Remove sick player from table?


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3/5

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This came up this past weekend at a convention and I decided to leave it alone but would like to ask for some input/advice here.

GMing at a convention this past weekend and a guy at my table has a bottle of Nyquil and numerous other meds at the table. He is coughing up a lung the entire time we are playing and sneezing. The guy was clearly sick and didn't care that he was exposing everyone at the table to his illness.

[Public health sidebar: I do not understand the selfishness of people that go to public events clearly infectious, instead of the sick individual staying home and not exposing people.]

Question: As a GM at a PFS event, am I allowed to request a player leave the table if I feel they are sick with an infectious illness? Follow-up question: should I?

The Exchange 5/5

I don't know persay if you can request they leave .. .an alternative is that the paper masks people wear tend to be relatively cheap ... buy and carry a box with you and ask him to wear a mask if he's going to be at the table while sick

1/5 5/5

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Duncan7291 wrote:


[Public health sidebar: I do not understand the selfishness of people that go to public events clearly infectious, instead of the sick individual staying home and not exposing people.]

For some people, going out to conventions and gaming is *the only social interaction they have*. So going out while inches away from death's door isn't too unexpected. Add in potential financial incentives (ie, convention paid for months in advance on limited budget, hotel rooms, travel...) and it becomes even more likely that folks will try to 'push the envelope', as it were.

Truth in text: I *used* to be one of these people. As I've gotten older and wiser, if I've felt 'not up to speed' I've stayed home for an early slot (if I wasn't GMing) or left the convention early to try and get some rest and recuperate.

'Con Crud' happens for reasons like this. Conventions are a 'perfect storm' of infectious vectors, (typically) poor eating habits, poor hygiene, exhaustion, stress, and close proximity to fellow players. [EDIT: We won't discuss the odious habits of folks that seem to think that 'vaping' at a table is a 'cool' thing and give you dirty looks when you ask them to stop it as your throat is closing up.]

There are also folks out there who attempt to use their 'ill' status as a lever for advantages in play. If I had not *seen* it happen, I wouldn't believe such a thing was possible.

That being said, one of the obligations as a GM is to ensure you have a safe, healthy, productive play environment. Someone hacking out a lung every five seconds is contrary to all of these items, and unless they're suffering from sort of disorder that causes this to happen that is not an illness, you should at the very least consult with the convention coordinator with your concern.

Dark Archive 5/5

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I would definitely call coughing and sneezing all over the table "disruptive out of game behavior"...

Liberty's Edge 5/5

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You are allowed to look out for your own health. If you feel your health is being seriously compromised by inconsideration, and the con organizer is not willing to remove the player (no judgements on whether they should or shouldnt) then you have the option to remove yourself, even if you are the GM.

Not ideal, but it is an option.

As for whether you should or shouldn't request someone leave when that sick? That's a tough one. We aren't a doctor. Who are we to say they are still cintagious? I've had head cold/flu that moved into my chest before. And still hacking up a lung for two weeks. I doubt I was still contagious. But if I was feeling that poor, I doubt I'd force a table to deal with me.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

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Depending on the severity of the illness, this could be considered a violation of the don't be a jerk rule. Just like most non-game related issues like hygiene, etc. people's response to this is going to vary in the extreme and I support communication to be the best resolution.

First, talk to the sick play. This simple approach seems to be the stumbling block in most table issues because people are too afraid of conflict to take action. Just let the sick player know your concerns. If you approach them fairly, IMO most will respond in kind and resolution can be reached. If they scoff or dismiss your concerns, bring it to the table at large. Peer pressure can be a powerful ally if used correctly. If everyone at the table is concerned about an apparent health issue, then action is necessary. Perhaps the player didn't really understand how everyone felt and is willing to leave the table. Or, perhaps you have to ask them to leave. I would expect any event organizer, VO or otherwise, would look at the situation fairly. No one, should be required to sit at a table where there is a health concern. Just because you are a GM does not mean you are required to jeopardize your health.

