Cosplay Rules

Costume Rules

Tora-Con is a family friendly convention. All costumes must follow a PG rating. You may be stopped at any time by Tora-Con Staff to determine if your costume is appropriate and may be asked to either change or cover up your costume if it does not follow the convention rules. Any Tora-Con Staff member has the right to any and all final decisions on whether or not a costume is appropriate.

  • All costumes and clothing must fall in a PG rating. Apparel should not depict vulgar or offensive images or text. Tora-Con Staff may determine if a costume is appropriate for the convention.

  • Shirts, shoes, and pants/shorts must be worn at all times. This is both for your safety and in accordance with health code restrictions. Violation of this will deny you entry to the convention. 

  • Any form of nudity or partial nudity is prohibited in the convention proper and on RIT Campus. 

  • All attendees must have proper footwear. Bathing suit areas must be covered. Any form of nudity is prohibited.

  • Examples of acceptable clothing as long as you are fully covered: sports bras, muscle shirts, spanks, leggings, etc.

  • No exposed hard materials, including wood and plastic. These materials may only be used as a structural base for your costume and then must be covered in foam or similar soft material to prevent injury to others.

  • Costumes may not have exposed hard materials, including but not limited to, metal and wood.

  • Hard materials may be used as a structural base for your costume and then must be covered in foam or other soft padding to prevent injury to others. If your costume is deemed unsafe, you will be asked to change into a different outfit.

  • No sharp edges or points. These must be blunted or made out of a soft material to prevent injuring others.

  • Free floating chains or trains must be no more than 1 foot long and must not flail around.

  • Your costume must be able to fit through a door of standard height and width (~7.5' x 3').

  • No part of your costume should obstruct the path of another attendee.

  • If your view is obstructed, please have a guide to direct you. 

  • If you and your costume require more than one seat in any event or panel room or obstruct the view of any other attendee, Tora-Con staff may designate seating for you that causes the least disruption. 

  • If you wish to take part in the Cosplay Contest, in addition to the rules above, you must adhere to the Tora-Con Cosplay Contest Rules.

Prohibited Props

Tora-Con Staff and Public Safety Officers will have the final say on whether a lookalike weapon is acceptable. Items in violation of this policy will be confiscated by security and returned at the conclusion of the convention. No exceptions. Failure to follow Tora-Con regulations will result in ejection from the convention.

All props must be checked at Registration even if you are not participating in any cosplay related events.

Misuse of props that endangers other attendees can and will be confiscated regardless of whether or not it is classified as a safe prop.

Please Note: New York State weapon and firearms laws are in effect and no weapons will be allowed in the convention proper or anywhere within RIT Campus. No exceptions.

  • Guns or props that fire objects such as bows, slingshots, airsoft or bb guns, foam dart launchers.

  • Live steel weapons with edges such as knives or swords.

  • Wooden weapons, such as swords, clubs and baseball bats.

  • Spray weapons such as mace.

  • A live flame, flash paper, sparkler, or strobes (sealed flashbulbs may be used if desired).

  • Electric weapons such as tasers or cattle prods.

  • Messy props such as confetti, flowers, food or water.

  • Non-firing toy weapons are allowed as long as they can be easily identified as toys, even from a distance by an average citizen. Toy guns must not resemble real weapons and must have an orange tip. Toys must not contain ammunition.

  • Wood and plastic may be used as a structural base for props, but only if it is properly padded to ensure it will not injure others. For example, covering a wooden dowel in foam to create a sword is allowed.

  • No signs are allowed unless they are an integral part of the costume for a character. Any other sign is not allowed. This includes signs written on any medium such as: paper, cardboard, handwritten onto T shirts, etc.

  • Signs that could be considered solicitation are not allowed. For example, a sign reading "FREE HUGS" would be prohibited.

    After 9pm on Saturday, ALL props must be stored away until the end of Tora-Con on Saturday. These include ones deemed safe for Tora-Con by staff at the Cosplay Prop Check Table. Tora-Con will not provide any space to store your prop. Tora-Con is not responsible for any costume prop confiscated by RIT Public Safety.