All games run by the Oxford University Role-Playing Games Society are subject to the Conduct and Acceptable Themes Policy which can be found on the OURPGSoc website. It is expected that all GMs and players will be familiar with this policy when playing CHRONOS.

CHRONOS is a game which takes place in a war-ravaged futuristic society. As such, dark themes may occur - the GM team does not, however, want to make players uncomfortable. Therefore, please find below included a list of potentially upsetting topics which may be present in the game. If you wish to play CHRONOS but have concerns about one of these themes, get in touch with the GM Team to talk to us about your concern - and, as ever, for any questions you may have.

We would like to remind all participants that the spirit of the policy is to be considered more authoritative than the exact wording, and legalistic attempts to defend breaches of acceptable behaviour will not be treated as valid.¹⁾ We expect players to follow a general policy of treating other players with respect.

As per the Conduct and Themes Policy, if you wish to raise an issue with regards to another player, contact the GM Team (gm@chronos.chaosdeathfish.com); if you wish to raise an issue with regards to a GM, contact the Head GM, Matilda, privately (matilda.tempest@gmail.com), and if you wish to raise an issue with regards to the Head GM then please contact the Society President (emily.green@magd.ox.ac.uk)

Themes listed here may occur during the course of CHRONOS. It is expected that these subjects are treated in an appropriate manner.

• Animal Abuse
  • Note that this theme will not be introduced by the GMs, but may occur as the result of player actions.
• Child Abuse
  • Actions which specifically target children for harm of any kind are disallowed.
  • However, as war is a central theme of this game, children may be harmed in the course of armed conflict.
• Consensual Sexual Activity
  • While your consenting adult characters may choose to have sex with each other, please do not roleplay this via email or submit details as part of your turnsheet action. The GMs have not consented to see this.
• Degenerative Diseases or Cancer
  • Several planets are currently wracked by horrible diseases.
  • However, we ask that players refrain, to the greatest extent possible, from introducing real-world diseases; the GMs will do likewise.
• Discrimination on the basis of class
  • Several of the systems have stratified social structures, and conflict may occur based on these.
• Discrimination on the basis of nationality
  • A central theme of this game is a war between seven planetary systems. All of these could be considered nations, and conflict between them should be expected. There are no real-world nations (or even real-world planets) in CHRONOS.
• Discrimination on the basis of physical disability or mental health condition
  • Themes of discrimination on the basis of real-world mental health conditions and neurological disorders are disallowed. The same applies to discrimination on the basis of physical disabilities that are not the result of recent traumatic injury or disease.
  • Characters with communicable diseases may be placed under quarantine. Characters who are sick or have recently undergone traumatic injury may have this commented upon.
• Discrimination on the basis of religion or faith
  • There are no real-world religions in CHRONOS.
  • Some religions in the Seven Systems are institutionally endorsed, others are not, and characters with differing ideological or religious beliefs may come into clashes with each other.
• Drug or Alcohol Addiction
  • This theme may occur in the course of the game and players are advised to handle the subject sensitively due to being unable to know the real life experiences of nearby players.
  • The 'vice' quirk may be modelled as an addiction.
• Eating Disorders
  • Disordered eating and discussion thereof is likely to occur in game due to the circumstances characters find themselves in. Food shortages are a real problem in the wake of the war, and genetic engineering has led to characters, such as the Briareans, having abnormal attitudes toward food.
  • We would ask players to be sensitive in their portrayal and discussion of these circumstances, and avoid real-world compulsive eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
  • Disordered eating as a means of expressing emotional distress is explicitly disallowed.
• Extreme and/or Indiscriminate Violence
  • War is a central theme of the game, and indiscriminate violence has occurred as part of this war.
  • Players are encouraged to use caution with regard to actions that could be construed as indiscriminate violence.
• Extreme Gore
  • The GMs will make all reasonable efforts to provide sufficient warning at the beginning of any passage, player brief or turnsheet that contains significant gore.
• Extreme Violence
• Gambling
  • This theme may occur in the course of the game and players are advised to handle the subject sensitively due to being unable to know the real life experiences of nearby players.
• Genocide
  • Large scale destructive acts which primarily targeted a single nationality have happened (eg. the destruction of an inhabited planet). Systematic campaigns to eradicate all members of a given group have not occurred.
  • Mass killings have not been and will not be performed on the basis of any of the banned discrimination themes.
• Genocide Denial
  • CHRONOS is a game in which changing history is literally possible. Genocide denial in the sense of retroactive genocide prevention, is a theme of the game.
    • The changing of history also means it is likely that characters with different recollections may have different ideas regarding whether a genocide happened or not.
  • Generally speaking, it is expected that mass killings will be acknowledged and we ask players to be respectful of this.
  • Discussion of the motivation, purpose and perpetrators of a mass killing is allowed. However, the suggestion that any mass killing was motivated by any of the banned discriminatory themes would not make sense in this game; making any such accusations in-character is disallowed.
• Homelessness
  • Mass displacement of populations is a significant concept in this game. Many characters will be wanderers or otherwise have nowhere specific to call home.
• Mental Illness
  • This theme may occur in the course of the game and players are advised to handle the subject sensitively due to being unable to know the real life experiences of nearby players.
• Physical Disability
  • Player characters or non-player characters may suffer/have suffered physical disability as a result of traumatic injury or disease, either during play or before play begins.
• Self Harm
  • Self harm as a means of expressing emotional distress is explicitly disallowed. Actions which harm the self to some other end (e.g. cutting off an infected limb) are allowed.
• Slavery / Human Trafficking
  • Slavery-adjacent institutions such as serfdom, a caste system, conscription and forcible change of employment exist within the game-world
  • Human trafficking may exist in the game world but is not a theme which will be introduced by the GMs.
• Suicide
  • Suicide as a means of expressing emotional distress is explicitly disallowed. Suicide for other reasons may occur, and likely has occurred in the game world.
• Torture
  • Torture occurs in the game world, and may occur in the game.
  • Torture will not be detailed in player briefs or turnsheets.
  • Players are advised that any information gained through the use of torture is likely to be unreliable.
• Terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism
  • This is a central plot of this game, and will thus feature heavily.
  • However, it is advised that caution be used with regard to current real-world events, particularly if you are plotting an action that could be construed as terrorism. Deliberate references to current real-world events are explicitly disallowed, and would make no sense in the game world.

