I’ve decided to put up a trailing backlog of my posts. From now on, after one-two months of my posts being hosted on Gaming as Women, they will be posted here on BravoCharlieSierra. I still suggest directing any comments to the main site, and recommend visiting Gaming as Women to read the articles by other amazing authors like Filamena Young, Jessica Hammer, Elin Dastäl, Renee Knipe, and Monica Speca.

This post was originally posted on Gaming as Women on January 9, 2012

Finding My O with the X-Card

I am a player who starts play with a lot of limits. A lot of “nuh uh!”’s. I have anxieties and fears and triggers. But, I love gaming. I love it, and it is one of the few places in my life I can find new experiences, work out my emotional and mental complications, and where I can push my boundaries.

This is why I love safe space gaming. A lot of people think this means you will never talk about anything bad ever, and that’s so far from true! While I tend to lean towards a little bit happier gaming and I prefer a hopeful ending, I don’t need to avoid every bad topic ever to have fun. I just need to feel safe.

What does that mean, then? To feel safe?

It means I have an exit strategy. It means I can say no. It means no one will laugh at me, criticize me, or quiz me if I say no or have to leave. It means that if I have to get up and walk away, I won’t hear “what the hell was that about?” from anyone at the table. It means that the worst thing someone will say in response to me needing to press pause is “Are you okay?” and that they’ll wait a minute before asking, “Are we okay to continue?”

Until about a year ago, I didn’t know I had triggers at the table. The more I played, and the more I learned about gaming, the more I knew that there were things that could happen in game that might upset me or scare me. During game design I found out that wow – consent in social interactions? That matters to me. I didn’t know that before!

There are a lot of ways to play without risking triggers. One option is just being open about your hard limits – which risks people thinking you’re being a “baby”, being “too sensitive”, or somehow crushing creativity/stunting the story. Another is to not play games where there is  a risk – a big shock to me was that some triggers are socially acceptable and sometimes key parts of the game’s setting! You are always at risk of some triggers.

It’s hard to confront fears and work towards pushing your boundaries when you keep a pristine surrounding and play nothing adventurous. It goes against my nature. I kept looking – how can I feel safe but still try new things that might scare me?

Then I found the X-card. It’s just a card with an X on it that you can use to indicate when you’re uncomfortable with content in a game, and it guides the players and GM to skip over or avoid that content. I thought it was awesome! If I feel uncomfortable, I just tap the card! No twenty minutes of explanation, no shoving my feelings under the rug. Mind you, plenty of people hate the idea of playing with one because of the aforementioned crushing creativity and stunting story complaints. But! There is something about the X-card I want to unpack. First, I want to share the other side.

When I went to OH, Games in December, Kira Scott ran Monsterhearts, and she put out an X-card – with an O on the back. The O is great, because Kira explained that when you want more of the content, you tap the O instead of the X. The O actually got used in that game – the X didn’t. In that game, there were at least 3 instances where I thought about using the X, but I didn’t use it. Why? I felt safe enough to not have to.

Having a tool like the X-card – particularly one with the opposing O side – at the table creates a specific kind of mood at the table. It says “We’re here together. If you need to stop, we’ll stop. But if you want to keep going? Let’s do this.” It encourages a style of gaming that I had not really pursued before – a knees-deep, heart-pounding headlong run into emotional risk, but the best kind.

I know that I risk getting hurt if I play like that. If it’s a bad hurt, and I want to stop, I put up the X and I know that the other players will support me in that. They don’t want me to be hurt, I don’t want to hurt them, it’s an understanding that we’re together in this. I haven’t used the X yet, but I am betting there will be a day when I do, because as much as I love confronting my fears, sometimes it’s a matter of time and place.

But, if it’s a good hurt, one that makes me feel like I’m unlocking something and that I want to feel more of, I tap the O and hold on tight.

It might make people think – well, why not just have the O-card? That establishes that people are on the same page, right? Not really. It’s easier to say more, more, yes, please! It’s not as easy to be in a group that’s saying yes! when you can feel yourself closing in and thinking, oh, please, no! That X-card is like a little unwritten rule. It says “Everyone has boundaries. Anyone could need this. It’s here for everyone.” It means I’m not alone.

