When you’re running a game for adults, how far is too far when it comes to subject matter?
Many games take an implicit stance on this issue by simply not including rules or references to “adult” topics, but some take an explicit stance on one end of the spectrum or the other. Which you prefer comes back to why you game: if gaming is a social outlet and a way to blow off steam, for instance, you’re probably not going to want to tackle disturbing topics and themes.
Let’s look a how 3 different RPGs handle adult themes, and at what that says about those games — as well as why a gaming group might want to explore mature themes through RPGs.
The vast majority of games approach mature topics by ignoring them. Take D&D, for example: you know it’s not a game where the PCs are supposed to make tough choices, or win pyrrhic victories, or deal with painful topics like rape because they’re not covered in the rules. About the closest D&D comes is having evil alignments, and while there are some interesting moral perspectives built into the game — the classic “all orcs are evil,” for instance — they’re not even remotely part of the game’s focus.
Call of Cthulhu is an example of a game in the middle of the spectrum, which handles a potentially disturbing topic — insanity — in a way that removes some of what makes it disturbing. There are rules for the steady erosion of the PCs’ sanity, and they’re pretty unforgiving — but I’ve never played a CoC game where going nuts wasn’t kind of fun, and I’ve played and run quite a bit of CoC. I’d be willing to bet that attitude extends to the majority of CoC groups; it certainly applies to most of the players that I’ve talked to.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum would be games like Kult, the first edition of which contained rules for — among other things — how your character would deal with the mental trauma induced by rape. That’s heavy stuff no matter how thin you slice it, and to my mind it points to one of two things: Kult as a game where the PCs — and by extension, the players and the GM — are supposed to explore dark, disturbing themes in realistic ways; or, Kult as pointless juvenalia, like F.A.T.A.L.
So which is it?
I think the answer to that question is 25% game, 75% gaming group. The game contributes 25% of the answer in the way that those topics are presented, and in their connection to the theme(s) that the game is trying to explore. F.A.T.A.L. is patently ridiculous, for example, while Kult is not — although it could be, if your group tackles it that way.
The other 75% is the way the gaming group approaches the game, and that’s a lot harder to quantify.
Books that offer GMing advice often cover the topic of handling mature themes with your group, and the ones I’ve read seem to give fairly similar (and quite practical) advice: whether to do it at all depends on your group, and their likely reactions, and you should tread carefully. That sounds like pretty good advice to me — you don’t want to spring a game like Kult, or Black Dog’s Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah on just anyone, and rightly so.
And I say “sounds like” because I’ve never actually played a game that tackled mature themes in a serious way, rather than as a one-off, or a source of humor or temporary discomfort. A large part of that is that for me, playing RPGs is a creative outlet and social activity first, and I’ve never actively sought out games that hovered on — or crossed over — the border of “that’s pretty screwed up.”
The idea is intriguing, though, and I’ve long been fascinated with Werewolf: The Apocalypse and the opportunities it presents to look at human savagery from the “comfortable” distance of a non-human character. I’d put Werewolf somewhere between Call of Cthulhu and Kult on the “mature themes spectrum” — closer to Kult, if you include Black Dog’s supplements (which are for adults only).
Couple that with the fact that I enjoy disturbing movies, and that I tend to game with mature, intelligent people, and I’m actually not sure why I haven’t tried a mature-themed game. I imagine the experience would be similar to, although probably more intense than, watching a movie like Irreversible, The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover or Requiem for a Dream — and that sounds interesting.
But is that the only way to enjoy meaningfully dark games? I don’t know — I suspect it’s one of the main ways, though. Does anyone play seriously deep, heavy games to explore the darker aspects of their own psyches, almost as a sort of philosophical excercise? How many of the groups that play mature games like Vampire take advantage of what they have to offer, as opposed to playing them like somewhat more Machiavellian D&D?
I play D&D, though I should state that I believe the issue is not really about the system but the players. I have run several campaigns that have dealt with darker topics. I do not force the game into that mold. I simply allow the players to explore what they wish. The games I have run that touch on these “mature” themes have been, for the most part, far more enjoyable because they build richer, more realistic characters and allow greater suspension of disbelief. “Mature,” to me at least, does not mean we just all sit around cracking sex jokes or making “heroic proportions rolls.” (1d6+6)
I have run games that have dealt with sex, incest, rape, torture, the rights of women in a bastardized “medieval” setting, slavery, the nature of evil, murder, coercion or domination (magical or otherwise), lies, cultural norms and taboos, religion, betrayal, demonic sacrifice, race, kidnapping, theft, genocide, and more. These topics were not the focus of the game itself, but they came up as choices or obstacles for the players to deal with in role-playing their characters. This does not mean my players are in some way more depraved than others. In fact, I have run games where thinking of the plot has made me or the players feel physically ill. It is not unhealthy to think about or consider these things in an abstract manner–in fact, I’d say, quite the opposite.
