Parent's Guide

Quick take

Think PG. Good comparison points: Frozen, Brave, the Despicable Me films, and the How to Train Your Dragon series. If those feel too intense for your child, they may not be ready for D&D yet.

Who this is for

This page is for parents of kids in my games and courses. D&D can go almost anywhere the imagination goes—wild combat, exploration, intrigue, or interpersonal drama. Adult tables sometimes go into territory that is not appropriate for younger players. When players are not your own family, clear boundaries matter.

I learned that lesson early as a DM. A shared list of off-limits topics keeps sessions from drifting into uncomfortable ground and helps parents know what to expect.

Conflict and some violence are part of the game. That violence is abstracted and framed in fantasy terms. With planning and practice, how it is handled can sit comfortably next to a PG movie rating—not PG-13 or R.

Sample campaign content

Want a concrete sense of the kind of material I write for courses? See the Latitude campaign history on my Viking World site—an example of the tone, structure, and story content students encounter.

Lines and veils

A useful tool for finer control is Lines and Veils:

• Lines — topics that never appear at the table.
• Veils — topics that may exist in the world but are “faded to black”; we do not dwell on details.

Example: Romance is usually a line for younger kids. For older teens, a completely romance-free world can feel unreal, so light romance may sit behind a veil instead of being acted out or described in detail.

Session Zero

Before a campaign really starts, many groups run a Session Zero. Players create characters, get a feel for the world, and—most importantly—agree on what is acceptable for content and for how people treat each other at the table.

My courses include a Session Zero so those expectations are set up front. Parents can ask questions then (or anytime) if something is unclear.

Hard limits (the list)

This is the list I have used for over two years in my games and courses. Suggestions for additions or clearer wording are welcome—please contact me.

There will be no:

• Ritual sacrifice
• Torture
• Murder as a plot focus or the killing of innocents for sport (fantasy combat against monsters and clear foes is part of the game; gratuitous “murder” is not)
• Maiming and dismemberment
• Evisceration
• Decapitation
• Graphic or prolonged bodily harm (e.g. burning alive)
• Sexual content or sexual suggestion
• Implied or outright inebriation or drug use

Player agency (the other half of “safe”)

Content is usually what parents worry about first. I also care about the lessons kids practice at the table—especially making choices and living with the results.

Some classic D&D effects shut that down. Hold Person, for example, freezes a character so the player cannot act until it ends. Similar “you don’t get a turn” effects can appear with little warning. Where I can, I drop or rewrite those so kids keep participating. When something like that must stay, I try to give clues so they can prepare.

In short: I protect player agency as carefully as subject matter. The longer write-up is here: What to avoid, part 2 (player agency).

Questions?

If something comes up mid-campaign, or you want a boundary added for your child, tell me. We can adjust without drama—clear communication is part of running a good table.