Survival Tips for DunDraCon

Read all this stuff. You really do want to know most of what's in it.

Follow the few rules we've got. Chaos is no fun when you can't leave the table.

We can't help if we don't know there's a problem. If the Con isn't going well for you, please talk to one of our staff - the ones in the green shirts with Sparky on the back - right away. We get complaints every year about things big and small, from hotel problems to irritating fellow guests, and many of them we can fix if we find out about it quickly. No problem is too small - really.

You may also want to check out the Helpful Hints compiled by some of our Senior Volunteers, who have been doing this long enough to know better.

Convention Rules

Wear your Con badge. Wear your Con badge where it can be seen. You cannot enter the Dealers' Room or a scheduled game without it, and we will be looking for badges in other spaces, including open gaming and the board games room, and all the corridors that lead to them.
Harassment: DunDraCon feels very strongly that attendees should be allowed to play in an atmosphere of harmony and good feeling at the convention.
Harassment can range from purposely touching someone else against their wishes, invading their privacy, or following them around, to comments or gestures that make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. This is not an exclusive definition; harassment is as broad as the perception of the harassed.
If you feel you are being harassed in any way, and especially if the harassers are persistent, you should report this to our Green Shirt staff; you will be referred to a mediator to assist you. Our mediator, either alone or in consultation with others, will hear your concerns and act on them with high priority. Such a resolution may range from mediation between you and your harasser, to expelling your harasser from the convention, banning the harasser from some or all future conventions, or involving local law enforcement if warranted.
Photos and Videos: Videos and photographs are allowed at DunDraCon, but be aware that some people do not wish to have their image appear, well, anywhere. If you plan on shooting outside of designated areas, please be courteous. Announce that you plan to take photos/videos in the area, and allow people to clear out of frame before beginning your shoot. If they are in the middle of a game, please shoot around them or shoot in a different area, rather then asking them to interrupt their game - they are here to have fun, and asking them to leave so you can shoot a picture is rude. If there is a dispute about taking pictures (whether you are doing it, or you object to it) please find a Green Shirt or go to the Information Table or Registration Area and we'll help resolve the issue. Harrassment-by-photo will not be tolerated.
Health and Safety: Anyone who endangers the health and safety of others, or causes others to feel unsafe, is subject to expulsion from the Con, though in minor cases they might just get a stern talking-to. Most everyone behaves very well for such a large Con, but because it is large and sometimes crowded, we have to take potentially hazardous situations seriously. In particular, use of controlled substances, use of fire in any way (even a candle), or any inappropriate use of alcohol in public are grounds for kicking the offending party out of the Con.
Leave weapons in your room. A weapon is, by definition, anything the Committee thinks is a weapon - please don't argue. This is for your safety (any weapon, real or fake, may startle someone into taking action against you) and the safety of your companions. You may mean no harm, but most things that look like weapons are a real hazard in crowded halls. Even the martial arts demo people keep everything in their room except en route to and from scheduled demos. And it is never appropriate to wield a weapon outside of a planned martial arts demo, even in jest. This in particular is so serious a safety violation that DunDraCon reserves the right to kick the violator out of the Con.
Smoke only where allowed - that is: in the smoking areas outside. This rule comes from the hotel. The Marriott is a 100% non-smoking hotel. Smoking anywhere in the hotel (including the room balconies, which are considered part of the interior) can get you kicked out of the Con, and the hotel may levy a hefty charge against your room bill as well. Note that the Hotel includes vaping, electronic cigarettes, and similar devices in their ban on smoking.
Individual selling in the Swap Meet only

Hotel Tips

Don't cook in your rooms! It's a hazard that might set off extinguishers, cause fires, or just get you thrown out of the hotel...
If you choose to go out and get food (or have it delivered) please don't leave the carcasses lying around - it annoys the hotel staff, which makes it harder for us to work with them next year.
Please keep your rooms relatively neat. Especially keep sleeping bags, ice chests, etc. safely stowed away in closets or drawers.
No gaming in Parcel 104 or the B&B lobby service area. Eat and move on, as others are waiting for the space to unmask for a snack!
Lost and Found is with the hotel front desk. DunDraCon staff will turn in all lost and found items to the hotel, so check there.
The Health Club and Pool are for the use of registered hotel guests only.

General Good Sense

Sleep some of the time. Your body needs rest, even with non-stop distractions. If you start another run at 2 in the morning, you'll probably be too wasted to play in your official game at 8 am next day.
Eat something besides potato chips and candy. Your endurance and concentration will improve amazingly.
Hydrate. Hotel air is very dry; try to avoid sugar and alcohol as much as you can.
Alcohol is allowed only for those of age. Ignore this rule and you can be asked to leave the Con.
Tell people where you are. Make sure your family and anyone else who might need to reach you know you're at the Marriott, and what your room number is. Give us a number where we can reach your family or friends.
We cannot page people at the Con, nor can we guarantee to reach or find anyone. You can leave a note on the DunDraCon message board, and so can your friends, so check the board for messages a few times a day. Ask at the front desk, too; they may have something that hasn't been posted.
Watch your step. Don't run in the halls or otherwise endanger yourself or others. It's hard to move figures when you're in traction.
Use the trash cans. Garbage left for someone else to pick up is a major social blunder.
Keep your temper. The committee is trying to make the con run as smoothly as possible. If something goes wrong, we'll get it fixed faster if we can just work on the cure - without stopping to swear that we didn't foul things up on purpose.
Know where your children are, and make sure they know where you are. Set a specific time and place to meet whenever you and your children are going to be in different places for even a few minutes. Ultimate responsibility for your children's safety lies with you; Dundracon and the Marriott will do the best we can to support you in that goal. Should any crisis arise, children or adults should contact our staff or the hotel at once
Do not play in the stairwells or elevators. This is both a courtesy and a safety issue. During peak times the elevators are full to capacity and the stairwells are often busy with folks carrying large amounts of stuff to and from game rooms. It is also essential that hotel and convention staff be able to move between floors in order to run the convention smoothly. Unfortunately, teleporting is not yet an option.

Survival Tips for DunDraCon

Convention Rules

Hotel Tips

General Good Sense

Enjoy your stay at DunDraCon!