diff --git a/client/src/components/RequireAuth.jsx b/client/src/components/RequireAuth.jsx
index 052481e..ceae49e 100644
--- a/client/src/components/RequireAuth.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/RequireAuth.jsx
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { Navigate, useLocation } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { useAuth } from '../contexts/AuthContext.jsx'
 
-// Gate for /admin/* — redirects to the login screen when not authenticated.
+// Gate for /admin/* — redirects to the login screen when not authenticated, and
+// bounces a signed-in player to their own portal (the admin API 403s them anyway;
+// this keeps the UI honest and mirrors RequirePlayer).
 export default function RequireAuth({ children }) {
   const { user, loading } = useAuth()
   const location = useLocation()
@@ -16,5 +18,8 @@ export default function RequireAuth({ children }) {
   if (!user) {
     return <Navigate to="/admin/login" state={{ from: location }} replace />
   }
+  if (user.role === 'player') {
+    return <Navigate to="/account" replace />
+  }
   return children
 }
diff --git a/client/src/routes/admin/AdminLogin.jsx b/client/src/routes/admin/AdminLogin.jsx
index c492276..874b90a 100644
--- a/client/src/routes/admin/AdminLogin.jsx
+++ b/client/src/routes/admin/AdminLogin.jsx
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ export default function AdminLogin() {
   const navigate = useNavigate()
   const location = useLocation()
   const dest = location.state?.from?.pathname || '/admin'
+  // A player who signs in here belongs in the player portal, not the admin shell
+  // (the admin API 403s them anyway). Staff go to their intended admin dest.
+  const destFor = (u) => (u && u.role === 'player' ? '/account' : dest)
 
   const [username, setUsername] = useState('')
   const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
@@ -55,9 +58,10 @@ export default function AdminLogin() {
   const [providers, setProviders] = useState([])
   const ssoError = SSO_ERRORS[new URLSearchParams(location.search).get('sso_error')] || ''
 
-  // Already signed in → go straight to the panel.
+  // Already signed in → go straight to the right home for the role.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (user) navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+    if (user) navigate(destFor(user), { replace: true })
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [user, dest, navigate])
 
   // The SSO callback bounces 2FA accounts back here with ?sso_totp=1 after the IdP
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ export default function AdminLogin() {
         setBusy(false)
         return
       }
-      navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+      navigate(destFor(data.user), { replace: true })
     } catch (err) {
       setError(err.status === 401 ? 'Incorrect username or password.' : 'Could not sign in right now.')
       setBusy(false)
@@ -118,8 +122,8 @@ export default function AdminLogin() {
         const { returnTo } = await ssoLoginTotp(code)
         navigate(returnTo || '/admin', { replace: true })
       } else {
-        await loginTotp(challenge, code)
-        navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+        const u = await loginTotp(challenge, code)
+        navigate(destFor(u), { replace: true })
       }
     } catch (err) {
       const expired = err.status === 401 && /expired/i.test(err.message)
diff --git a/client/src/routes/player/PlayerLogin.jsx b/client/src/routes/player/PlayerLogin.jsx
index d95a0da..4958c46 100644
--- a/client/src/routes/player/PlayerLogin.jsx
+++ b/client/src/routes/player/PlayerLogin.jsx
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ export default function PlayerLogin() {
   const navigate = useNavigate()
   const location = useLocation()
   const dest = location.state?.from?.pathname || '/account'
+  // A staff member who signs in here belongs in the admin shell, not the portal.
+  const destFor = (u) => (u && u.role !== 'player' ? '/admin' : dest)
 
   const [username, setUsername] = useState('')
   const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
@@ -37,9 +39,10 @@ export default function PlayerLogin() {
   const [canRegister, setCanRegister] = useState(false)
   const ssoError = SSO_ERRORS[new URLSearchParams(location.search).get('sso_error')] || ''
 
-  // A signed-in player goes straight to their account.
+  // Already signed in → go straight to the right home for the role.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (user && user.role === 'player') navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+    if (user) navigate(destFor(user), { replace: true })
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [user, dest, navigate])
 
   // The SSO callback bounces 2FA accounts back here with ?sso_totp=1.
@@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ export default function PlayerLogin() {
         setBusy(false)
         return
       }
-      navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+      navigate(destFor(data.user), { replace: true })
     } catch (err) {
       if (err.status === 403) setError('This account is not active. Contact an administrator.')
       else setError(err.status === 401 ? 'Incorrect username or password.' : 'Could not sign in right now.')
@@ -101,8 +104,8 @@ export default function PlayerLogin() {
         const { returnTo } = await ssoLoginTotp(code)
         navigate(returnTo || '/account', { replace: true })
       } else {
-        await loginTotp(challenge, code)
-        navigate(dest, { replace: true })
+        const u = await loginTotp(challenge, code)
+        navigate(destFor(u), { replace: true })
       }
     } catch (err) {
       const expired = err.status === 401 && /expired/i.test(err.message)
diff --git a/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js b/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js
index 117e0a9..68c4458 100644
--- a/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js
+++ b/server/src/router/v1/admin/admin.routes.js
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ const validate = require('../../../middleware/validate')
 
 const adminRouter = express.Router()
 
-// Every admin route requires auth and is kept out of search indexes.
-adminRouter.use(noindex, isLoggedIn)
+// Every admin route requires auth, a STAFF role, and is kept out of search
+// indexes. The staff gate matters now that `player` is a logged-in-but-untrusted
+// role: without it, the editor-tier routes below (dashboard, posts, wiki,
+// uploads) that are only guarded by isLoggedIn would be reachable by players.
+// Players get 403 here and use the self-scoped /player group instead.
+const staffOnly = requireRole('admin', 'editor', 'moderator')
+adminRouter.use(noindex, isLoggedIn, staffOnly)
 
 // Admin-only gate. Editors may manage content (posts/wiki), but user
 // management, site mode, and settings are restricted to the admin role.