Voicing the shadow? Rule-playing and roleplaying in Wraith: The Oblivion

Rules may seem restrictive, merely negative exercises of coercive power. Nevertheless rules also have a strong constitutive role—in shaping fields of practice, defining roles and enabling agency. This paper explores the theory of different rule-playing `stances' emerging from the theory of role playing games and asks if this might also have juridic or regulatory application. As context, this paper looks to the role playing game `Wraith: The Oblivion', particularly for its unique use of roles to shape identity through the `shadow' persona.