Do you have a tool like this? Do you have a pre-game prep that establishes trust? How do you handle introducing new players to complicated or uncomfortable topics?

I’ve decided to put up a trailing backlog of my posts. From now on, after one-two months of my posts being hosted on Gaming as Women, they will be posted here on BravoCharlieSierra. I still suggest directing any comments to the main site, and recommend visiting Gaming as Women to read the articles by other amazing authors like Filamena Young, Jessica Hammer, Elin Dastäl, Renee Knipe, and Monica Speca.

This post was originally posted on Gaming as Women on December 26, 2012.

Update: Off the Shelf has been officially retitled to Tabletop Blockbuster! We’re looking forward to completing our in-progress Alpha Playtests.

How to Create a Micro-Setting

I am currently working on a project with my husband that is called Off the Shelf (working title). It is a setting neutral system, and it has been a huge adventure! I have had more experience recently working on mechanics than ever before. Though they are not my strong suit, trying to do new things with mechanics is super exciting. One of the mechanics we developed is “Tech Levels”, which are simply what kind of technology is available in a setting. They inform the items available, and can inform how powers are defined.

This has also been a good opportunity to work on my skills in world building and setting creation. I wanted to give options for players who were just starting, guided by the Tech Levels, but I didn’t want to inundate them with information or keep them too limited in a system that is neutral. I came to a question: how much information should I provide, and how do I convey an entire setting without overwhelming our material?

I created a new thing I call micro-settings, which are snapshots of culture, environment, and story that can be used (hopefully!) with any game. First, I’ll share how I decided what to include, and then show you an example.

What are the key elements of a setting?
– Cultures
– Environments
– Population

What do you need to start a game?
– NPCs
– Locations
– Items
– Plot Hooks

Well, that seems simple.
That’s what you would think, yep. And it kind of is. However, when you start to write these things down, it’s hard to balance between tons of information and no information at all. So I wrote a quick template that you can check out to guide you through the how-to.



The Description
The most important part is to try to think of general things, but have one or two specific things to help. You’ll want some flavor in the basic description – using colloquial slang for a Wild West setting is fun, and details like how the people and monsters behave are useful too. Describing the physical environment is important – pick one city or town to focus on primarily, and then talk about the climate, any significant landscape features.

A brief overview of culture and the population is vital. What species are common for PCs? Elves, dwarves, humans? Is there only one species in this setting? Is it of important note that a species has never existed before (in case one of your plot hooks relates to revealing one)? Are the species segregated, or intermixed? What are their local customs or cultures like? Do they have religions? Do they settle in one place, or are they nomadic? These things can be stated pretty simply in just about a paragraph, and overall, your description should be about three paragraphs long.

NPCs
For NPCs, try to think of authority figures or people of specific note. For a Wild West setting, maybe a mayor, the sheriff, or an outlaw. Give a basic description of what they do, and why they’re relevant, and try to mix in some personality traits. Is the sheriff corrupt? Is the outlaw actually good-hearted? Don’t use more than about 3 or 4 sentences here, and always include a name.

Items
Items should be simply that – a sentence or less describing what the item is, perhaps who it belongs to. Like, “Arthur’s Sword, Excalibur” or “A dragon’s hoard”. The item can be big, small, relevant to the culture at large, or perhaps just something that people would want.

Locations
Locations should have a name and a single-sentence description, and should be single structures or small locations, like a single town or a tavern. Something like “The Mermaid’s Tale – a library that only sells books about fantastic fictions.” Somewhere that multiple people could meet, and where scenes can occur.

Plot Hooks
Plot hooks are fun! One sentence is all you need. Describe a simple problem – maybe a child goes missing, or there’s been a bandit attack on the northern road. Make sure to try to tie it into the cultures, environment, or NPCs in some manner.

Currency
This is just an extension of the culture and environment, but you can give a quick description of how commerce works in the game. In Off the Shelf we have a simple description related to the Tech Levels.