Personally, I really don't understand why these types of issues keep popping up in the forums. In a game where talking is the primary act over the course of 4-5 hours, its confusing that lack of communication would be the most common stumbling block towards resolution. The solution seems so obvious to me, but maybe I just have the benefit of life and campaign experience. The answer to these types of problems always seems to be the same. Communicate, try to resolve it at the table. If not, escalate it to the event organizer or VO. There is no exhaustive list of resolutions for every situation that can occur at the game table, especially when the issue isn't related to the mechanics of the game or the campaign rules. So it is hard to come to the forums in hopes of getting a firm answer that will apply to every situation.

3/5

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The issue comes up, for me, in that I'm not acting just for myself. Its an organized game where the rules of play are developed by someone else. If it would had been entirely my call, I would had informed the individual he isn't allowed to play because of his physical condition and the chances that he was infectious. I have no problems with confrontations or verbally expressing my opinion (I'm an attorney after all :) )

The intent of my inquiry is to ascertain whether such an action is within my powers as GM.

1/5 5/5

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Bob: Part of the problem is paradoxically the 'Don't be a jerk' rule.

It can be twisted back on it's tail so that if one invokes it for an exceptionally valid reason (person is a walking biohazard that the CDC would put in quarrantine) even under the most polite and respectful of ways, then one can be considered 'the jerk' for bringing it up.

And no one wants to get kicked because they brought up something like that.

So it turns into this impasse, where legitimate reasons for asking someone to either leave the table or correct their behaviour (if possible) instead turn into defense of (justified or not) an attack on their person.

Again, I've seen *this* happen. Not just on the forums. Trying to settle that sort of thing down is exceptionally difficult once the genie is out of the bottle.

3/5

/Agreed. I could see how placing deodorant, mints and breath masks on the gaming table at the start of play could be construed the other way :)

4/5

Thea Peters wrote:
I don't know persay if you can request they leave .. .an alternative is that the paper masks people wear tend to be relatively cheap ... buy and carry a box with you and ask him to wear a mask if he's going to be at the table while sick

If the player has already invested in numerous types of medicine, I think it's unreasonable to foist consideration of other peoples' health on the GM. The player should be responsible for getting his/her own mask.

I certainly understand why a player would do this, as Wei Ji outlined above. It is incumbent upon them, however, to ensure that this is not a disruption to the table. Truthfully, as one of the people who pretty much only leaves the house to go gaming, I've still made sure that I don't go gaming when ridiculously ill, with the rare exception being made for when I'm GMing and I can't reschedule.

IMO, if the player's illness is being a table disruption, such that it would prevent you from effectively running the scenario within the time slot (i.e. the play is so disrupted that you must continually repeat yourself or similar) or it significantly detracts from the experiences of the other players, bringing it up with the coordinator is a good idea. Personally, if someone sat down at my table with a pile of cold medicine, the first thing I would do is ask them if they're actually well enough to play in an empathetic manner - genuinely caring about their well-being and reminding them that illness can make for a miserable play experience for them.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

Bob: Part of the problem is paradoxically the 'Don't be a jerk' rule.

It can be twisted back on it's tail so that if one invokes it for an exceptionally valid reason (person is a walking biohazard that the CDC would put in quarantine) even under the most polite and respectful of ways, then one can be considered 'the jerk' for bringing it up.

Sorry, I don't buy it. If someone is doing something egregious enough that it needs to be addressed, then I doubt you are the only one with the issue. In which case, even if the original "jerk" tries to turn the discussion, the rest of those in attendance can provide the support needed for the issue to be laid at the feet of the appropriate person. And if no one agrees with you and supports the "jerk" then maybe you're being unreasonable.