The following themes will not be present in CHRONOS. They must not be mentioned or otherwise introduced by players or GMs at any point.

• Cannibalism
• Current real-world figures and events
  • CHRONOS does not take place in the real world, and as such discussion of current real-world topics makes no sense.
• Discrimination on the basis of gender identity e.g. transphobia
  • Societies in CHRONOS have always considered all genders equal. It does not make sense for your character to be prejudiced on the basis of gender or sex.
• Discrimination on the basis of gender or sex
  • Societies in CHRONOS have always considered all genders equal. It does not make sense for your character to be prejudiced on the basis of gender or sex.
• Discrimination on the basis of real-world ethnicity or race
  • Societies in CHRONOS do not recognise real-world ethnicity or race. It does not make sense for your character to be prejudiced on the basis of ethnicity or race.
• Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation e.g. homophobia
  • Societies in CHRONOS have always considered all sexual orientations equal. It does not make sense for your character to be prejudiced on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Domestic Abuse
• Eugenics
  • Post-birth modification of gene expression is possible; this is used on a society level to enhance physical features such as strength and sensory acuity, and may also be used by individuals for cosmetic modifications (eg. change of eye or hair colour).
  • These changes cannot be inherited by descendants of the subjects.
• Forced Abortion
  • We are not interested in dealing with the issues surrounding abortion in this game; pregnancies will only occur with the consent of all parties, and once conception has occurred the baby will be born alive unless its mother dies before the birth (see Miscarriage and Stillbirth) or makes a free choice to abort the pregnancy.
• Genital Mutilation
• Historical real-world figures and events
  • CHRONOS does not take place in the real world, and as such discussion of historical real-world topics makes no sense.
• Incest
• Mind Control and other means of removing agency
  • While propaganda is present, significant brainwashing is not possible in the game world.
  • Drugs exist which can change behaviour, but these do not remove the user's agency nor transfer that agency to anyone else.
• Miscarriage and Stillbirth
  • It can be presumed that a baby will be born alive unless its mother dies before the baby is born. It can be presumed that there will be no debate around this and that any attempts to kill a child while the mother is pregnant or during childbirth without the consent of the mother will fail without discussion.
• Sexual activity involving those lacking the capacity to consent, e.g. children (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Sexual assault, sexual coercion or any other form of non-consensual sexual activity (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Sexual harassment (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Use of real-world discriminatory slurs (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)

When out of character, all players and GMs are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner toward all other players and GMs. In particular, any in-character portrayal of stalking or romantic obsession must not be initiated without the express out-of-character consent of the other player involved. Furthermore, all characters should be treated as the intellectual property of their players. Anyone wishing to depict another player's character in any way (e.g. drawing a picture with that character in it, writing a story in which that character features, etc.) must first get the express out-of-character consent of the other player. If the other person does not give permission, this must be respected, and never brought up again. This applies both to PCs and NPCs.