Unknown Armies is a horror game that can go to dark and uncomfortable places. It should absolutely test the limits of your characters, but it certainly shouldn’t push your buttons as players.
The collaborative world-building process in chapter 3 of Book 2: Run launches straight into plot development and character/cabal creation. It’s easy to forget this stage as you dive feet first into the creative stuff.
Take some time to establish the boundaries, limits and safety mechanisms of your game.
No players should be distressed with the content that’s being explored in a campaign or one-shot. Create some space to agree the hard lines, the softer edges and the kind of in-game incidents you want to put a veil over.
There’s a whole highlighted page dedicated to issuing The Trigger Warning in Book 1: Play (p19 | p15 pdf), with some sound advice:
If someone chooses to play this game, triggers and all, they’re indicating a willingness to engage the unexpected. Respect that. If they warn you off a particular topic, (“No rape for me, thanks!”) respect that. Get on the same page.
It’s worth taking a look over.
Techniques
Having the conversation about what’s acceptable can help establish a common ‘sensitive content’ threshold. But it’s not always something players want to discuss up front. There are lots of different practices for creating a safe playing space
, including using tools such as the X-card and Lines & Veils.
In the campaign I’m setting up at the moment, I’ve invited players to suggest what triggers might fall in these broad categories to keep things acceptable:
- Hard Lines: stuff we want to keep out of the game.
- Boundaries: may be referenced in plot hooks or character backgrounds.
- Limits: draw a veil over this stuff if it should come up in play. No gratuitous descriptions.
Because context plays such a big part to what feels comfortable, the X-card is on-hand to stop things that creep in during play. It’s useful to say, without reservation, “none (or less) of that, please.” Correspondingly, the O-card will be there to capture “more of that, please” moments.
Friends and Strangers
It’s worth taking a step back to make sure everyone’s comfortable with the content you’re going to explore even if you’re playing with a group that regularly games together.
It’s even more critical if you’re a group of relative strangers. Perhaps you’re gathering to play Unknown Armies through one of myriad online gaming platforms or communities that are available, or maybe you’re hooking up at a convention for a one-shot. In any case, establish the boundaries and limits at the outset to ensure everyone can enjoy the game.