Brems

When someone says Brems, it signals that the situation at hand is going in a direction that the player is not comfortable with. It is the responsibility of the other players in the scene in question to change the direction and/or intensity of the play.

Brems is a commonly used safety rule in Nordic larp. It is usually employed together with Kutt as a bare-bones structure for managing risk and handling emergencies at larp.

It sometimes translates to "brake" in English.

Uses

Brems is a tool for players who feel that they are closing in on their personal boundaries, either physically or psychologically. The word "brems" means "brake" in Norwegian, and is commonly interpreted as "this far, but no further" or even "one step back, please". It was created as a supplement to Kutt to handle situations that are close to getting out of hand, but still can be solved without breaking the game. It is the collective responsibility of the other players in the scene to find a solution.

Examples:

• Player A is interrogating player B. B's face is pushed down on a table and it's getting really uncomfortable. B says "Brems". A loosens the grip so that B can find a better position and continues the interrogation. OR: A lets go of B and continues the interrogation.

• A and B are playing out an intimate scene. A realizes that she is not comfortable being this close to a complete stranger and says "Brems". They continue the scene with less touching. OR: B says: "Did you hear that? I think someone is coming!"

Limitations

The consequences of "Brems" are not as clear as those of Kutt. For it to work it requires sensitivity from the co-players of the person who says "Brems", and good communication.

Brems etiquette

• When someone says "Brems", it should be heard and respected
• When someone says "Brems" the intensity of the scene in question should be reduced
• A player should not have to give a reason for saying "Brems" after the game.

History

The Brems rule originates in Norwegian larps of the late 90s, and has spread from there - as evidenced by the word (meaning "brake!") retaining its Norwegian spelling and pronounciation even when used outside of Norway. It was made as a supplement to the Kutt rule to give players a tool to get out of uncomfortable situations without having to break the game.