How do RPGs handle approach sensitive and controversial themes

D&D, RPG

Last Sunday’s youtubers video by Jamey Stegmaier (embedded below) was all about how “How Games Approach Sensitive & Controversial Themes”.

Apart from the theme of a game Deliverance not being what first came to mind (hill billies, river trips and squealing like a pig are not apparently what this game is about) this subject got me thinking about D&D. But not only D&D but other RPGs and settings.

RPGs can involve sensitive and controversial themes. For instance look at the Android settings and how bioroids and clones are treated. There are obvious parallels with slavery. In one of the FFG novellas there was even a story with the futuristic version of the underground railway for clones.

Then there is Vampire: The Masquerade an RPG that is for mature players because of its “…graphic and written content of a mature nature, including violence, sexual themes, and strong language.” (Taken from the warning https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade).

So that’s just a couple of examples of official products that contain sensitive and controversial themes. Then we have the actual campaigns and adventures that a DM/GM come up with as well.

There have been a couple of high profile examples of where a DM/GM has abused a position of trust and chosen a subject that is controversial and in my opinion inappropriate for a RPG and has no place in a game whatsoever. Last year there was a GM at UKGE that made the headlines. Then just weeks ago an internet famous GM Adam Koebel caused the cancellation of one of his internet shows.

So how do we handle potential sensitive and controversial material in RPGs?

From an official setting point of view there is the warning about content. Such as that given by the publishers of Vampire: The Masquerade. Everyone playing the RPG should be made aware of that warning. If at an open gaming session at a con, at the start of the session. Or during the session zero.

Similarly EN Publishing give a warning about the content of a published adventure for the Judge Dredd and Worlds of 2000 A.D. called Nobody Expects the SJS! “This scenario involves themes of harsh interrogation and psychological and physical abuse. Please ensure you talk with your players before hand about their feelings in this area.”

As a gaming group the DM/GM during the session zero (that’s the session before any play starts where players create characters, and discuss the up and coming campaign) should be discussing the themes that the upcoming campaign will be touching on. But what’s more important is that the DM/GM makes sure that the players are comfortable with those themes, and giving the players a chance to indicate publicly or privately (because they may not be comfortable discussing in public) whether they are happy with those themes.

During play there is the possibility to use X cards. These allow players during play to discreetly indicate that the current subject matter is unsuitable and making them feel uncomfortable.

I think it also helps if a DM/GM “knows” his players. I knew for my D&D group that I had to avoid certain themes/subjects because of the beliefs of one of the group.

The nature of my campaign means that it is possible that new themes to cover crop up during the campaign as story ideas come along. So I’ve checked with the group that they are comfortable with this new theme. That was an open discussion before a session. Before I start using that story idea and theme I will once again bring the subject up with a bit more detail and give the players an opportunity to publicly and privately discuss this with me.

These two measures should stop incidents happening like the ones mentioned above. But that’s only if everyone follows them. They don’t stop it happening if the DM/GM doesn’t use them or ignores them. We can’t stop people being dicks.

That’s how RPGs handle sensitive and controversial themes.

A sleep deprived incoherent ramble

D&D, RPG

I awoke in the middle of the night to let the dogs out for a nature break. Upon returning to bed I decided I’d fall asleep again listening to Roll for Crit play the Chariots of God adventure for the Alien RPG.

That was a mistake.

I ended up looking at the pdf copy of the rulebook that I had. The game can be played in to modes. A campaign mode and a cinematic mode.

The cinematic mode is basically a one shot adventure. That the authors suggest be played with pre-gen characters. They liken this mode to being similar to a movie. It’s probably the only way I’d get to play this RPG.

However in the section of the rulebook there is a panel that has a list of inspiration for players and games masters alike. It wasn’t a big list, unlike the ones in the D&D Players Guide and DM Guide. But looking at it was another mistake I made.