Either way these issues are never gonna be resolved in the forums where there is missing data, lack of contextual foundation, etc. You cannot simply rule on the hypothetical. In regards to the OP, yes, you have the right to boot someone from your table if you feel their presence violates the don't be a jerk rule. It is always good to have the support of your table and/or event organizer when making said decision so it is fair and theoretically void of personal prejudices. Course, even if everyone disagrees with your opinion, and you still feel passionate about it, you can always walk away from the table. No one is forced to play/GM this game

I've never been one to have a lot of sympathy for someone who complains, especially in the anonymity of the forums, but fails to address the issue causing their complaints. IMHO, if an issue is not bad enough for you to take action, just continue to "tolerate" it, then it is not really an issue. Communication is such a powerful tool. failure to use it is almost irresponsible.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

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Duncan7291 wrote:
I could see how placing deodorant, mints and breath masks on the gaming table at the start of play could be construed the other way

In the right group, this could be effective, but generally speaking I would expect the recipient to at least consider it passive-aggressive if not outright offensive. The sentiment is probably warranted, but the method by which we communicate is sometimes as important as the words we use.

Grand Lodge 5/5 Regional Venture-Coordinator, Baltic

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I don't see how this situation is any different from any other social interaction.

For instance if someone is clearly sick in your workplace, you would advise them to go home too right?

Just because there is a rulebook doesn't mean regular social rules stop applying.

3/5

Bob Jonquet wrote:
Duncan7291 wrote:
I could see how placing deodorant, mints and breath masks on the gaming table at the start of play could be construed the other way
In the right group, this could be effective, but generally speaking I would expect the recipient to at least consider it passive-aggressive if not outright offensive. The sentiment is probably warranted, but the method by which we communicate is sometimes as important as the words we use.

I was joking but I do bring mints normally :)

Shadow Lodge 5/5

Auke Teeninga wrote:

I don't see how this situation is any different from any other social interaction.

For instance if someone is clearly sick in your workplace, you would advise them to go home too right?

Just because there is a rulebook doesn't mean regular social rules stop applying.

1/5 5/5

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Auke Teeninga wrote:

I don't see how this situation is any different from any other social interaction.

For instance if someone is clearly sick in your workplace, you would advise them to go home too right?

Just because there is a rulebook doesn't mean regular social rules stop applying.

In this day and age, being short-staffed and underfunded and not at the luxury of having hours or resources to bring in 'someone else' to cover someone 'going home sick', it is very difficult to even suggest someone go home (unless they look like they're about to die in some horribly explosive or dramatic fashion).

As the ill party, one is under the social pressure of attempting to finish work (even at 25% capacity) versus the social stigma of 'being a quitter' by going home early (and sticking one's coworkers with one's work). In addition, there's a punitive social effect in that individuals who leave the workplace may not be given 'extra' work to make up for the absence, but they may be required to 'do more upon return' which makes departing the workplace a daunting prospect.

Adding in further complications such as pre-inventory, particular holiday rushes, and other items that all employees are evaluated for adherence to attendance, it is not a surprise that a lot of folks 'play sick/hurt' rather than risk the alternative.

Additionally, depending on *what* a person goes out for, they may require a doctor's note to return. A doctor's visit turns a 'go home sick' into an 'exceptionally costly situation' even if the means and methods are altruistic on the part of coworkers and management.

This is for an environment that one earns money at.

For an environment one may have *spent* money at already, there's a concern of 'loss of value', however hidden, that can force even the most unhealthy of folks to make the logic leap that they should attend a convention. After all, the convention is not going to give a refund because someone has a cough, right?

The Exchange 5/5

Serisan wrote:
Thea Peters wrote:
I don't know persay if you can request they leave .. .an alternative is that the paper masks people wear tend to be relatively cheap ... buy and carry a box with you and ask him to wear a mask if he's going to be at the table while sick

If the player has already invested in numerous types of medicine, I think it's unreasonable to foist consideration of other peoples' health on the GM. The player should be responsible for getting his/her own mask.

A suggestion to give the player a mask was just that ... The GM could also wear the mask himself, but doing a lot of talking means that he'll be muffled, which is why I went for offering the player the mask

1/5

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I try to keep my personal struggles out of my gaming but this is actually something that could do me harm so here goes.

