D&D General Of Consent, Session 0 and Hard Decisions.

[Stormonu]

I just try to read the room and do the best I can. I do have a fondness for horror and suspense, so I sometimes draw up things meant to invoke fear or dread in my players, but I'll back off if I sense its getting truly uncomfortable for someone.

I rankle at the terminology for safety tools, though I'm sure I unconsciously use some form of them, though I could never see myself using consent forms. Political and Religious discussions are taboo at my table, and I tend to run a PG-13 sort of game (again, I always try and read the room for what to shoot for). About the only thing I've found myself taking up is doing a Session 0, rather than attempting to get everyone to agree to a game genre/ruleset, throw together characters an play all in the same go.

As for jerk players, I can only remember ejecting one player, for cheating. I can't remember any instance of dropping a player for being a jerk, usually as a group I've headed off any troublesome. I may have had a player or two stop playing with me because of differences, but I can't think of any specific individuals and it would have been done from their side as I don't remember dis-inviting anyone to my games.

 

[Zardnaar]

I just try to read the room and do the best I can. I do have a fondness for horror and suspense, so I sometimes draw up things meant to invoke fear or dread in my players, but I'll back off if I sense its getting truly uncomfortable for someone.

I rankle at the terminology for safety tools, though I'm sure I unconsciously use some form of them, though I could never see myself using consent forms. Political and Religious discussions are taboo at my table, and I tend to run a PG-13 sort of game (again, I always try and read the room for what to shoot for). About the only thing I've found myself taking up is doing a Session 0, rather than attempting to get everyone to agree to a game genre/ruleset, throw together characters an play all in the same go.

As for jerk players, I can only remember ejecting one player, for cheating. I can't remember any instance of dropping a player for being a jerk, usually as a group I've headed off any troublesome. I may have had a player or two stop playing with me because of differences, but I can't think of any specific individuals and it would have been done from their side as I don't remember dis-inviting anyone to my games.

How do you do horror and Dread?

CoS had ick factor but wasn't overly horrific. I would play it but not run it.

I have run a couple of old BECMI adventures lately. Last ones in Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

 

[Stormonu]

How do you do horror and Dread?

CoS had ick factor but wasn't overly horrific. I would play it but not run it.

I have run a couple of old BECMI adventures lately. Last ones in Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

Dread strikes at the players, not characters. That's a personal approach that requires you to know your players and doesn't come from rules. It can be a mixture of lighting of the room, music, voice and drawing out tension and half a dozen other things, but the biggest is getting a measure of what your players are paranoid or hesitant about and piling onto it to create apprehension. Players don't fear the known, you have to hit them with the uncertain or inconclusive - multiple times - and refuse their attempts to identify what's really going on.

Ravenloft is gold for me in this matter. I try and run it every Halloween and my players hate it in the moment, but love it after the game and happily come back for more.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

How do you do horror and Dread?

It down to how you narrate, not what you narrate. You can certainly do it with CoS. In theory. It’s difficult, and I’m bad at it, having a natural inclination towards comedy.

 

[Zardnaar]

Dread strikes at the players, not characters. That's a personal approach that requires you to know your players and doesn't come from rules. It can be a mixture of lighting of the room, music, voice and drawing out tension and half a dozen other things, but the biggest is getting a measure of what your players are paranoid or hesitant about and piling onto it to create apprehension. Players don't fear the known, you have to hit them with the uncertain or inconclusive - multiple times - and refuse their attempts to identify what's really going on.

Ravenloft is gold for me in this matter. I try and run it every Halloween and my players hate it in the moment, but love it after the game and happily come back for more.

It's always comes across as cheesy. I can't do it or even figure it out.

Not for me I guess. In D&D critters have stats which means they can be killed.

 

[Zardnaar]

It down to how you narrate, not what you narrate. You can certainly do it with CoS. In theory. It’s difficult, and I’m bad at it, having a natural inclination towards comedy.

I had the table crack8ng up last week. In the other ones the new 0lsyer left with big dopey grin and she joined the other game.

The enthusiasm was infectious. I had so much fun running for the beginners relative to one of the games that wasn't working out.

Maybe it was Kobolds as comedy relief. Heard the one about the big ugly one armed fisherman?

 

[Stormonu]

It's always comes across as cheesy. I can't do it or even figure it out.

Not for me I guess. In D&D critters have stats which means they can be killed.

It's not easy, took me years of practice and examining what makes me afraid of the thing I fear (It was, in a way, therapeutic).

And you're quite right, if it has HP, it can be killed. If it has a DC or stats, it can be overcome. Dread only works when while there are no mechanics to defeat it, and it is all in the mind of the player - not the character.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I had the table crack8ng up last week. In the other ones the new 0lsyer left with big dopey grin and she joined the other game.

The enthusiasm was infectious. I had so much fun running for the beginners relative to one of the games that wasn't working out.

Maybe it was Kobolds as comedy relief. Heard the one about the big ugly one armed fisherman?

A comedian once had the catchphrase “it’s the way I tell ‘em”. Both comedy and horror are about presentation, and both are skills that are difficult to master. Kobolds can be made horrific. Se7en style serial killers can be made comic (as I did a couple of months ago).

And in either case, if you try and fail, you get lame.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's not easy, took me years of practice and examining what makes me afraid of the thing I fear (It was, in a way, therapeutic).

And you're quite right, if it has HP, it can be killed. If it has a DC or stats, it can be overcome. Dread only works when while there are no mechanics to defeat it, and it is all in the mind of the player - not the character.

Disgust or fear? I'm not immune to fear but I either can't/wont include it in a game or it's something like underground cave in a mountain with water. Wasn't so much fear but didn't like the experience.

 

[GrimCo]

Never heard of consent forms.

I haven't played or ran game with complete strangers in years. But i had system for those occasions.

Before session 0, i invite whole group for casual coffe/drink hang out. It's good opportunity to get to know people and in casual setting talk about game in general. It gives solid insight about what people generally like or dislike, what they seek from the game etc. Also, it gives more insight about players as people.

Then it's session 0 time. That's when we get into technical side. I pitch 2-3 ideas i'd like to run. Give them info about setting, themes, style. We discuss them and decide with which option we are going forward. In case there is one person who vetoes everything, but rest of the group are on board with one of those games, well, sorry pal, maybe this time you sit one out, no hard feelings. If there isn't consensus about any of the ideas, i'm out. I won't run game that i don't find fun.

I have 2 general rules- You are adult, act like adult. Don't be a jerk. That's it. We are all here to play game and have a good time. It's hobby, a leisure time. I have other stuff in my life, games are time to unwind and relax.