Running a PG Game in an R Rated World
I recently became much more invested in the idea of melding R-rated topics and roleplaying after writing my first rpg. It all came about as a theoretical challenge which became a reality. Could I create a PG game that alluded to R-rated topics as found in Chistina Rossetti’s poem, Goblin Market?
At first, I laughed at the idea. And then I got to work. I had been running queer positive campaigns since the early nineties when it was certainly taboo. Why couldn’t I put the ‘fun’ in the fundamental seven sins? That question led to my first kickstarter being published by Gamenomicon in a couple weeks!
“Her scaled tail coiled around his waist and pulled him deeper into the shadows.” End scene.
We know what happens next. Our brain works unconsciously to fill in the blanks. The game guide is not the one bringing the scene front and center to be examined, you are. How much the players think about the scene before the next chapter starts is up to the individual. This is just one tool a gamemaster can use to keep adult content in a PG game without crossing taboo lines.
Why include R at all?
Afterall, writing PG engages a wider audience for your tales to be heard. If you are shopping your adventures it is vastly more appealing to publishers. The more barriers you can remove so your message can be received, the better.
But for my money, the pinnacle of gaming explores modern day social issues in a fictional setting. Gaming provides a safe space to plumb the depths of humanity. And it’s an R rated world out there and I don’t want to put limits on it.
Barbarians gotta slay and wizards gotta fireball.
However, there are a ton of other reasons to delve into taboo or graphic subject matter. Some campaigns call for a little more gore on the walls. Especially in grimdark fantasy or pulpy noir to set the mood. Some campaigns are more interested in the human psyche in stressful situations.
Generic violence, for the most part, gets a pass. Mainstream outlets trivialize it in gaming already. Barbarians gotta slay and wizards gotta fireball.
Reinventing the Wheel
Mature content has been written about for public consumption for ages. The Victorian era alone introduced racy literature at an untold volume. It also introduced publishers censoring what they produced on a regular basis.
Some authors realized their stories didn’t need graphic sex scenes or depictions of cruelty. They were only using those tropes because it was popular. Not because it made their stories better.
Other authors who deemed adult content was necessary for their stories did what any artist would do in the same situation. They became better writers. Here are four tools to follow in their footsteps; ellipses, allusion, clinical language, and codifying.
What We Do in the Ellipses
Those three little dots leave something unsaid. They indicate the scene is continuing but we as the consumer are not privy to what happens next. We are not invited. It is a good way to ratchet up tension for surprises to be revealed later. Or put in a release valve for things that are too tense.
It is used universally as a cliffhanger or an end to a chapter. An unvoiced universe has happened between those three dots. From lips touching to getting shot in the gut before fading to black.
How much time passes before the viewer is brought back into the scene is up to the game guide. Use the ellipses judicially. You don’t want too many breaks during a gaming session. It could be a night, a week, or five minutes…
A World of Allusion
Allusion calls to mind a specific thing without naming it. Think of all the surrounding trappings of a scene that you want to express. Leave the scene in the middle unsaid. The players are automatically making associations.
If the game guide says the candles give an intimate glow and the ornate bed sheets are rustling. The players know exactly what’s happening. This can also be used for particularly gruesome images as well. I like to have a couple one word descriptors for each scene that I can use to impress the idea of the central action.
However, allusion comes with a warning. If done well, it can be more powerful than just stating the facts. It also dovetails into another writing rule that states; it is always better to show, rather than to tell.
Clinically Speaking
The words you choose to describe something goes a long way. Descriptors like oozing, pustulate, and ‘the scars of the unclean’ carry a lot more weight than simply stating; the prince has pimples. Using clinical terms for horrific scenes cleans it up in your mind’s eye. It also removes any personal judgements. Doctors use this technique on a daily basis.
Medical jargon is used to communicate clearly. It is also a way to lessen psychological impact. A published study* shows “discomfort” and “ache” have a more positive impact on a patient’s emotional state than “pain”.
Instead of delving into every gruesome detail just give the information up front. The body has decomposed for two days and the lungs are missing. If the players want more information they can ask. For those players uncomfortable with speaking plainly there are other ways to defur a feline.