I am immunocompromised due to end stage renal failure and will eventually receive a kidney transplant. After the transplant I will be on immunosuppressants that will make me even more vulnerable to catching things than I am now.

What for most people is just a nasty cold or even run of the mill flu can put me in the hospital for an extended period right now and after the transplant could seriously jeopardize my life.

I'm not asking that the gaming table be a sterile place but I would greatly appreciate it if people took into account that someone in my circumstance might be in the vicinity when they are "hacking up a lung."

You can all be quite certain I am not the only gamer with health issues that makes this sort of thing more than an annoyance.

5/5 5/55/55/5

Put them at another table, you trust their die rolls.

Dark Archive 5/5

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Jessex wrote:

I try to keep my personal struggles out of my gaming but this is actually something that could do me harm so here goes.

I am immunocompromised due to end stage renal failure and will eventually receive a kidney transplant. After the transplant I will be on immunosuppressants that will make me even more vulnerable to catching things than I am now.

What for most people is just a nasty cold or even run of the mill flu can put me in the hospital for an extended period right now and after the transplant could seriously jeopardize my life.

I'm not asking that the gaming table be a sterile place but I would greatly appreciate it if people took into account that someone in my circumstance might be in the vicinity when they are "hacking up a lung."

You can all be quite certain I am not the only gamer with health issues that makes this sort of thing more than an annoyance.

And because we don't expect you to need to disclose your health status to us to game with us, we should really consider asking the actively sick to suck it up.

(I am one of those who will have beaten a cold but have a lingering cough for weeks. It sucks, and it still requires consideration of others whether gaming is the right answer or not when week four rolls around...)

1/5 5/5

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TetsujinOni wrote:


And because we don't expect you to need to disclose your health status to us to game with us, we should really consider asking the actively sick to suck it up.

(I am one of those who will have beaten a cold but have a lingering cough for weeks. It sucks, and it still requires consideration of others whether gaming is the right answer or not when week four rolls around...)

The problem is that some people see 'sucking it up' as 'playing when hurt'. With a lot of workplaces encouraging the same misconception, it's an easy logic fault to adopt.

And that's what gets afflicted people at the table.

Dataphiles 5/5 5/55/5 Venture-Agent, Virginia—Hampton Roads

Granted I don't run a lot of physical tables any more (I love roll20.net) but someone that sick that disrupts play and makes players worried is grounds for table removal at my table.

If someone doesn't understand why others are worried about their health with a very ill person around then I just can't be bothered to worry about the sick persons feelings.

I know that sounds rough but the other option is not GM'ing and that less fun for the non sick players and I wouldn't want to do that.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Concrud is a long-standing gamer tradition and right of passage. If no one brought Concrud to a Con how would anyone go home with this classic convention memento?

On a more serious note, if I paid for plane tickets, hotel room, badge and event tickets for a major Con (some of which is non-refundable) and scheduled vacation days well in advance of the Con, and I came down with something the week before, I am still going to go. That is too much to give up for a simple cold. Albeit, the face mask idea is a reasonable suggestion.

Likewise, if I have signed up to GM several slots at a Con, I am not going to back out of GMing at the last minute just because of a cold. I do, occasionally, back out of gameday slots for being sick, though I try very hard to find a replacement.

4/5 5/55/55/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Minnesota—Minneapolis

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How about you make all that investment, and then on the first day of Con you catch a cold from someone who refused to stay home when sick?

Sharing is usually a good thing, except when it is diseases.

1/5 5/5

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Sharing is caring?

That tidbit aside, a lot of concrud CAN be mitigated with proper rest, proper diet, pacing, physical activity, cleanliness, and hydration.

What those things are for a given person is a variable, but I have found personally that following those guidelines makes for a much more enjoyable extended convention experience.

For a game day or a local convention? Mileage may vary for others, but I'd stick to it.

3/5 5/5

BretI wrote:

How about you make all that investment, and then on the first day of Con you catch a cold from someone who refused to stay home when sick?

