Conduct and Themes

All games run by OLS are subject to the Conduct and Themes Policy which can be found on the OLS google drive. It is expected that all GMs and players will be familiar with this policy when playing Underlings.

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.

Unlike some games, Underlings is not a contact LARP. This means you shouldn't intiate contact with another player or GM without checking in OOC first. This includes all forms of contact, such as hugs or performing medical roleplay. Underlings is a strictly non-combat game - in the event you wish to initiate combat with another character pease speak to a GM (note there are likely to be severe IC consequences for doing so).

Players (and GMs) in Underlings are expected to maintain a good IC/OC divide. This means understanding that feelings between characters (whether that's anything from hatred to romantic) are between characters, and not the people playing them. We encourage you to talk to players who you've had particularly intense interactions with before/after sessions to make sure you are keeping the character seperate from the player. See tips for roleplayers for more suggestions on this (including advice on character bleed).

As per the Conduct and Themes Policy, if you wish to raise an issue with regards to another player, contact the GM Team (gm@underlings.oxfordlarp.com); if you wish to raise an issue with regards to a GM, contact the Head GM, Cameron, privately (calsop170@gmail.com), and if you wish to raise an issue with regards to the Head GM then please contact the Society Chair (michaelchester1989@gmail.com)

Underlings is an AI-free game. All content (including wiki pages, turnsheets, emails and images) will not be AI generated in any way. Players are also expected not to use AI as part of the game (though we doubt this is likely to come up).

Underlings is a game focussed around villainy. 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 Underlings 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.

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

• Domestic abuse
  • A primary theme of the game is the power imbalances in the relationship between villains and their underlings. Where this relationship is closely personal or dependent, this will result in themes of domestic abuse.
  • This will be opt-in - it will occur only between villains and their underlings (except as a backstory element), and will not be introduced except where such a closely personal or dependent relationship between the villain and underling exists.
• Consensual sexual contact
  • This may occur during game, but will not be written up in detail - a “fade to black” approach should be taken.
• Portrayals of disabilities, including but not limited to sensory impairments, mobility impairments, and mental illness including eating disorders
  • Disabilities may be roleplayed, if done sensibly.
  • Participants are expected to be highly aware that roleplaying as a character with a disability does not extrapolate into a real-world understanding of living with that disability.
  • Villains may be disabled, but disability or deformity should not be treated as a sign of villainy, and should form a core aspect of the character beyond simply adding to the “villainous aesthetic”.
• Natural disasters, wars, terrorism, or other fictional parallels to real world events of an upsetting or traumatic nature
• Torture
• Manifestation of progressive illness
  • i.e. illnesses which worsen over the course of the game
• Common phobia triggers, such as spiders or needles
• Addiction, such as drug or gambling addiction
• Homelessness
  • e.g. due to housing being dependent on the goodwill of your villain, or due to destruction of housing due to villainous actions
• Extreme or indiscriminate violence
• Extreme gore
  • Graphic descriptions in turnsheets will be gated behind a content warning.
• Slavery or human trafficking
• Mind Control or other means of removing agency
  • Characters will always be aware that any such influences are external - this does not change the character's own “internal monologue”.
  • This may take the form of:
    • “Body puppeting”, where the character is not in control of their body, but still in control of their own thoughts.
    • External influences/compulsions/restrictions, where a character is aware that the influence is external, though may not be able to resist it in the moment.
  • Players will only be able to use such powers on other players in a temporary manner
• Animal abuse
• Cannibalism

The following themes will not be present in Underlings. 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
• Sexual activity with those lacking the capacity to consent e.g. children
• Sexual harassment
• Use of real-world discriminatory slurs
• Discrimination on the basis of protected real world characteristics (e.g. gender/sexuality/race)
• Incest
• Genital mutilation or castration
• Portrayals of real-world religions or historical figures, or specific real-world historical events
  • Underlings is not set in the real world, so such portrayals are inappropriate. Elements similar or inspired by real world religions may be appropriate, e.g. as protection against vampires, but should be replaced by fictional equivalents.
• Self-harm and suicide as an expression of emotional distress.
  • Note that self-harm and suicide may appear in the form of e.g. ritual sacrifice, or as a necessary act to complete a task.
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion
• Horror elements related to pregnancy, or any non-human pregnancy
• Child abuse
• Eugenics, genocide, and genocide denial
• Violence specifically targeting minors
  • i.e. violence against a specific person, where that person is a minor, or violence targeting a group or location which would contain a disproportionate number of minors (e.g. a school). Minors may be harmed as the result of large scale or indiscriminate violence, but this must not be described in detail.

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.