Power Descriptors
Power descriptors will inform play. In this section you will explain a few different ways people will use physical or magical abilities (if magic even exists!). Maybe this culture specifically uses martial arts as their fighting techniques, or psychic powers are common, but are based on nanites or hypnosis.

That’s it?
Yes! If you do this, you can create a setting, and once you figure out what system you want to use it with, expand it or add to it as you want, and talk with your players about the tone you want in the game. Nothing is stopping you from making the Stone Age into a nightmare with monsters lurking around every turn, or a post-apocalypse into rainbows and sunshine.
You can check out an example of a micro-setting below.
Good luck, and thanks for reading!

Gaia (Tech Level 0)

– Description

Sixty-five million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Science tells us that there were no humans alive to fight the dinosaurs – but science is wrong. In this setting, prehistoric cultures experience the brutal environment of the Cretaceous period in a battle between man and beast. While the herbivore dinosaurs and mammals are occasionally domesticated, the carnivores are raging and hungry, enemies of the humanoid species.

The environment in Gaia, the focused setting here, is hot. There is a long, rainy season and a humid, tropical rainforest to the south. A mountain range crosses the land and shrinks to low hills near large swaths of land – sandy, dusty desert, and nearby grassy, hot savannahs. The species distribution is primarily dwarves and gnomes, with a very small population of humans and pixies. In this area, there are no known orcs, elves, or hybrids. The population bands together in either settled or nomadic tribes, with either one primary tribal leader or a small group of elders. The only economic exchange is through barter and trade, and is very rare. Most tools, weapons, and foods are gathered and made by the tribes themselves. There is some primal and shamanic magic used.

Below are some useful setting-specific tools to get you ready to run!

-NPCs

Oonuk – Dwarf
Tribal leader of the largest tribe. Oonuk’s tribe has the prime location for their territory – at the  base of the mountain between the desert and rainforest in a utopic oasis. He is fierce and strong, but also friendly to the other tribes, and has been known to initiate trade in the past.
Karluc – Gnome
Karluc is one of the greatest warriors known. She has slayed more beasts than any other, so the stories say, and she rides between the dermal plates of a spiketail. Her tribe travels through the savannah.
Naan – Human
Naan is the matriarch of the Human and Pixie nomads that travel the desert. Her tribe has traveled far, fought sand serpents and ragged-tooth giant lizards, and have developed a strong connection to the primal spirits of Gaia.
Shiy – Pixie
Shiy is a pixie shaman, the oldest and wisest man in his tribe. He is a close friend of Naan, but they have conflicting goals. Naan wants to continue traveling throughout the desert and find another oasis, but Shiy wants to settle closer to the mountains and rainforest, which risks infringing upon the borders of Oonuk’s territory.

-Locations

Oonuk’s Oasis – A beautiful, lush oasis at the trailing hills of the mountains between the savannah and desert.
The Great Baobab – A massive tree in the savannah that is said to be a place of sanctuary – the dinosaurs never go near it, but it is not safe from other predators or combat between tribes.
Sand Caves – In the desert, there is a chasm with sand caves within, like a honeycomb. There may be some humanoids who live inside, or something more sinister.

-Items

Karluc’s Great Club
A magic stone of great power
A stone slab with strange symbols in the center of the rainforest.

-Plot Hooks

Karluc falls – from illness or injury – and it looks like she may not heal. A miracle is needed.
The Gnome tribe travels to the sand caves and finds a startling discovery.
Someone translates the symbols on the stone slab and plucks at the threads of the universe.

-Currency

The primary currency is based on barter and trade, so there is no set currency. For ease of notation, use the b symbol for the worth of bartered item. One resource point is worth 1b.

-Power Descriptors

Martial – these powers are accomplished through intense training and physical skill or prowess. Martial powers include the ability to leap great chasms to escape pursuers, wrestle a huge dinosaur to the ground, or strike two foes with a single sling stone by skipping it between them.

Primal – Primal powers allow characters to tap into the leftover forces of creation to create and channel immense energies. A master of Primal magic might strike down his enemies by freezing them solid or throw them off a cliff with a gust of wind.

