When a player reads a game book—which includes its themes, setting, and rules—she often believes she has done everything necessary to understand the game. Empowered with this knowledge, she then seeks other players, but everyone interprets information a little differently. Players come to a game with their own expectations for that game’s themes and moods—including their own beliefs about which elements deserve emphasis and which are background features. The Storyteller may have a different view about those same things, and she may want to run a game that is significantly different in focus from the players’ expectations.
Each player may anticipate different kinds of stories, and they may differ on which scenes should have prominence. As a Storyteller, you have an obligation to work with your players to understand their expectations, but to also express your own expectations for the game. Some Storytellers enjoy running deep, meaningful games with intense personal plot, high social drama, and low combat. Running such a game for a group of players who expect combat every game will not end well. The question is, how does a Storyteller convey what her game is going to be like and ensure all her players are on board with her ideas before they come to the game?
Clearly, the answer is communication, but more specifically, the Storyteller can provide the players with a detailed list of game elements that may or may not show up in the game. This ingredient list serves to inform players about the game before they ever show up, giving them the ability to opt into the game or not. The list can include anything a Storyteller wishes to convey to players, from character prohibitions to detailed lists of the themes and moods she expects to explore in the course of her chronicle.
The list can include house rules, special expectations for portraying certain character types, and any limitations on characters available in the game. Importance of Opting In Not all games are for all people. For games like Mind’s Eye Theatre (MET): Vampire The Masquerade, where the content is vast and the focus certainly varies, a player may fixate on one particular aspect of the game that they enjoy the most. Without prior knowledge regarding the game’s focus, players have no way of knowing what to expect or if their preferred elements will be represented in the game.
Managing expectations is not always easy. People like having agency in their own stories and often react poorly when they feel a lack of agency in games. Someone who makes a character dedicated to social intrigue in a MET: Vampire The Masquerade LARP is unlikely to react well to constant physical threats, either from other player-characters or Storyteller plots. She probably feels that the other players—and possibly the Storyteller—have marginalized her choices, and her expectations are shattered.
She loses trust in her Storyteller and fellow players, which creates a bad atmosphere within the game. If the player knew beforehand that the game focused on combat, she could have decided to play a different character, or not play the game at all. Either way, she would be making an informed decision to opt into the game. Having that information is a powerful tool, allowing people to manage their own expectations for a chronicle. While many people prefer certain play styles more than others, players are more likely to conform to a described play style if they know to do so before entering the game.
Players who have access to information about the game’s expected play style can determine if they are interested in it and arrive at the game with shared expectations. This preparation increases the enjoyment level of all participants. Some people may choose not to come to a game based on its ingredient list, while for others, the ingredient list may provide information that encourages them to attend. A MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse game may focus completely on the social aspects of inter-tribe politics and Garou/Fera interactions.
Without the knowledge to opt into such a game, players may find themselves at a loss when they expect the game to include combat at least once a session. A MET: Vampire The Masquerade game may focus on the interplay between vampires and mortals, and the importance of secrecy and the Masquerade. Players who opt into this game are likely to recognize that fights between vampires might not occur often, and they can instead create their characters to deal with mortal threats. The goal of constructing an ingredient list is to gather a group of players who share and understand the expectations of the game’s organizer and choose to play Creating an Ingredient List for your Game This tool increases the enjoyment of all people involved and helps prevent hurt feelings from misunderstandings born of different interpretations and expectations.
The Ingredient List New players need a quick way to know if a game is for them. A 30-page document explaining how the game they are about to play differs from the game they read about in the published rulebook is not the first thing new players want to read to find out if a game is for them. An ingredient list should be—by nature—a quick look at the elements in play in a particular chronicle. It should give a player enough information to make an informed decision about opting into the game, while still being brief.
Much like other informative lists, this overview should be short enough to hold attention, but should still cover the important details. The elements of an ingredient list are up its creator, but keep in mind that this list is likely to be a player’s first encounter with the game. The following suggestions illustrate some of the information to convey within an ingredient list. It could include any or all of these elements, and maybe more, depending on the type of LARP you are running.