But all these themes are present in just about any RPG session. The only difference in a mature game is that players consider honestly how their characters would react in those situations instead of glossing over them. Slavery is the topic of many modules including the classic A1-4 series. Sex is implied in many modules as well–the inclusion of elements like succubi, harems, houses of ill repute, even girdles of masculinity and femininity bring it up. Torture chambers are a fixture of dungeons. What do you THINK happens there? Rape is implied if not directly mentioned in adventures where captors breed slaves or vikings raid villages. Wholesale slaughter is a HUGE part of the game. Why is it right for adventurers to kill “monsters” and take their stuff? How do they feel when the “monsters” do the same to them. What do you do after all the adult orcs are dead and you find their eighteen orphaned children? Is it a “good” act to kill them? What of the party thief? Is his trade a moral one? Is it right for the party wizard to use enchantment and charm spells to coerce and control others? Is it any better to do it with the threat of a fireball? What of summoning and binding other creatures? How is that different from slavery? Is it not slavery simply because they are of an alien race? Is it okay or “good” to kill beings of other races if they are considered evil by your own race simply because their goals, attitudes or cultures differ from your own?
All these questions are present in the game. A party of mature players may decide they wish to deal with them realistically. Why not? Most fantasy literature asks at least some of these same questions, either subtly or not so subtly. Most faerie tales and myths have some sort of moral content.
In the end, I suppose, a “mature” game is simply one that actually tackles moral questions rather than evading them. It may not be your cup of tea, but don’t knock it till you try it.
Like a lot of things, use this one sparingly, and WATCH YOUR PLAYERS. While it can be very interesting to uncover dark secrets (see Jack in Chinatown), it’s not for everyone. Chances are, some of the people in your group will like this more than others, which means it should come up occasionally, but not 100% of the time.
A good way to start is with an NPC who has some serious issues. If it’s not working, write them out of the campaign. You don’t want to show up out of the blue and start torturing your players.
Also, you can meaningfully introduce these topics by forcing choices on your players. Do they a) risk themselves to help the victim or b) step aside and let them suffer?
Cayzle, did I reply to your email? I just looked through my mail account (including my spam folder, just in case!), and I don’t see anything from you — my guess is that for some reason, it didn’t come through.
In any case, I certainly would have linked to your article if I’d know about it, and I’m sorry you felt slighted. If I received but somehow missed your email, I’ll feel like a dumbass.
Anyhoo, I’m off to post your link now. 🙂
Good post MtbDM!
One thing that I have always found strange is that when most people talk about mature topics, they really mean drugs and sex, under all their forms. However most games, including RPG, CCG, board games, video games, etc…, are based on a topic that should be considered mature, but is not: violence, ranging from participating in a fist fight to cold brutal murder. In our real society, violence is a very serious, mature topic that has very hard emotional and psychological consequences on the victims and even on witnesses. Violence is a criminal offense in most societies, and nobody I know takes that subject lightly when really faced with it.
But for some reason, nobody has the slightest moral restraint when comes the time to injure, kill and inflict physical pain in RPGs. And I am not talking about killing some random monster; most players kill a lot of human NPCs in their games. In fact, the very point of most RPGs is to create killing machines (the PCs) that possess a wide range of ways to physically eliminate the opposition.
Now, I am not trying to moralize here (I do enjoy these things immensely myself!), I am just saying that our perception of what is “mature” and what is not is strange. In RPGs, why is killing a human ok, and even very fun, but raping a woman is absolutely immoral and wrong. Even the description of sex (without any violence involved) is considered to be on the brink of immorality by some gamers.
Just wondering …
Thanks! Sorry we got wires crossed. My own stupid fault for not following through. Anyway, funny coincidence that we wrote on similar topics! I’m glad you did, though.
I do think it is true that some games lend themselves to exploration of darker themes better than others. But I like your 25%/75% split … it really is the gaming group that drives the dynamic.
