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.

As per the Conduct and Themes Policy, if you wish to raise an issue with regards to another player, contact the GM Team (gm@umba.chaosdeathfish.com); if you wish to raise an issue with regards to a GM, contact the Head GM, Matilda, privately (tildas.storm@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, a central theme of this game is a horrific war which has been occurring, and children have been harmed as a result of this.
• Self Harm
  • Self harm as a means of expressing emotional distress is explicitly disallowed. Self harm for other reasons may occur.
• Consensual Sexual Activity
  • We shouldn't have to say this but please do not roleplay this via email - the GMs are copied into every email sent and we don't want to read this.
• Extreme 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 extreme gore.
• 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.
  • People in the gameworld are generally judged on their capabilities rather than physical conditions, and people’s assertions about their capabilities are generally taken at face value unless clearly incorrect (eg. displaying all symptoms of a communicable disease and insisting that they are fine). Due to the history of conflict in the gameworld, there is a cultural attitude of allowing everyone to act to the best of their ability
  • Characters with communicable diseases may be placed under quarantine.
• Discrimination on the basis of nationality
  • A central theme of this game is a horrific war that has been taking place 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 religion or faith
  • Amongst the seven systems there are many religions, some of which are institutionally or governmentally endorsed in certain systems. There are no real-world religions in CHRONOS.
• Discrimination on the basis of class
  • Several of the systems have social structures which are stratified to varying degrees. As a result, conflict on the basis of social class may occur during the game.
• Torture
  • Torture occurs in the gameworld, 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.
• 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 Briareons, having abnormal attitudes toward food.
  • However, 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.
• Slavery / Human Trafficking
  • Slavery in the sense of one person owning another does not exist within the gameworld.
    • However, slavery-adjacent institutions such as serfdom, a caste system, conscription and forcible change of employment do exist.
  • Human trafficking may exist in the gameworld but is not a theme which will be introduced by the GMs.
• Genocide
  • Large scale destructive acts which primarily targeted a single nationality have happened (eg. the destruction of an inhabited planet), but systematic targetings of people based on a specific characteristic have not occurred and will not occur.
  • Mass killings have not been and will not be performed on the basis of any of the banned discrimination themes.
• Genocide Denial
  • It should be noted that this is a game in which changing history is possible, so where the points below refer to a way in which an event actually happened, that only applies to a particular timeline; in a timeline where the events did not happen, it makes sense to say this.
    • Denying that a mass killing has happened in a timeline where it actually happened is disallowed, and the GMs will not introduce any such suggestions.
    • 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.
    • Debates about the facts behind a mass killing (eg. which faction was responsible, the tactical reasons behind it, etc.) are allowed, but any arguments should be reasonable.
• 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.
• 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.
• Suicide
  • Suicide as a means of expressing emotional distress is explicitly disallowed. Suicide for other reasons may occur, and likely has occurred in the gameworld.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism
  • This is a central plot of this game, and will thus feature heavily in most player backstories and many player briefs.
  • 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 gameworld.
• Indiscriminate Violence
  • Much of the violence which will come up in the game (in backstory, player briefs, turnsheets, etc.) will not be 'indiscriminate' per se.
  • However, a central theme of this game is a horrific war which has been occurring. Because of this war, a fair amount of indiscriminate violence has occurred.
  • Players are encouraged to use caution with regard to actions that could be construed as indiscriminate violence.

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

• Sexual assault, sexual coercion or any other form of non-consensual sexual activity (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Sexual activity involving those lacking the capacity to consent, e.g. children (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Sexual harrassment (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• Use of real-world discriminatory slurs (this applies to all OURPGSoc games)
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Incest
• Cannibalism
• Mind Control and other means of removing agency
  • Brainwashing is not possible in the gameworld.
  • Drugs exist which can change behaviour, but these do not remove the user's agency nor transfer that agency to anyone else.
• Domestic Abuse
• Genital Mutilation
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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 (eg. 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.