

Additionally, after the session and at any point afterwards, players can contact the DM to add to the list, or make specifications or alterations to existing ideas. They are discussed so that everyone can be aware of them and understand how the world will work, never to be questioned or interrogated. Lines and veils can be as general or specific as each player desires. So how does this all work in practice? For me, it’s been very helpful to discuss lines and veils in the context of a Session Zero - a session before the campaign begins when players get together to create and introduce their characters, and to learn a little more about each other and what the game might hold. Lines and veils first appeared in Ron Edwards' Sex and Sorcery supplement for RPG Sorcerer. Sometimes they may assign a campaign a film rating to give the party an idea of the kinds of content that might be coming up, and players will then add to this list depending on their particular needs and preferences. What is classed as a line or a veil is down to each set of players, though the DM will typically list standard lines such as detailed violence, sex, assault and so forth.
#Critical role magic lines how to
Lines and veils are not fixed points, but are, crucially, ongoing.Īlthough lines and veils began as a way of thinking about how to handle explicit content in games, this is not their only function. They were first developed by Ron Edwards in Sex and Sorcery, a supplement to his RPG Sorcerer, in which he discusses a number of scenarios involving sex, how they might be handled in different ways and how they might affect the players around the table. Put simply, a line is something which will never come up as part of a campaign or session, while a veil ensures that whilst an action or event might take place, this will happen ‘off-screen’: mentioned in passing, but not dwelled on in detail and not a significant part of any plot or encounter.