(MtbDM) All these questions are present in the game.
I don’t really agree with this, although I think I see what you’re getting at. IMO those questions are present only by their absence. D&D tends to present those ideas — which could certainly be thorny moral issue — without any reference to the fact that they could be thorny moral issues. 😉
In the end, I suppose, a “mature†game is simply one that actually tackles moral questions rather than evading them.
Precisely! 🙂
(Rudolf) A good way to start is with an NPC who has some serious issues. If it’s not working, write them out of the campaign.
This could also be handled by sitting down as a group and discussing whether or not to tackle mature themes — addressing is a metagame issue, rather than an in-game one.
Scott: Your post is one more tick-mark in the “why I need to buy DitV” column. 😉 I’m not at all surprised that Dogs handles those topics well.
(Matt) However most games, including RPG, CCG, board games, video games, etc…, are based on a topic that should be considered mature, but is not: violence, ranging from participating in a fist fight to cold brutal murder.
And interestingly, movies (at least Hollywood movies) are the opposite: violence? No problem! A hint of sex? Problem.
(Cayzle) Thanks! Sorry we got wires crossed. My own stupid fault for not following through. Anyway, funny coincidence that we wrote on similar topics! I’m glad you did, though.
No worries — I’m glad we got things sorted out. 🙂 It is funny that we covered very similar topics, although in different ways.
I think I’ve got this on my brain because I pitched “dark, hard-choices WWII supers” to my group as an alternate game a few days ago.
Well, Id theorize, (and it is just a theory) that America has such a love affair with violence because ultimately, we are a nation forged from War, and in that I include the war to settle the west against the Indians. On the other end of the spectrum, the early nation was shaped by Victorian values, and among them is a rather tight-assed view of sex. So, while we are one of the most uptight nations on sex, we are one of the most liberal on violence, and that prevades all aspects of our society. Yes, I know the pornography industry is booming, but it didnt even exist as a legal industry in the early 60’s
Of course, I am not a sociologist, so I’ll move on.
Mature themes is pretty generalized subject. Harsh language (after checking to make sure the Host’s kids are not in earshot) is not uncommon. I’ve used a few choice themes for shock value, but any literary device overused loses it’s effect, so use it sparingly. I wouldn’t center a whole game on something particularly dark in the real sense, like say a drug gang that also has side buisnesses like a system of pedophilia, because it’s “too close to home”. I have a saying: “If I want to see the good guys win, I’ll watch a movie. If I want to see the bad guys win, I’ll watch the news.” Gaming is a social event, and escape from the worries of the real world- a relaxation. Mix in too much “real stuff” and I think it would lose that.
Besides….do you really want to role-play a detailed sex scene between two slightly overweight 30+ year old guys (who are both married with childern)? 🙂
Probably the ‘ugliest’ thing I’ve done in this sense is I had a braggart in a bar, whom someone in the party beatdown (as heroes often do when someone disrespects them). I had the NPC go home and beat his wife as real bullies tend to do. Later the party (and not by co-incidence, the cleric) find this information out. I was curious as to the reaction. They used diplomacy to convince her to leave him and gave her an offering to set herself up in another city (a 100gp stipend I believe). The other horrors I employ are so over-the-top they don’t have the ‘real factor’ of this theme (like the evil Necromancer wearing his brothers face as a mask).
(Judas) Gaming is a social event, and escape from the worries of the real world- a relaxation. Mix in too much “real stuff†and I think it would lose that.
This is pretty much how I approach it as well, and part of what I’m curious about is how other groups approach their games — and how that correlates to whether or not they tackle mature themes.
This isn’t the first time in American culture that we quickly get to the accepted guidelines for sex and violence.
Violence being somehow more intrinsic and necessary than sex. YMMV
Generally, my Players do not want to go anywhere near as grim or mature as movies are already doing. However, the game does move through these places with a “light touch” since a lot of issues cannot realistically avoid such plot points as movies can do.
This gets back to Trust.
The Players will walk into the dark because they have previous stated or agreed that the GM will not let them drown while they are in the deep end.
(Arref) However, the game does move through these places with a “light touch†since a lot of issues cannot realistically avoid such plot points as movies can do.
Can you elaborate a bit on this, Arref? I’m not sure how RPGs would be any less well-suited to eliding a mature topic and skipping straight to the less-challenging results, just as movies do.