Sharing is usually a good thing, except when it is diseases.

From a practical standpoint, almost no disease has a 1-day incubation period. You come down with things you were exposed to at the Con during the work week following. Now, a high-stress, low sleep situation may allow something you were already exposed to rise to the level of full-blown illness, but that's different.

2/5

Yep, most diseases caught at a con wouldn't kick in until the last day at the earliest.

I might ask them to put a little distance between them and others, and definitely control their cough (the proper method is to cough into the inside of your elbow to avoid spreading with hands).

If they don't have hand sanitizer, offer yours. And if you don't have any, why not? :)

1/5 5/5

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Paulicus wrote:


If they don't have hand sanitizer, offer yours. And if you don't have any, why not? :)

Because every hand sanitizer I've encountered dries my hands out and starts making them crack, plus due to a chemical reaction I have with some of them, I start taking the lettering off things like keyboards, pens, pencils, etc?

That's my issue, though. I do wash my hands after using the restroom and use a wipe whenever possible after eating.

Grand Lodge 3/5

If they are obvious sick (coughing, sneezing, etc.), as a GM you have an obvious right to ask them to leave the table. A few sniffles are one thing, but the example given in the original post was of someone who was obviously having a productive episode- as far as sputum and other particulates.

This falls in the same lines as the 'really smelly and foul from 10 feet' person who just doesn't get it. Ultimately you are the GM and who sits at your table is your choice.

Being rude is one thing. The guy who farts and laughs about it or chews with his mouth open- we can deal with that level of immaturity and awkwardness.

If you are obviously sick, stay home. There are relatively healthy folks at the Con, but also kids and folks who have less than perfect immune systems... If you show up at my table and you are on death's door- I will be asking you to leave. Any organizer that doesn't back a GM when making a call of this type is a very poor organizer IMHO.

1/5 5/5

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Socalwarhammer wrote:

If they are obvious sick (coughing, sneezing, etc.), as a GM you have an obvious right to ask them to leave the table. A few sniffles are one thing, but the example given in the original post was of someone who was obviously having a productive episode- as far as sputum and other particulates.

This falls in the same lines as the 'really smelly and foul from 10 feet' person who just doesn't get it. Ultimately you are the GM and who sits at your table is your choice.

Being rude is one thing. The guy who farts and laughs about it or chews with his mouth open- we can deal with that level of immaturity and awkwardness.

If you are obviously sick, stay home. There are relatively healthy folks at the Con, but also kids and folks who have less than perfect immune systems... If you show up at my table and you are on death's door- I will be asking you to leave. Any organizer that doesn't back a GM when making a call of this type is a very poor organizer IMHO.

We have the power as GMs to kick anyone that has an 'aura' from 10' out of a convention?

Even if such a person *ISN'T* sitting at our table? Because that one is treading into dangerous 'slippery slope' territory.

What defines 'aura'? Is it the people's eyes watering? The CDC coming in with white suits to quarantine a person?

What level of 'expanse' are we talking about? While the argument is 'disruptive to play', could I as a GM insist that no one smoke, vape, or exude the aroma of same within a twenty food radius?

What about those of us who gain the Nauseated condition from folks gleefully speaking from their posteriors or talking with food in their maw? We have to put up with that behaviour, too?

Please don't get me wrong, I've *been* 'aromatic' but take great pains to correct for it. Especially during the summer months.

I've *also* been the person that's been starting to pull out a cel phone to call for medical assistance because I couldn't breathe, or was sitting there rocking back and forth at a table because the screaming migraine induced by such things was blinding me with pain. Or the person that's been turning green because the player/GM/person at another table ate some hideous concoction that is emanating (not hygiene per se) from them.

At what point is it no longer in the 'Don't be a jerk' and in the domain of 'Clean, safe playing environment?'. And what recourse does someone who has expended a resource (whether GM stars, cash for the convention registration, gas for travel, hotel room...) have if they are the one 'turned away'?