Note the Focus of the Game Call out specific themes and elements that are likely to show up during game sessions. Avoid reiterating the rulebook.
• Call out types of scenes: heavy or light combat, high/ low interaction with non-player characters, high/low social intrigue. For MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse, you might specify that you expect a great deal of time spent performing moots, traveling within the Umbra, fighting against the Wyrm, or all three. For MET: Vampire The Masquerade, you might state that you expect a great deal of time spent in the Prince’s court, fighting Sabbat/Camarilla, or dealing with mortals.
• Give content warnings, either of acceptable or unacceptable content. Consider including statements about the frequency or acceptability of scenes that would require an R-rating: lots of blood and gore, little to no torture, and no sexual assault. You could also include a specific list of elements that might or might not show up. For MET: Vampire The Masquerade, you could mention that Harpies are expected to publicly ridicule characters.
• You can give the game a rating, as most players understand what differentiates a PG game from a PG13 or X-rated game. For example, MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse game might be rated R because Pentex is particularly active and performs terrible experiments on people, leading to a high amount of body horror in the game. Define Social Contracts Between Players Describe common in-character actions expected of characters. Note that by coming to the game, the players implicitly agree to act a certain way during play sessions. These social contracts help people understand what kinds of in-character actions are acceptable and which might cause out-of-character disappointment.
• Include information about how frequently player-versusplayer actions should be expected during a game. A MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse game may focus on physical combat between player-characters as Rite of Passage to increase Rank, or the game may focus on non-player-character conflict, preventing many player-directed plots.
• Include an expectation of how often characters might die during the chronicle. This outcome could be likely even if the game is not necessarily combat-heavy, but players expect to have high player-versus-player conflict.
• Describe specific setting information. A MET: Vampire The Masquerade Storyteller may ask players to reinforce the importance of boons, honor the Traditions, and utilize social status in game. Explain Out-of-Game Player Expectations Set expectations for standards of behavior while at game, and provide a clear list of consequences for breaking these rules. This element of your list could take the form of an entire code of conduct or a simple statement of intent from the Storyteller.
• Include a code of conduct. It does not need to be long, but it is useful to provide statements that protect marginalized groups, showing that your game is a safe space for such players. Consider including statements about discrimination, physical contact with other players, and social situations that are not acceptable.
• Include anti-harassment statements. Provide a concrete consequence for out-of-game harassment, and make clear which behaviors constitute harassment. Repercussions could be as simple as dismissal from game, or as complex as a tiered system for first-time versus multiple offenders.
• Include information about alcohol use, drug use, sexual activities, and other out-of-game activities that may occur at the game. Specify which are prohibited and which people should expect to see. For example, a game organizer may choose to prohibit any substance use on the game site, or may allow anything legally allowed by the state. Inform Players About Rule Variations or Restrictions If your game utilizes house rules or other variations from the published game material, mention them in the ingredient list.
• House rules and rule revisions: Unless rule changes are simple or easy to explain, it is not necessary to include a full description of your revisions. Often, it is enough to mention the game uses house rules or changes how it runs certain scenes. If your changes require a lengthy separate document, mention that such a document exists. A MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse game may change how characters increase in Rank or change specific Gifts to better fit the game’s needs, for example.
• If your game has special restrictions on playable character types or special requirements for play, those details should be included in your list as well. A MET: Vampire The Masquerade LARP may have additional restrictions on certain clans or generations and may require a written request for playing them. Describe In-Game or Roleplay Expectations If your game has specific expectations for players who wish to play certain character types, include those in your ingredient list. Again, this information does not need to be an essay on how to portray a character, but should take the form of a statement such as, “Players of elder characters are expected to reinforce setting, meet with the Storytellers at least once between games, and refrain from engaging directly in non-player-character driven plot.” Example Ingredient Lists The following example ingredient lists are not the only way to format such information. Your list could be as simple as a set of keywords meant to convey the focus of the game, or as complex as a bulleted list of game elements. Examples include:
• “Camarilla-focused, rules-heavy, combat-heavy, NPCrun-city, violence, high social intrigue, low political intrigue”
• “Our Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire The Masquerade game utilizes all the moods and themes found in the core rulebook, including violence, sexual assault, and character death. Vampires are deadly creatures and should be treated as such. We utilize freeform techniques to handle in-game conflicts where appropriate. Players are expected to treat each other with respect, and violators will be removed from the game. We do not allow players to portray characters with Elder generation in our game.”