Shamanic – Shamanic powers draw from the character’s relationship to powerful spirits and ancestors. Shamanic powers might give the character the ability to communicate with animals, pass unharmed through a thicket of poisonous thorns, or harden his skin like the armor of an ankylosaur.

I’ve decided to put up a trailing backlog of my posts. From now on, after one-two months of my posts being hosted on Gaming as Women, they will be posted here on BravoCharlieSierra. I still suggest directing any comments to the main site, and recommend visiting Gaming as Women to read the articles by other amazing authors like Filamena Young, Jessica Hammer, Elin Dastäl, Renee Knipe, and Monica Speca.

This post was originally posted on Gaming as Women on November 23, 2012.

Evolution of the Gaming Group – From No Kids to Parenthood… or Not

I have been married for 6 years. For a 24 year old, that’s actually a while. Most of my friends near my age are just now, or within the past two years, getting married. It’s exciting and great – the change from single gamers to engaged to partnered (or satisfied relationships, whatever they might be) is kind of awesome, because drama tends to fade away and there’s a level of equality around the table.

A thing happens, though, that can change the group forever:

People start having kids.

Crazy, I know, a totally natural biological phenomena. However, there are a LOT of things that can change. I think it can be easier for people who are just in the no-kids-for-now stage, but for John and I, we’re permanently childfree and it’s a purposeful choice. We have a lot of reasons for it, but I will be honest: one of them is because we like to spend time with adults, not kids, especially during our “fun” time. We have family time where we expect to be around kids, and there are times when we hang out with friends where we expect to be around kids. It gets more complicated at game.

I like to be able to be loud and a little bombastic at the table sometimes – and I’m definitely not the only one – and I also swear a lot, which can be seriously kid-unfriendly. I like to be able to have a drink (or three) at the game table, and stay up late. Game is kind of my fun-space. A lot of these things aren’t cool with kids around, though – I have to watch my swearing, I have to mind my volume more than normal if the kid is sleeping or trying to sleep, and I also know that game will often start late or be cut short because of schedule conflicts (1).

I don’t hate my friends’ kids or really begrudge them having them. That’s awesome – I know a lot of people want families like that and that it’s important to them to pass along their game-love, too. We try to be accommodating (altering schedules, having somewhere for the kid to sleep, playing or doing something different), as do the people with kids, but there are times when there’s no real accommodation – the kid has to come with them to game, or they can’t game at all.

It’s often distracting. There’s extra noise, players are leaving the table more often, everyone is paying attention to the kid. When kids are older it’s not as bad, but until they’re teenagers, it’s going to be a constant.

We’re struggling. We still want to game – but we know it’s only a matter of time until we’re the only ones in the group without kids. Even now it’s harder than ever. We’re clinging to spare hours just to get a chance to do a quick session, and our games are falling apart because of lack of focus – and I know I’m guilty of a lot of avoidance on the subject. Kids are tough for me and I have trouble being around pregnant people, babies, and baby discussion (2).

Plus, how do you not alienate your friends if you’re more than a game group? It’s impossible to say “Hey, we want to hang out with you, but not your kid” or “Hey, can we just hang out instead of gaming, or game without the kid” without there being any negative impression. I don’t want to not be their friend anymore, but having children at game (particularly young kids who can’t participate) impacts my fun level pretty harshly.

My current solution is: still try to game with our friends, but seek out alternate groups for backups or for different games, and be prepared to accommodate kids. I know I will sometimes (or often) have to sacrifice my game fun, so I need alternatives to get that fulfillment while not ditching my friends.
As we age, though, we’re going to run into conflict: Game with people much older than us (whose kids have grown), much younger than us (without kids yet), try very hard to find other childfree gamers (which is harder than it sounds), or just game the two of us – fun, but not something we want to be our only option.

Why am I struggling so hard?

