Questions tagged [social-contract]
For questions about the "social contract"; in relation to RPGs, this refers to an informal agreement among players about the framework for gameplay, primarily covering social factors such as what to do when a player can't attend a session, how to vet potential new players, what sorts of behavior are unacceptable at the game table, and so on.
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What do the terms "lines" and "veils" mean?
I have seen the terms "lines" and "veils" used on this SE (including on the chat) a number of times, especially in terms of social contracts between players.
What do these terms mean?
What is ...
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What is a social contract?
The concept of "social contract" comes up in discussions of group dynamics and RPG theory. We even have a tag for social-contract. But there is no good, easily-found definition online anywhere. Our ...
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Is there a limit to Rule 0?
Rule Zero: All other rules can be changed by the GM.
I appreciate that there is a massive amount of work that goes into being a GM and the last thing that any GM wants or deserves is to have his ...
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Is the DM Always Right?
I recently got into a disagreement with my DM for a D&D 5E game regarding a use of Prestidigitation.
The argument was that since it could create a Non-Magical Trinket, and Music Boxes are ...
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How do I find a friendly, inclusive roleplay group online?
One of my queer friends is interested in joining a campaign online, and is looking for an inclusive, friendly group of players. She asked me how she'd find such a group. I'd love to answer her, but ...
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When and how should I get the players to cut back on their out of character chatter?
I like that my players have all become such good friends. But they're all louder than me. We end up just chatting and hanging out more than gaming because I can't get them to stop having out of ...
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What about character death should be included in a social contract?
For a D&D (4e, primarily) game what about player-character death should be included in a group's social contract? What are some options for best reaching consensus about the possibility of death ...
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How can I check whether an extremely adult/mature plot idea would be accepted by players without revealing any details of the idea itself?
I am running a post-apocalyptic zombie game with a dark and mature story, exploring a number of adult themes. I have complete buy-in from the players; some of them have stated it is their favourite ...
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What are the key features of Stars and Wishes?
Stars and Wishes are a system of positive critique that has been included in the TTRPG-Toolkit since around 2020 and got some references on the stack. It seems to be all about giving feedback to the ...
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One of my players is too passive and uninterested
Game is DnD 3.5, not that it matters.
So, yeah, she is playing an Elf Rogue and she is like a ghost during the game.
In the last session, the party was searching for a guy and some Halfling told ...
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Specific items in a group social contract?
Some gaming groups actually do a formal social contract, wherein they explicitly set some of the expectations and rules for the gaming group. What items should a group considering doing a social ...
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What are the essential features of a successful evil campaign?
Until this point, I have demanded that my players not build characters with evil alignments, as I am familiar with how to design campaigns and adventures around "good" or "redemption" themes. However,...
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How to handle loot disputes as the DM?
Context
Most of the time, Loot distribution is Players' and PCs' problem. From my point of view, I'm responsible for putting the chest with X loot in the dungeon. The PCs being able to find it and how ...
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What policies should be made at the start of a campaign, to define the desired game experience and avoid bad feelings later?
My group and I work on the assumption that a game system's default assumptions are its manifesto, and that by choosing a system we are choosing to let its assumptions stand except where we institute ...
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What etiquette should a new player observe at the gaming table?
I have never played an RPG and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do anything special or not when playing.
This post tells me what I should bring but what on earth do I do when I get there? I'm that ...
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