What to know about playing this game

Summary

Since 1979 with the release of ALIEN, this fictional universe of various media has introduced audiences to horror through violations of bodily autonomy, often referred to as body horror. The xenomorph introduced in ALIEN is explicitly phallic, which is accentuated in the original artwork of HR Giger, the commentary on screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, and in the subsequent works by director Ridley Scott as well as James Cameron. In addition, the Alien Universe draws on the cosmic horror of HP Lovecraft.
Del Paraiso: Discover + Adapt + Thrive is fan fiction of the Alien Universe and will explicitly draw on the themes of these works and the ideas of these creators. As a roleplaying game, the game will present many challenges to the typical format of tabletop roleplaying games and violate some of the rules of consent you can expect at a typical roleplaying game table, especially those associated with Vault.
To understand the impacts of this, let's visit on Consent and Character Autonomy, Player vs Player Betrayal, and Safety Tools at Our Game.

Consent & Character Autonomy

By playing in this game, you are explicitly accepting that the game may include some or all of the following impacts on characters:

• Contamination, transformation, and bodily violation as exhibited in the Alien Universe fiction.
• Betrayal and manipulation as a result of actions and agenda by secondary characters (NPCs) and potentially by player characters (PCs such behavior may even be rewarded.
• Sudden, brutal death at the hands of strange and grotesque creatures. This may also be the result of the failure of your fellow players to assist you or the result of their actions to progress their own agenda.

If you as have hard lines such as phobias or triggers, please report them ASAP so that these can be considered.
That being said, the below behavior will not be acceptable and such behavior may result in the expulsion from the table and the Vault Discord:

• The use of hate speech in character or out of character, during a session or in session-associated discussions, including statements against someone based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, skin color, faith, age, family composition, sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
• Personal attacks and harassment during or outside of the game session, whether it is directed at fellow players or those not participating in the game.
• Baiting or “trolling” participants with inflammatory language or behavior.
• Explicit, uninvited or otherwise nonconsensual sexual language, imagery (such as posted artwork) or behavior, whether that be in character or out of character.
• Violence of any kind between players.

Please report any such behavior to the Game Mother (GM, also know as a Game Master).
While this game may emphasize challenging themes, it is still a table where respect between players and maintaining a welcome play environment matters.

Player vs. Player Betrayal

Characters in the Alien Universe often find themselves turned on by their compatriots for their own ends. This is likely to occur during play and will be encouraged through particular mechanics such as Experience and Advancement. By playing this game, you understand that this is part of the play experience.
The betrayal of one or more player characters by another player character or group of player characters should be used to advance a personal or factional agenda. If betrayals feel targeted to particular players, then players may be asked to explain their motivations. Any player can ask about motivations, though what those motivations are may be shared to the GM exclusively. (Sharing the motivation in a maniacal fashion a la a villainous speech may be awarded with experience.)

Safety Tools at Our Game

A few tools will be used at our tables to facilitate collaborative play despite these atypical conventions.

The X-Card and the Y-Card

During play, any player may type X, either publicly or directly to the GM, to call for a break in play and a possible scene change. X-Card are a tool to facilitate ongoing consent during play sessions. The GM may rework the scene, hard cut the scene and fast forward, or work with the player(s) for an alternative. Players are never obligated to share the reason for the X-Card.
In addition, players are encouraged to type Y publicly or directly to the GM when a scene is personally challenging but they wish for the scene to continue. In this case, Y stands for Yes, more please despite my anxiety or trepidation, though it can also indicate Yellow for cautious intrigue. Y-Cards never prevent the deployment of an X-Card.
Any player, including the GM, can deploy X- or Y-Cards at any time.

Lines, Veils, and Ratings

Players can expect this game to be similar to an R-rated film, with explicit gore, sexual suggestions, profanity, and death. However, sexual content, extended drug use, and child endangerment are not expected aspects of this game. Neither sexualization of minors, nor of animals, nor of anything else that cannot provide consent (including non-sentient synthetic humanoids) is explicitly banned. Also banned is anything that might be construed as hate speech as described above.
As mentioned above, if you have Lines that you do not wish to see crossed, please notify the GM immediately. If there are Veils you wish to see concealed (such as explicit injuries or potential triggers), please notify the GM immediately. If these occur in game, please immediately use the X-Card and communicate this to the GM. For more, see Lines & Veils.

Final Comments

It is important that our table be welcoming and respectful. The Alien Universe has been a powerful critique of corporate control, commentary on working class manipulation, and has various feminist readings, too. The Alien RPG includes mechanics that present novel dangers as core mechanics and I hope that we can tell an interesting story using it.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch.
Caleb Alexander Lead Game Master Vault: Bringing Back Game Night [email protected]