TTRPG Consent Forms: Why Every Game Benefits from One
The strongest tool you can bring to Session Zero isn’t a loaded dice bag or a map covered in secret notes; it’s a consent form. It builds trust at the table, prevents harm, and creates the conditions for the stories people remember fondly years later.
Why Consent Forms Matter
Session Zero gets a lot of attention in tabletop RPGs. Tone-setting, house rules, and worldbuilding are all important. But none of that means much if your players don’t feel safe or respected.
That’s where consent forms come in. They’re not about policing imagination or shrinking the scope of your campaign. They’re about giving players control over their own experience. A good consent form helps you see:
What excites your group. Some players want intense body horror or messy political intrigue.
What’s fine in small doses. Maybe romance is welcome, but explicit detail makes someone uncomfortable.
What’s off-limits. For some, depictions of abuse, racism, or sexual violence aren’t just unpleasant; they’re non-starters.
Think of a consent form as a map. It shows you where the green lights are, where to slow down, and where the cliffs drop off.
Use Them in Every New Campaign
Yes, even if you’ve been playing with the same friends for years. Every story brings different themes. A haunted house one-shot doesn’t raise the same issues as a two-year vampire court-intrigue saga.
And people change. A player who once didn’t mind spiders might have developed a phobia. Someone going through grief might not want “dead family members” used as backstory fuel. Checking in is a form of respect.
What Belongs on a Consent Form
The best consent forms are structured simply:
Green – enthusiastically welcome.
Yellow – okay in moderation or with limits.
Red – off-limits, no exceptions.
And they go beyond the obvious. Violence and sex are common categories, but strong tools also include:
Phobias: Spiders, deep water, confined spaces. (A player who nearly drowned might not enjoy a “water torture” scene.)
Body horror: Parasites, mutations, medical experiments. (For some, this isn’t thrilling; it’s nauseating.)
Abuse and addiction: Domestic violence, substance abuse, self-harm. (These can cut too close to lived experiences.)
Sexual assault or harassment: Many groups mark this red immediately.
Religion and culture: Real-world beliefs, sacred symbols, or cultural stereotypes. (Not everyone wants their heritage used as monster fodder.)
Identity and autonomy: Gender, sexuality, pregnancy, mind control. (Many players dislike anything that removes character agency.)
Tone preferences: “Fade to black” vs. role-playing intimacy, or whether gore should be cinematic or discreet.
The point isn’t to sanitize your game. It’s to know the difference between thrilling tension and crossing a line.
How to Handle the Information
If you’re the Game Master:
Respect red categories completely. Even if a “torture chamber” plotline feels narratively juicy, if torture is on someone’s no-go list, you drop it. No questions, no exceptions.
Build with greens. If players highlight political scheming, creeping dread, or high-stakes romance as exciting, lean into those elements.
Check yellows carefully. Someone might be okay with spiders… so long as they’re not described in graphic detail. Ask what “yellow” means for them.
Keep it private. Let players fill out forms individually. Peer pressure can silence honesty.
Treat it as ongoing. People can update their form mid-campaign.
If you’re a player:
Be honest. If “violence against children” or “on-screen romantic intimacy” makes you uncomfortable, say so. You’re not being difficult! You’re helping the whole group avoid a derail.
Where to Start
There are several excellent community tools, but our favorite PDF is this Role-Playing Comfort Checklist. It’s free and comprehensive.
You can also use it as a basis to create your own. For example, a streamlined version might be better for shorter games or one-shots.
Consent Isn’t Censorship
A common strawman argument is that consent forms “ruin the game” by banning themes. That’s not what they do. They redirect creativity.
If you know mind control is off-limits, you don’t lose story options; you sharpen them. Instead of villains who dominate the party with psychic powers, maybe they tempt them with moral bargains or political leverage. The story becomes more inventive, not less.
And for players, the trust built through consent allows them to invest more deeply. When they know their boundaries won’t be ignored, they lean harder into the drama that is on the table.
TL;DR
Consent forms help every group, new or old.
They highlight what excites players, what’s okay in moderation, and what’s off-limits.
Topics often include phobias, abuse, identity, intimacy, and agency.
Use them at Session Zero and revisit them as the campaign evolves.
They don’t limit creativity. They build trust and sharpen storytelling.
Next Steps
Download the Role-Playing Comfort Checklist or build your own.
Not sold on Session Zeros? Read our blog Session Zero: Building Your Campaign’s Foundation with Care, Clarity, and Creativity.
Keep the results in a shared doc (Quest Portal makes this easy).
FAQ
Q: Should we use consent forms for one-shots?
A: Yes. Even a 10-minute check-in can prevent a ruined evening.
Q: What if someone changes their mind mid-campaign?
A: Then the game adapts. Campaigns evolve, and so do comfort levels.
Q: Isn’t this overkill?
A: While the formality of a consent form may seem a bit much to some people, the practice is nothing like that! A story is only fun if the people telling it together feel safe while doing it.
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