I was soon on Audible spending some of the credits I had to get some of the recommended reading. Three of the books had been dramatised by Audible. Which was pretty cool. Especially when I saw the first had Rutger Hauer listed amongst the cast.

There was also some books listed that provide background info about the universe Alien is set in. They cover ship specs, vehicle details, weapon specs, etc. Great resources for a GM.

It got me thinking I love it when there are books like this available for something. They help provide a rich tapestry, a depth and life to the world the movie/book/game is set in. Especially when it’s an existing universe, and we are not waiting for the RPG publisher to release this sort of information.

From a GM point of view the stories, the books about the universe are great inspiration. They provide details that help bring a campaign/adventure alive. A location or event described by a single sentence might be enough to inspire a whole campaign or quest.

In my homebrew adventure I was inspired by the map of the Sword Coast and the islands that form the Moonshae Islands along with the smaller island clusters nearby. Heck we have spent our first seven sessions just around the Mintarn group of islands. The players haven’t even made it Moonshae yet.

Although sometimes it can get all too overwhelming. Information overload. It can get daunting. Just look at the amount of stuff out there for the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek. Where do you start?

You can let the characters back stories guide you. Pick a point on a map that looks interesting (that’s basically what I did above). Use a location in a story you enjoyed. Heck you could even just borrow the story itself.

But once you have that starting point it’s just a matter of following the advice from much much more experienced DM/GMs than me, and start small, start local, and spiral out.

Watching, reading other RPGs is usually a mistake for me because I want to get them to the table and explore the worlds they open a window into. I now want to explore the Alien universe. Tomorrow it’ll be Mega City 1. Not enough time, or players.

Muties incoming

Judge Dredd, RPG, Strontium Dog, W.O.I.N.

If you listened to the latest episode (that’s number 97) of Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk you will be rather excited with the news that the pdf for the Strontium Dog rpg is possibly dropping pretty soon. Potentially around the 7th of May if we are really lucky.

I do like the WOIN system used by the Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 A.D. So I’m pretty excited to see how they bring this great character and being a strontium dog to life.

I hope that Strontium Dog also gets the same level of support that Judge Dredd has campaign book wise.

The three campaign books for Judge Dredd so far follow major story arcs from the long and rich history of the comic strip. Naturally they have started off with the earliest ones first, and going forward in chronological order.

What I like about these campaign books is that they expand the world of Judge Dredd, new exploits, careers, weapons etc. The usual stuff that you’d expect, themed around the story arc being covered by the campaign.

Along side the campaign that follows the story arc (which are Judge focused naturally) you get short adventures based around a handful of stories from the issues that followed that arc. Plus a campaign themed around the story arc for perps and citizens.

Although the Cursed Earth breaks that formula a little focusing more on hooks etc that can be used instead of short adventures.

So having these campaign books as a guide I’d love if EN Publishing did something similar for Strontium Dog, even if it gathers two or three arcs together.

In the meantime I’m digging out my collected Strontium Dog books and rereading them.

The Labyrinth Adventure Game

Labyrinth RPG, RPG

I think anyone growing up during the eighties has an affection for the movie The Labyrinth.

It’s a classic fantasy adventure movie by the genius Jim Henson with a script by Terry Jones (of Python fame). It stars David Bowie as the goblin king, who also wrote and performed the soundtrack.

It has memorable characters bought to life by the Henson Workshop. Plus with the exception of one scene actually still holds up today.

I think because of this love for the movie I was a bit disappointed by the rather poor effort (going by the reviews) that was The Labyrinth board game. It had amazing miniatures but wasn’t backed up by game play.

But now we have something for the fans that from my initial impressions doesn’t look like disappointing in the shape of Labyrinth Adventure Game.

This just oozes quality when you open it up.

The actual sleeve for the book is above and beyond the sleeves I had on books before. It’s actually cardboard instead of a glossy paper. And although I love the art on the sleeve. I actually prefer the book without it. As you can see below you get this red fabric with gold lettering. It takes me back to some of the books my parents read to me from as a kid in the early seventies (yep I’m that old).

