Safety first!

Last week saw the release of the much anticipated Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, a DnD sourcebook focusing on the world of Ravenloft specifically and the horror genre in general, a genre that has long been a staple of DnD adventures. Ravenloft as a setting, with its ubiquitous villain, Strahd Von Zarovich, has been around since the early days of the game, and many of DnD’s most ubiquitous original creatures, such as Illithids and Mind Flayers, have clear roots in the genre. As much as Lord of the Rings is an obvious inspiration behind much of DnD, I would argue that other fantasy works, such as Conan the Barbarian and Lovecraft, have a much closer relationship with DnD.

Despite the fact that horror has a genre has been part of DnD for a very long time, the new book contained a few things which are relatively new to published DnD content, and these, of course, caused a fair share of controversy (what doesn’t when it comes of WotC releasing new material?). The most talked-about part of the new book comes in chapter 4, which is dedicated to giving DMs advice on running games centred around the horror Genre. Safety Tools.

Safety tools are means by which players and GMs can communicate to ensure that topics which may be triggering to players are known about by the GM, so that they can avoid bringing up scenarios that may make players uncomfortable, or can veer away from a problematic topic if it comes up in place. These can be preventative, such as session zero discussions around lines and veils, or confidential player surveys about areas to avoid in play, or they can be reactive, such as X cards a players can show to indicate to the GM that a scene is making them uncomfortable, or even just an open private line of communication which can be used in play to notify the GM that something is making the player uncomfortable.

I should hope that most people look at the above description and see nothing controversial. It should be absolutely clear to anyone running a game that the point is to help players to have fun, and fun does not happen when a player does not feel safe. I have been unfortunate enough to stumble accidentally into an area of roleplay that touched on a subject that one of my players found very uncomfortable. It wasn’t deliberate, but it was an error on my part that came about because I had not had these sorts of conversations with my players. Even though looking back it is obvious that what I had planned could be interpreted in a harmful way, it did not occur to me when I was planning it. Having formal safety tools in place, even if that’s just a conversation with the players and an invitation to message privately with any areas to avoid, helps to prevent you stumbling into problematic areas as a GM.

So what’s the controversy?

Partially the controversy comes from a place of privilege, in that generally speaking those with more power in society (such as white middle-class males, the group who traditionally play games like DnD), are less likely to have experienced the kind of trauma that would be triggering if it were to come up in play, so therefore do not see the need to safety tools. This is obviously generalised. I fall firmly into the category of white, middle-class male. There is pretty much nothing that could come up in a TTRPG that I don’t think I could handle, although there are a few things that I might find distasteful. I also have enough empathy to realise that this does not apply to everyone, particularly to those who have less privilege than me.

I think the fact that the new book is about the horror genre deepens this disconnect between those who don’t see the need for safety tools and those who do. Horror is meant to be, well, horrific. It is meant to go to parts of the human experience that stories in other genres do not. It is meant to frighten us. The whole point of the horror genre is to pick at our vulnerabilities and expose the darker parts of our psyche.

Given the above, it could be argued that safety tools undermine the genre, because in putting the areas which are going to be most unsettling or disturbing to a player off-limits, the ability of the game to really hit home and elicit the strongest reaction possible is reduced.

This is true. In implementing safety tools, we limit the ability of our games to get so deep under the skin of our players as to cause them real harm.

This is a good thing.

To understand why this is a good thing, we have to understand why we play games like DnD. The most basic answer to that question is that it’s fun. Playing DnD should be fun for everyone around the table, including the DM, and if the players had fun, then usually the DM had fun too. But what constitutes a fun gaming experience differs from player to player. Some players enjoy playing a game where literally any topic in the human experience or imagination, no matter how evil, base or unpleasant can be explored. Some people don’t. Some people don’t find the horror genre particularly interesting at all. All of that is ok.

The main role of the GM in any TTRPG is to facilitate the players having fun. If fun for the GM and the players is fully exploring the darker side of the human psyche, then that’s fine, but that doesn't have to be what a horror game looks like. Safety tools are key to having a fun experience, especially when playing in the horror genre, as it ensures that you as the GM have the freedom to focus your game on the things that you think will be fun, without worrying that you will inadvertently stray into a topic that your players find triggering. Safety tools allow you to set clear boundaries, within which you can craft an enjoyable experience for you and your players.

When it comes right down to it, safety tools are about consent. They’re about players consenting to play in your game and to explore the themes you want to explore with them. They’re about ensuring that games do not stray into areas that make a player feel uncomfortable without consent. TTRPGs are about collaborative storytelling, and that collaboration cannot work properly if you do not have a table in which players feel comfortable.

The horror genre requires safety tools. I’m actually about to start DMing a campaign of Rime of the Frostmaiden, which has some horror themes, so I’d better contact my players about safety tools! I may also blog about my experience running Rime, as it will be my first proper attempt at running an official module. Wish me luck!