• “This MET: Werewolf The Apocalypse game includes the following themes: graphic violence, in-game drug use, inand out-of-game alcohol use, torture, social ostracizing, in-game shaming, discrimination based on character breed, tribe, auspice or Rank, and liberal use of curse words. This game will never include: actual violence, actual drug use, portrayal of sexual assault, or discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. All werewolf tribes and Ranks are available as per the core rulebook, though we expect players to adhere to their tribe and Rank descriptions, and reinforce setting through their roleplay. We have restricted our game to two Fera characters per 10 players. Our game uses house rules that are available upon request. This game encourages player-character actions against other player-characters on a social and political level determined somewhat by auspice, and the Storyteller will provide plenty of physical threats.”
• “Our game is focused on the Vampire The Masquerade Sabbat setting. The game is intense and immersive. We utilize a high production level of set pieces, costuming, and props, and expect our players to do so as well. We explore mature themes including, but not limited to: ◊ Ritualized violence—Sabbat packs may utilize bloodletting, human or animal sacrifice, scarification, or brutality of its members in rituals. ◊ Ritualized sexual acts—Packs may ritualize sex acts between members or humans during rituals. ◊ Sexual violence—Sabbat packs may use abuse, subjugation, and violent acts as a way to control each other or humans. ◊ Racism—In some cases, packs may explore racism in its various forms, either as an intense personal drama, or as part of a ritual. ◊ Sexism—Packs may explore gender roles, gender conformity, and the consequences thereof during gameplay. ◊ Torture—Sabbat packs may use abuse, torture, deprivation, and violence as a way to control each other or humans. We will never explore plots or themes that involve children, and expect our players to refrain from bringing themes revolving around children into the game. We believe in consent-based roleplay, and players agree to ask for consent before engaging in mature themes with another player and to check in on a regular basis to ensure continued consent within a scene. If players decide to opt out of the scene, we use a fade to black technique immediately to end the scene. We ask our players to refrain from alcohol use during game, as this can inhibit a person’s ability to follow our strict consent guidelines. Contact the Storytelling staff about the clans available for play.” Where to Display? An ingredient list is most effective if players have access to it before they make characters and come to game. If you have a website, Facebook page, wiki, or any other online resource, the ingredient list should be one of the first things the players see when visiting. The more avenues used to spread the ingredient list to players, the better. When a new player sends an e-mail, responses should include a link to the list. It is sometimes worthwhile to verbally explain the major aspects of your list before each game and have a printed copy for players who decide to show up last-minute. In conclusion, the expectations that people bring with them to games could result in play style clashes, feelings of disappointment and loss of agency, and possibly anger between players. To best mitigate player expectations, Storytellers should communicate to the players their expectations for the themes, moods, player conduct and character conduct while in the game. Armed with this knowledge prior to game, each player can make an informed decision about if she wants to attend the game, what kind of character to make, and how she is expected to act while in the game space. Biography Danielle Lauzon is a game designer, writer, developer, gamer, and LARPer living in Houston, Texas with her two dogs, two cats, and one husband. She currently works for John Wick Presents as the LARP developer, and she works for Onyx Path writing and developing. When she isn’t writing, developing, designing, or otherwise occupied in getting games organized, she is playing games instead.
Originally published in Mind’s Eye Theatre: Immersion Secrets by By Night Studios. Presented here under Resources for chronicles and live play.