Speaking in Allegorical Code
Codifying is the act of using a replacement word or words to describe something. When code is paired with allegory, authors could write about anything during the censorship of the Victorian Era. Moby Dick isn’t about a whale.
If you are a fan of 1950’s pulp you are deeply familiar with codifying already. Bad guys ‘pop’ people and bad gals make folks ‘swoon’. Creating code phrases for games is also a good way to build tone.
Allegory is used as a substitution. The game guide may want to run a game about the social persecution of homosexuals. McCarthyism during the 1960s is rife with parallel paranoia, miscommunication, and outright communist hostility. There are millions of ideas out there to pull from. However, this comes with warnings.
Using code and allegory can get confusing. Plotlines can get derailed or muddied searching for an actual weasel going down the wrong hole. There is also the problem of over simplifying very complex issues. Allegory should be used to enhance a game. A way to explore topics in new and interesting ways. It should never talk down to, preach or force feed an answer. Let the players lead the conversation into areas they want to go.
Know When to Use the Arrrr!
When considering using more adult tropes make sure you are doing it for a good reason. Adding a graphic scene for shock value is not good enough. It’s jarring and takes the players out of the gameplay. Anything introduced can then be used against the players. Players usually like their characters and try to feel what they are feeling.
Let the Bad be Bad for a Reason
This doesn’t mean you have to hamstring your villains. After all they are the baddies and are expected to do heinous acts.
Most R-rated scenes can be forgiven if there is a good explanation. Monsters generally get a pass because they have a physiology that is unknown. Some of the best adventures I’ve been a part of specifically include bizarre autopsies to help explain why a creature behaves the way it does. A set repeatable behavior establishes a pattern that should lead to a motive.
Gaming with human psychology runs a lot darker because we, as humans, automatically attempt to empathize. So, the motive must be clear. Being evil or insane isn’t good enough.
Taboo Topics are Not Taboo
This is my favorite realm to tinker with. I enjoy taking the ‘ripped from the headlines’ approach to gaming hooks. It allows the players to explore lots of different angles without persecution or danger. Working with social constructs can also act as catharsis.
Working with social constructs can also act as catharsis.
The Black Lives Movement is too important to ignore and is incredibly easy to find correlations in a fantasy setting. Allow your players to work on solutions that make a difference in their world. Put a very real face on bigotry and systemic racism and see what they do.
Broader topics like colonialism, cultural differences, and drug trafficking can easily be dovetailed with genecide, incest, or slavery. Every issue also has its flipside. The same topics can breed conversation about elevating living standards, new thought processes, and legal system reform.
Don’t be afraid to tackle difficult conflicts. And as the game guide you do not need a victory condition. Addressing the problem thematically can be just as rewarding for a roleplaying experience.
Building Up to the Big R
Tempo for graphic subjects is important. It also shapes how the gaming session is going to proceed. There are many ways to introduce a shocking scene. Here are two that are the easiest to manage.
Some happen immediately so the rest of the session is spent exploring the aftermath. This is a common storytelling method of murder mysteries. Something happens/happened that is well outside of social norms.
Now the players have to figure out who, what, where, and most importantly, why. They could be attempting to stop it from triggering again. Or, more interestingly, trying to facilitate it to transpire again.
The second is for the whole session to build to an R-rated climax. This is common for fantasy adventures and horror genres. The difference is there are no expectations at the beginning of the adventure. The players can go at their own pace at first. The key is to slowly introduce more and more elements of whatever topic the game guide has chosen until the players are awash in constant exposure at the end.
Final Word
Before any dice hit the table make sure every player is on board. I highly recommend an anonymous survey to be turned into the GM. This will give a tolerance guideline for adult topics. There are several free online sites by searching ‘tabletop consent survey’.
If even one person in the group is uncomfortable with the direction an adventure takes you are no longer playing the same game. It’s not even a game. And it cannot be understated that people are allowed to change their mind.
*Hand (N Y). 2012 Sep; 7(3): 293–296.
Published online 2012 May 11. doi: 10.1007/s11552-012-9419-z