Would one go to the registration desk and vouch for a refund with them? Would one pay for hospital bills? The hotel room? The travel expenses?

This is a very expensive and loaded proposition...

EDIT: Marked for FAQ.

3/5

Unfortunately, gamers have a disproportional percentage of their population (as compared to the general population) who just don't get or care about hygiene and cleanliness. Poor diet, rest and other factors combined with this to create a petri dish pre-filled with bacterial growth media ideal for the spread of communicable diseases. I wouldn't be surprised if the first ever zombie outbreak occurred at a gaming convention (definitely would be ironic).

To use a more stark fact pattern to illustrate my point, what if the individual was exposed to ebola? Early symptoms mimic the flu. Guy gets exposed and rationalizes his attendance at Con because he spent money and feels he is entitled to go to the Con. He has just exposed hundreds of people to a deadly pathogen. Its the same thing as flying when you know your ill. If you invest money in a trip why not get trip insurance? Everyone that takes a vacation runs the chance of being sick during it. Ive spent a couple days sequestered in a hotel room while everyone else was out having fun because I was too sick to leave.

For me it comes down to respect for your fellow gamers and the community as a whole.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Ebola? Really? Way to over-exaggerate. We are not talking about deadly pathogens, we are talking about a cold or the flu. Something people go out with in public ALL THE TIME. Not just gamers. What's more, you can be contagious with the flu without even showing symptoms. So should anyone potentially exposed to the flu prior to a Con not go?

Also, I noticed you stated you didn't leave your hotel room for a couple of days because you were too sick. That is not the same thing as what you are asking, which is to not leave your hotel room if you think you are contagious.

Finally coughing and sneezing are not sure indicators of being contagious. Some people may simply have allergies and I know I usually end up with a lingering cough for weeks after my cold has gone away.

Now having said that, I do think that if a GM is genuinely concerned that a player may make people at the table sick, he can ask them to leave the table. I am not thrilled with being exposed to sick people either, but they are everywhere you go in public, not just the gaming table. It's something we have to deal with as social creatures.

2/5

Not to mention Ebola doesn't even spread through the air well at all. :P

Kicking someone off the table should be the last resort, after asking for reasonable accommodation (see my last post).

As for the sanitizer comment, I just meant it's a crowded public event and you're likely to be exposed to a lot of stuff, best to have something to help reduce the chances. :)

3/5

@Trollbill I did say stark example. Would measles be a better one for you or antibiotic resistant TB? It was an absurd example but it makes my point. People caring more about themselves and their wants at the expense of others.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Duncan7291 wrote:
@Trollbill I did say stark example. Would measles be a better one for you or antibiotic resistant TB? It was an absurd example but it makes my point. People caring more about themselves and their wants at the expense of others.

But this is typical. The world around us is full of people who go out in public while they are potentially contagious. Gamers are not a special exception. It may be selfish but it is what most people do. If I drive a car, I run the risk of being injured or killed by inconsiderate bad drivers. I don't like it, but it is a risk I take and accept. Same thing with potentially getting a cold at a Con. Obviously, though, there are some limits. While I might still go to a Con (especially if I signed up to GM) if I feel a cold coming on, I won't go visit my 94 year old mother at her assisted living facility because the risk to the people there is far greater than those at a Con.

Grand Lodge 3/5

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@ Trollbill. By the way of correction, someone with an active and productive cough is most likely contagious- thus the term 'productive'.

We were discussing the 'obvious case' and while I know folks would like to live in the world of minutia, this really comes down to facilitating an environment for play that respects others.

Now that we have had this thread going for awhile, I am somewhat shocked by the numerous folks who think 'we can't ask them to leave' or worry about offending someone. You are ill, here is your entry fee, hope you fill better. No we won't be covering your other expenses.

This isn't about driving a car or other spurious examples, this is about being in extended close (and personal) proximity with someone who is visibly ill (not just a few sniffles), the fact that issues such as this are debated at nausea makes me ever the more often want to decline as a GM at events. This is a social gaming event, not an arms treaty summit. If you are sick, stay home. That's that.