The gaming world is shockingly (to me) kid-centric. People want to include their kids in gaming, teach their kids to game, pass on the “gaming gene”. They want kid-friendly content. I don’t have a problem with it, and I know there is plenty of adult material out there, but whoa. It’s hard to wade through. It’s hard to feel like part of the community sometimes, especially when a lot of the adult material is pretty man-centric.

That, and I still struggle with the common perception that women who choose not to have children aren’t “woman” enough, because we’re selfish or not accepting our appropriate roles or because we aren’t helping to promote the image of families in gaming (which is supposed to help remove the negative geek/gamer stigma, and I see the point behind it).

And there it is: I’m a woman who is not woman enough, in an industry focused towards men (whether I want it that way or not) and promoting building families and teaching kids to carry on the gaming tradition, with a game group that’s moving to parenthood.

I wanted to share some of the suggestions I’ve gotten online and from friends, as well as some of my own, for how to game with parents when you aren’t one if you choose to do so – which is always just an option.

Suggestions for handling kids at kid-unfriendly homes:

• Make a kid-safe space. Get a pack & play (one of those kid-boxes with the mesh on the sides).
• Have a separate room that isn’t super far where the kid can sleep. Somewhere quiet and clean.
• Make sure to have some kid-food. Juice & simple snacks, fruit, hot dogs are great. Be aware of allergies.

Suggestions for handling kids at the game table:

• Play games that don’t have adult content. It might change the entire game situation (which can suck), but if you are going to make the choice to allow the kids around (even babies), you need to be aware that a lot of content may make the parents uncomfortable, not be good for the kids, etc.
• Give the kids their own activity at the table if they are not quite old enough to game but need to be close. Toys, big dice (there are some sweet foam ones available online), etc.
• Be willing to cut game early or start later. Parents have a lot of responsibilities, and giving them that time will make it more likely that they’ll want to continue gaming – they won’t feel kicked out either.

Now the big ones, and these are ones that are tough to handle.

Suggestions to parents for how to respect your childfree friends:

• Try to understand that they might want to hang out with you without kids. We know it’s hard. We understand. We just like you, and might not be good with your kids or might just want time with you when we have your attention. Friends need that sometimes.
• Understand we might not ask you to hang out because we don’t want to interfere with your time with your kid, especially if you’re busy or tight on cash. That is so hard to do – many of us don’t want to be demanding or seem disrespectful of your needs as a parent. If you have free time, we probably will want to hang out with you – but some people will hold back from asking because of that balance.
• Please don’t get mad at us or feel hurt for us seeking other avenues for gaming. It’s not that we don’t want to game with you, it’s that we want to game in different ways than we can with the new environment, or on a different schedule. Many people will try to fit in gaming with parents, but also try to find an alternate group.
• Let us know what we can do to make the space more comfortable for your kids. Do you want us to have a separate room? Do we need to keep bottled water on hand, or juice? Do you want to leave some backup supplies at our place? Some CF people might not be willing to do it, but others really would rather be able to game with more ease.
• Give us your boundaries. Is swearing allowed around your kids, if so, how much? Are we allowed to drink alcohol if your kids are in the area? Do we have time limitations?
• If you don’t want to game anymore, or you don’t have time anymore, please tell us. It will only cause problems if we try to shove it into a schedule or have people who aren’t in the mood to game at the table. We want happy people having fun, not people frustrated and stressed.

What am I really saying here? I don’t think that childfree people should be responsible for accommodating entirely to parents’ needs or wishes, but if they want to do so, there are some simple and some not-so-simple steps that can be taken. I also don’t think that parents should be responsible for accommodating CF people’s needs or wishes, either, but there are options for them to take, too.

A huge part of it is understanding and willingness to change. There is a point where you need to be willing to either keep going and make changes, or you need to change the situation entirely. There’s not really anything wrong with either, but respect and communication can make the difference between keeping friends that game casually or regularly, and a massive implosion of drama and hurt feelings.

1. This also gets complicated when people have conflicting work schedules – John and I are 9-5, and about ½ our friends are not, which means we squeeze gaming into evenings on weekends – during the only time some of our friends get to see their kids or around bedtime. ↩
2. Super complicated subject, but I’m happy to elaborate. ↩