes will be made, but repeated failure to set the expectations of the game with the players may result in no longer being invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
      1. Games with potentially disturbing themes must be as clearly defined (as is practicable) beforehand and players must be given agency to intervene in the game if the themes cross their personal boundaries. If themes are identified by a player during a game, the GM must alter the game (as is practicable) to ensure the boundary is no longer crossed.
         1. “Let them know what they’re getting into.”
3. Be Kind and Respectful
   1. Treat all players with kindness, respect, and courtesy. Lurking Fears fosters an inclusive gaming environment where players get to play, and GMs get to run, the games they love. Lurking Fears will not tolerate harassment of any kind, towards any players, nor towards any GMs, based on gender identity, gender expression, race, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, or any other protected status.
   2. Harassment includes any unwanted or unsolicited physical, sexual, and verbal interactions.
      1. Physical harassment is any intentional contact in an unwanted way toward another individual.
      2. Sexual harassment may include, but is not limited to, teasing, jokes, innuendo, photos and images, gestures of a sexual nature, touching of a sexual nature, not respecting someone’s personal space, and giving gifts of a sexual nature.
      3. Verbal harassment may include, but is not limited to, unwarranted hostile behavior, threats, or intimidation.
      4. Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or critique offered in good faith. However, continued disagreement/critique may constitute harassment.
         1. “Agree to disagree, and then move on.”
      5. All reports of harassment of any nature will be treated confidentially (as is practicable) and seriously.
      6. Players harassing GMs will be reported to convention and/or local authorities, pursuant to any applicable Convention Harassment Policies or Guidelines and (if necessary) local, state, and/or federal laws as well, and will be asked to leave any Lurking Fears spaces.
      7. GMs harassing Players will be handled, as above (Players harassing GMs), and that GM will also no longer be invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
         1. No exceptions to this rule will be made.
   3. These standards also apply to online interactions on behalf of Lurking Fears.
   4. Lurking Fears reserves the right to not invite any GM who has a history of or is routinely and/or credibly accused (or convicted) of harassment of any type outside of conventions and gaming situations.
4. Be an Ambassador and a Promoter
   1. Invitations to identified conventions, as a GM with Lurking Fears, may be dependent on a commitment to run certain game systems for game publishers. GMs are expected to promote those game systems – when identified - and to encourage players to also explore those game systems at their leisure.
   2. GMs not committed to running identified game systems for game publishers (as above) may, within convention rules, promote their own games, including but not limited to game systems, modules, adventures, and scenarios. GMs may not sell their own games - physical products - in Lurking Fears spaces unless expressly permitted by convention rules and arranged with Lurking Fears prior to a convention.
   3. Players are encouraged to and may, at their sole discretion, leave (optionally) anonymous feedback for GMs following games. GMs may not unduly influence players one way or another regarding the quality of the feedback but are encouraged to promote the feedback system currently in use.
   4. GMs who consistently receive below average or egregiously negative feedback, through the feedback system currently in use, may result in no longer be invited to conventions with Lurking Fears.
5. Be Safe and Stay Healthy
   1. Lurking Fears encourages good “conventions habits”.
      1. Remember to bring a snack and a drink, or money to purchase them, pursuant to convention rules.
      2. Remember to not ‘overbook’. Provide time in personal schedules for adequate sleep.
      3. Remember to have fun! Provide ample time in personal schedules, away from Lurking Fears commitments, to enjoy other desired aspects of conventions. Enjoy social activities (e.g., parties, nightlife), but be careful and don’t ‘overdo’ it.
         1. “There’s nothing worse than trying to run a game with a hangover.”
      4. Remember to stay healthy. Bring and wear a mask, if desired, and eat regular, healthy meals as is practicable. Throat lozenges (or similar OTC medication for temporary sore throats) are also suggested. GMs often do a lot of talking, usually in loud spaces, and at higher-than-normal volumes.
      5. Remember to stay clean. Regular, good hygiene is suggested, as bad hygiene may be distracting to all participants.
      6. Remember to bring your convention gear. Have adequate equipment (such as a backpack) to carry your game materials and to provide for any estimated extra space for possible (or likely!) purchases, prizes, and ‘SWAG’.
         1. If possible, bring extra paper, writing utensils, and (if applicable) dice for the games you run. This is not a requirement, as players are expected to bring their own gaming supplies, but prepared GMs can help to mitigate the risk of unprepared players and ensure a fun game for everyone!
   2. Lurking Fears encourages safe “traveling habits”.
      1. Conventions often take place in crowded, urban places. Maintain situational awareness, especially at night, in downtown areas. Stay close to convention areas, during convention times, especially if it’s the first time in that area. Travel in groups when possible, or desired, and know how to get to lodging from convention areas.

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Invitations as a GM to conventions that Lurking Fears is present at, are made at the sole discretion of Lurking Fears management for each convention that it is present at. An invitation is not a guarantee of an invitation to future conventions, nor does it constitute a contract, obligation, or any other legal binding between Lurking Fears and any GM outside of any game commitments at said convention.

GM perks, for running games on behalf of Lurking Fears, will vary by convention. Said compensation will be detailed in advance and will be dependent upon the GM fulfilling their agreed commitments.