@ Wei Ji. If the 10 foot odor isn't at your table, I would say that you can address it with the event organizer or their designated representative. But, I am inclined to say that 'yes' someone who is obviously foul (not just a little stinky) should be asked to leave and then return when they have corrected the issue.

By the way of an extreme example, a few years back I was a 3 day gaming convention where someone had driven out on Thursday, gamed Friday and Saturday and by Sunday smelled so foul that it had to be addressed by the tournament organizers. Needless to say, the person in particular didn't really seem to care about their own hygiene- but when they were asked to leave suddenly got the message.

Far too many people seemed overly concerned about how the 'foul person' feels or may react... what about the 2 dozen or more other attendees who complain (directly or indirectly) about it? We ignore them? We would rather be talking about 'that foul guy back in 2008' for the next 7 years?

My rule in life is this... be an adult, don't worry about the small stuff and when you are confronted with a real issue, address it... and sure someone might get their feelings hurt, but that is life among a social species.

5/5 5/55/55/5

ebola is, in technical terms, a blood and poop virus. If you're getting that from another gamer you're sharing more than dice.

3/5

BigNorseWolf wrote:
ebola is, in technical terms, a blood and poop virus. If you're getting that from another gamer you're sharing more than dice.

You really are missing the point. I wasn't claiming the guy had ebola. I was using that as an extreme example. The other examples I used, TB/flu/measles are most definitely spread though coughing.

For educational purposes, from CDC website:

"Can Ebola be spread by coughing or sneezing?

There is no evidence indicating that Ebola virus is spread by coughing or sneezing. Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood or body fluids; the virus is not transmitted through the air (like measles virus). However, droplets (e.g., splashes or sprays) of respiratory or other secretions from a person who is sick with Ebola could be infectious, and therefore certain precautions (called standard, contact, and droplet precautions) are recommended for use in healthcare settings to prevent the transmission of Ebola virus from patients sick with Ebola to healthcare personnel and other patients or family members." Source- http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html

Scarab Sages

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I've had to disinfect one of my minis after someone sneezed at the table and it got sprayed. It had several droplets visible on it, as did the entire play map. I was seriously annoyed when it happened but I let it go.

It was just allergies, not even a cold, but if that had been ebola, I would have been at risk.


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My rule is that, if you're sick, then:

a. You should care enough about your fellow gamers enough not to want to risk getting them sick because you were selfish and wanted your own enjoyment over their well-being.

b. You should care enough about yourself to choose getting good bedrest and such over a game anyway.

c. You should be more worried about me booting you for violating the 'don't be a ****' rule than trying to act like you're the victim, Typhoid Mary!

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Socalwarhammer wrote:
@ Trollbill. By the way of correction, someone with an active and productive cough is most likely contagious- thus the term 'productive'.

Fair enough but I don't recall actually ever seeing more than someone having a cough and sniffles playing at an event and even a person with a simple cough and sniffles doesn't know if he is contagious at that point. Most people do seem to avoid playing if they are at the coughing up a lung stage.

Quote:
We were discussing the 'obvious case' and while I know folks would like to live in the world of minutia, this really comes down to facilitating an environment for play that respects others.

I point out minutia because people are making blanket statements about a complicated issue. There is no simple, one solution solves all issue here. It has to be evaluated on a case by case bases. Telling people to stay out of public situations when they might be contagious may sound like a simple solution, but it won't work because people don't do that outside of gaming, so why would they do it inside gaming. This is a bad solution because it only works in theory, not in practice, because it doesn't consider the minutia.

Quote:
Now that we have had this thread going for awhile, I am somewhat shocked by the numerous folks who think 'we can't ask them to leave' or worry about offending someone. You are ill, here is your entry fee, hope you fill better. No we won't be covering your other expenses.

