I'm "I Saw the Sign" Years Old

A sideways glance, offered in response to an accusation. An ancient script, hastily uncovered. The missing jewel in the queen’s crown. The fact that the half-orc never seems to leave the gnome’s side, no matter how much she insults him. Each of these forms of communication (both nonverbal and verbal) are signs, signals, something to be interpreted. Additionally, each interpretation has value. Discovering what the symbols and signs mean is an interpretive process. For semioticians, the signs that are the most interesting, are the ones that seem straightforward but hint at a deeper cultural, contextual, or connotative meaning. Roland Barthes’s study of semiotics prides itself on studying the ideological baggage signs carry with them and communicate to others.

Semiotics (or semiology) refers to the study of signs. In communication a sign is composed of both an image and a concept. The image (signifier) is what we see and hear. The concept (signified) is what we think about that image. The signified is what we think that image means in context. Taking one of the examples above, the party notices that the queen’s crown is missing a jewel. From this image, party members might come to a number of legitimate conclusions: the setting was old and faulty, the queen is absent-minded or unobservant, the queen removed the jewel and used it for some purpose, the jewel was stolen, the jewel is still in the crown but invisible. In D&D, as in real life, the possible interpretations for communication are multiple, diverse, and frequently say more about the interpreter than about the message itself (the missing jewel in this case).  

Communication studies rooted in semiotics, also view words as verbal signs/symbols which are only arbitrarily linked to the concepts they represent. Nonverbal signs are frequently less arbitrary. No word or nonverbal communication stands alone. Instead, interpreting signs is often embedded in larger systems of meaning. For dungeonmasters planning their campaigns, towns, or court chambers, you would do well to consider how signs and symbols communicate to your players. A queen’s court filled with well-dressed oligarchs bowing differentially in the royal family’s colors communicates something very different than an all-but-empty throne room festooned with tattered clan banners. 

Thieves’ Cant is a wonderful example of the relationship between signifier and signified.  For your game’s rogues, understanding Thieves’ Cant is as natural as a Druid understanding Druidic. The symbols mean something. To the characters without that proficiency, the odd scratches or markings on the lamppost mean nothing. They connote no information.

The example above, of the half-orc and the gnome also points to perhaps some underlying cultural values that may be present. Does the gnome want such an escort to keep her safe? Do we simply assume that the smaller the PC, the weaker and the more in-need of protection? What are the gender dynamics being communicated by a male protector and female protected, if that is indeed what is going on?  The very perception of the half-orc and gnome combination begs for interpretation, and as with many signs, the conclusion we draw may say more about our own prejudices and biases than about the particular details of a given situation. Like Luke on Dagobah, we may be prone to interpreting a small, meddlesome muppet as anything but a great warrior. While these are stereotypes which might serve a DM well in offering players a short-hand for NPCs, it could be even more valuable to subvert such stereotypes.

There are perhaps fewer more potent symbols than a waving flag. Whether the American Stars & Stripes, the Confederate Stars & Bars, or the British Union Jack, none communicates neutrally. There are no neutral signs according to semiotics. Cultural values are ingrained within even what may have once been considered a neutral amalgam of shapes, lines, and colors. Even the denotative role 13 stripes and 50 stars may have once had takes a backseat to the connotative meaning for people around the globe who recognize the national flag of the United States. 

Game masters would do well to consider how the factions and NPCs in their worlds might employ the power of signs to reinforce the cultural values and power that exist in-world. How does the stonemason’s guild show it had a hand in constructing the new bridge?  How will the monarch make sure the citizens know their village is now under her control? How will the BBEG mark their victims? 

In communication studies, semiotics is frequently called upon as a media theory. The nonverbal signs, symbols, images, and ideologies contained there-in are fertile ground for analysis. Herein lies a tip for players, as well.  Asking about what kinds of uniforms, flags, banners, and markers exist may provide you with valuable information about who is in charge and what they think of themselves. Moreover, signs communicate about culture, and typically about the dominant culture, according to Barthes. However, signs are not exclusively the domain of the dominant. Images and signs can be employed counter-culturally to critique or lampoon the originator. A burning flag, an upside-down cross, and a toppled statue also communicate to potentially powerful effect.