Arrival at CanGames
When you arrive at CanGames, we invite you to go to the Service Desk. You will find it right next to the entrance door within the lobby.
At the Service Desk, we will have your GM package with the booklet, badge, a CanGames die, and other stuff. Please review the information on the games you are running to ensure the information in your package is correct. If you notice an error please go to the Tournament Desk to compare with the information in the booklet and resolve any issues. The Tournament Desk is at the far end of the row of desks near the bar.
Game Master Responsibilities
Please show up to your table at least 15 minutes before your game starts. If you expect to be late, please contact someone at the tournament desk. Please properly identify yourself and your game name, code, and time slot when contacting us.
At the start of your game, please get your sign-up sheet and check the players who showed up for your game. Players need to have a valid numbered badge in order to play. If absentee players are not there by start time then you may accept alternates from the sign-up list. If you are still missing players, you may get an orange cone from the tournament desk to indicate that you are looking for more players.
During the game, have some fun. You are here to have some friendly mayhem after all.
At the end of your game, please advise your players if you have selected a 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd place for your game and ask the winners if they would like to get the trophy/certificate (code with T for trophies and code with C, N or D to get certificates if winners declared). If yes, mark all of the information in the appropriate column on the sign-up sheet and advise the winners they can pick up their trophy/certificate at the award desk two hours into the next time slot. Please bring your completed sign-up sheets to the Tournament Desk as they are used for the winners information and for statistical purposes. You should receive a $5 GM token (one per day) if you had submitted a game before April 8. You can use the GM certificate to purchase items at the bar, kitchen, marketplace, or the CanGames Cash Desk. Please note that you do not get change from a $5 GM token.
Code of Conduct
We have a code of conduct to respect:
CanGames is a family-friendly, inclusive social event and reserves the right to eject any person from the venue and its property for inappropriate or illegal conduct. The CanGames Adjudicator is the final arbiter of any dispute arising from a contravention of this policy. Complaints under this policy should be brought to a member of the CanGames Committee, or to Convention staff at the Command Centre. Inappropriate conduct includes the excessive use of foul language, physical or verbal aggression or intimidation, lewd conduct, harassing behaviour such as humiliating, demeaning, slandering (including by making false accusations) or stalking, and discrimination whether on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. Nothing in this policy is intended to discourage any person from calling the police or other emergency service in an emergency. A person calling the police or other emergency service shall thereafter as immediately as possible inform a member of the CanGames Committee and shall remain with a member of the CanGames Committee until the contacted service arrives on site.
This code of conduct applies to everyone, and includes how you are treated by the players. We are here to support you.
Safety Tools
In your GM package, you will find a safety tool known as the X-card and on the other side you will find additional safety mechanisms you may choose to use. Our volunteers at the tournament desk are there to assist you as well.
The X-card is a tool to help make a game more fun. The X-card is most useful for rpg games. If anyone is uncomfortable with something presented in the game, they can show the card and you can cut to a different scene.
If a situation escalates, please call for a break. You can seek clarification from the player privately. Alternatively, you can come to the tournament desk to speak to our volunteers who will consult with a committee member. We can look into the situation and if necessary, we can send our adjudicator to make a final decision.
Optional Safety Mechanisms
We encourage you to consider using one of these tools to enhance the enjoyment and safety of your game.
Break Time
A player may call for a break if they feel uncomfortable for any reason, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, bullying or other offensive behaviours. We encourage the player to discuss the issue with either the GM of the game or a member of the CanGames staff found at the service desk, based on the comfort of the player, in order to find a suitable solution. We guarantee the right of all players to request the arbitrator if they choose to.
Lines/Veils
We all have our limits and boundaries. Lines and veils are different ways to handle those boundaries in play.
A line is a hard limit and indicates the places we don’t want to explore in our game.
A veil is a “pan away” or “fade to black” moment. When we veil something, we’re making it a part of the story, but keeping it out of the spotlight. Think of it as a way to still deal with certain themes while avoiding having to describe them in graphic detail.
More details can be found at: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/30906/what-do-the-terms-lines-and-veils-mean
Cut/Brake
A tool when content is becoming uncomfortable or dangerous.
Cut: When someone says “Cut,” it signals that the situation has ventured into territory that makes a player feel unsafe, or even that a player is in danger of being physically hurt accidentally. When “Cut” is heard, all roleplaying must stop immediately and the game takes a short intermission as the facilitator and players involved work out how they can adjust the session to make it safer and better for everyone.
Brake: When someone says “Brake,” it signals that the current situation is going in a direction that the player is not comfortable with. It is the responsibility of the other players present to change the direction and/or reduce the intensity of play.
More information on Cut/Break can be found here: https://nordiclarp.org/w/index.php?title=Safewords
Script Change
Often it’s good to discuss with your group a “rating” for your game content, however sometimes people don’t know their boundaries yet. Maybe they do, and they just aren’t expecting to kick down the door and find something that really makes them scared, or uncomfortable.
At any point during the game, if a player or GM finds that they are uncomfortable with the subject matter or actions happening in the game, they can call for a Script Change. To make things easier, the GM should write “Rewind,” “Fast Forward,” and “Pause” on individual index cards.
More details on Script Change can be found here: <http://www.briecs.com/p/script-change-rpg-tool.html