I think this depends a lot on what you are asking the sick person to actually give up for the sake of your potential health. If we are talking someone who just loses out on playing that day and has to waste a 10 minute drive to and from the game store, you aren't asking them a lot. If you are talking someone who paid to fly to PaizoCon from Australia, paid for non-deposit refundable hotel rooms, spent his only vacation time this year to do it and has been looking forward to it for a whole year, then you are asking a lot more. Those are the two extremes and there is a lot of in between.

And, for the record, I did state earlier I thought GMs do have the right to ask someone to leave the table who is obviously sick. I just think this should be a considered response rather than a kneejerk reaction. And a situational judgment call rather than an absolute rule.

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This isn't about driving a car or other spurious examples, this is about being in extended close (and personal) proximity with someone who is visibly ill (not just a few sniffles), the fact that issues such as this are debated at nausea makes me ever the more often want to decline as a GM at events.

There was nothing spurious about my example. I was making a direct, real life comparison to the risk assessment and management we go through in everyday life. When I drive my car, I accept the risk I might get in an accident being worth the privilege of driving. And when I go to a Con, I accept the risk I might get Concrud as being worth the privilege of gaming. There are things you can do to minimize the risk but people are going to drive badly and people are going to go to Cons sick regardless of how much we think this shouldn't happen.

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This is a social gaming event, not an arms treaty summit. If you are sick, stay home. That's that.

Absolutist solutions solve nothing because we are not absolute people. You can rail all you want about how people should do this but it solves nothing when most people won't.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Wait. Are we talking about Ebola? Can we at least make it something more Pathfinder thematic like Bubonic Plague?

4/5

trollbill wrote:
Wait. Are we talking about Ebola? Can we at least make it something more Pathfinder thematic like Bubonic Plague?

Mummy Rot.

3/5

trollbill wrote:
Wait. Are we talking about Ebola? Can we at least make it something more Pathfinder thematic like Bubonic Plague?

Actually, this is probably more accurate Filth Fever

Scarab Sages

I'm sure ConCrud causes CHA damage in addition to the CON damage.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Is that CON damage, or Con damage?

5/5 5/55/55/5

Duncan7291 wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
ebola is, in technical terms, a blood and poop virus. If you're getting that from another gamer you're sharing more than dice.

You really are missing the point. I wasn't claiming the guy had ebola. I was using that as an extreme example.

You exaggerated the danger to the point of absurdity. Con crud isn't fun but comparing it to ebola is just silly.

3/5

BigNorseWolf wrote:
Duncan7291 wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
ebola is, in technical terms, a blood and poop virus. If you're getting that from another gamer you're sharing more than dice.

You really are missing the point. I wasn't claiming the guy had ebola. I was using that as an extreme example.

You exaggerated the danger to the point of absurdity. Con crud isn't fun but comparing it to ebola is just silly.

I completely disagree. People getting sick and dying at conventions has happened before. See Legionnaires Disease.

"The day after the convention began, some of the Legionnaires started to become ill with pneumonia-like symptoms – high fever, coughing, chest pains, and difficulty breathing. On July 27th, an Air Force veteran who had attended the convention, passed away at a hospital in Sayre, Penn., a few miles south of the New York State border. By early August, news organizations across the country had flocked to Philadelphia to report on the mysterious ailment that had already killed 18 convention delegates or city visitors, and had other in hospitals fighting for their lives. By the time the epidemic was over in mid-August, 221 individuals had contracted the still unknown disease and 34 of them had died." (emphasis added) Source: http://www.thelegionnaireslawyer.com/history-legionnaires-disease/

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, Florida—Melbourne

Legionnaires disease was caused by bacteria in the AC unit of the location they were holding the convention at. It had nothing to do with people coming to Cons sick and, again, we aren't talking about deadly diseases. We are talking about simple Concrud. Again you are grossly over exaggeratingg the problem.

1/5

It is probably not relevant, but isn't Legionnaire's Disease a parasite?

EDIT: More on topic, what advise would you give when one party says it is allergies, while the other says it is disease?

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