You open up the book and inside as the photo below shows are two dice to be used playing the game, plus a book mark with useful info on to be used by the goblin king (that’s what this system calls the game master).

So except for pencils, and printing out or photocopying the player sheets and goblin king sheet (you can get these from the publishers website to download and print) you have everything needed for a group of friends to have adventures in the world of the Labyrinth.

As you can see the book,looks beautiful inside. I really like the art style used.

Looking through the rules this morning during my daily soak this is a simple system, rules light even.

Character creation is basically choosing a race, a trait and a flaw. Followed by deciding what the goblin king has taken.

The actual adventure through the Labyrinth is split into chapters that represent zones within the Labyrinth. And these chapters consist of a number of encounters. Which I believe are mainly puzzle oriented. Reading the rules combat is very simple when it does happen.

Tests and combat/action revolves around the rolling of a d6. With a natural one being a fail. But roll a number equal to or higher than the difficulty set by the goblin king and you succeed.

There seems to be a bit of replay ability through the adventure built in, with no two adventures being the same. This is due to that when moving on from an encounter the next one is decided by rolling the d6 and adding the result to the current encounter number. Also,when revisiting a location/encounter there is a table to roll against to help decide what has changed.

At the back of the book is a chapter with tables to help a goblin king come up with their own encounters. Plus a chapter of photos from the movie.

This is a really lovingly produced product that does justice to the movie at last. I can’t wait to run this.

Tokaido App

apps

Back with a quick look at another app version of a board game. This time it’s the beautiful and serene game Tokaido.

In Tokaido you are a traveller trying to have the most interesting journey as you wander along the road between Kyoto and Edo over a four day period.

Tokaido ticks all the boxes when it comes to game modes. As the image below shows. I’m not a big one for playing with random strangers online (I do believe I have said that once or twice before in the past). So I really like that I can play just against my friends.

The app it self looks beautiful. It continues the art style of the board game which I love.

The developers also when implementing the game didn’t try and do a virtual representation of the board itself. But played to the strengths of the media and came up with a look that doesn’t feel like a board game.

One advantage the app has over the physical is in a two player game the app via an AI opponent controls the dummy third player.

For me this is a perfect digital version of the physical game. A must add to the collection, and a great game to play with friends during the lockdown.

A possible house rule for Last Days

Last Days, Skirmish

I’m pretty close to actually playing a game of Last Days! Once the current lockdown restrictions allow I have a friend who also has the rules now (although they are finding them confusing) to actually play a game or two with.

In the meantime while I’m soaking like a beached whale in the tub I like to dip into the rule book from time to time.

This time I was rereading the rules on playing the game, and the phases that make up a turn of play.

During the Action Phase I came across the following:

“Both players take turns activating models to completion, passing back and forth.

If a player runs out of models to activate before their opponent, then the player will simply wait while the other side continues activating his remaining models.” Last Days Zombie Apocalypse Rulebook

But it’s the same rule in the Shooting and Close Quarters Combat as well.

I can’t believe I’ve had the rules for so long and it has only just struck me that this was also the same/similar rule in the FFG game Imperial Assault and their skirmish rules when the game first came out.

Later on FFG tweaked the rule to be the following:

“Then, starting with the player that has initiative, the players take turns activating deployment groups and performing actions with the corresponding figures. If a player has fewer ready Deployment cards than his opponent, that player can choose not to activate a group and pass play back to his opponent.

Once all Deployment cards are exhausted, players proceed to the Status Phase.” Imperial Assault Skirmish Rulebook – FFG

This is how the FFG design team explained the change at the time:

“When a player passes, his opponent immediately takes another turn, choosing and exhausting one of his ready Deployment cards. A player can pass as many times as he wishes, so long as his opponent has more ready Deployment cards. If a player ever has the same amount of ready Deployment cards as his opponent, he must take a turn.

This rule was implemented because we believe that the activation advantage created when one player has more activations than his opponent has become too powerful, and we needed to recalibrate. With the new rule, a player with fewer ready Deployment cards has the opportunity to pass his turn, which negates the advantage of several low-cost groups.” FFG blog post (2015)

So it got me thinking why don’t I House rule Last Days to do the same?

I’ve not built many squads for the game. Well one actually. So I have no idea if this is even an issue, or if the designer has thought of this.

But if you do find or think that there is an activation advantage when one player has more activations than the opponent then you might want to consider this FFG solution.

The Day The Law Died Comes To Judge Dredd RPG

Judge Dredd, news, RPG, W.O.I.N.

One of the things I think that EN Publishing are doing right for their Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 A.D. RPG are the campaign settings they publish.

So far we have had The Robot Wars, Luna-1, and The Cursed Earth. Each covers a major storyline from the early days of the comic strip.

Stories I grew up reading in the pages of 2000 A.D. Stories that I have many fond memories of, and dare I say it love?

I really like that EN Publishing are enabling players of their system to recreate these classic stories.

Naturally after The Cursed Earth there is only one storyline you can do next. That storyline is the one that started right at the end of The Cursed Earth with the return of Judge Dredd to Mega City One, The Day The Law Died.

And that is exactly what EN Publishing announced yesterday on their Facebook page for the system.

The story has many memorable moments and characters, such as Fergie, Judge Fish, Judge Cal, the Kleggs and the Klegg hounds.

After this campaign what next? Well I’m assuming we will get The Judge Child, followed by Block Wars/The Apocalypse War. Plus we have the Dark Judges to squeeze in as well.

Plus we still have the much anticipated Strontium Dog rule book to look forward to later in the year also. Which I’m hoping will also get the same treatment campaign wise, with campaigns covering major storylines.

A Single Go To Map

D&D, RPG

Yesterday Sly Flourish put up a very interesting post called The Only Dungeon Map You’ll Ever Need.

Sly’s post itself was inspired by one by Dyson Logos (he of those awesome maps).

Having a default multi use dungeon is a great idea for a DM/GM to have in their toolbox.

As Sly says in his post “Which map is your go-to map when you don’t have anything prepared and need a map to run your game right now? What map can you print out, stick in your kit, and use for the next 40 years?”

Sly then goes on to present a list of criteria that should help you selecting your ideal map. Before then suggesting one or two maps that are worth considering.

And I will be choosing one or two to add to my DM’s folder.

However Sly does raise the question about why limit yourself to one map. And I do keep my copy of the Lazy DM Workbook with my DM folder. Plus the maps I have used previously during the campaign. This fits in with a bit of advice that Jim Murphy gave in one of his videos about being a minimalist DM and being a magpie for maps.

Also with either or both of the decks that allow me to generate random dungeons I have the ability to create a dungeon on the fly no matter what the party decide to do. Potentially this does away with the need to have one of these go to maps. However I don’t see them being an either or situation. Both could happily be in your DM toolbox.

What do you think? Is this something you’ll be adding to your DM toolbox?

Random Dungeon #7

#randomdungeon, D&D, RPG

Thought it was time to create another random dungeon. Once again using the latest addition I have for doing this The Deck of Many Dungeons.

Whilst I was creating this one it felt like I was doing a magic trick. The deck had been given a good shuffle before use.

I selected the starting/entrance card at random. Then before drawing a card cut the deck each time. And I be damned I drew nothing but spades.

Once again it came out as a small dungeon. Which I thought looked like it worked out nicely with out using any of the king cards to act as the stairs down to another level or completion of the quest. Although if I was going for a multi level dungeon the eight of spades is the card I’d replace with a random King.

I do like these little dungeons that are being created. They can be side quests, little distractions. Just something the party stumble upon.