WHY ARE SAFETY TOOLS IMPORTANT IN ROLEPLAY GAMES?

Tools for consent and boundry setting

I still don't know all my boundaries, and they change!

The thing about trying to create a 'safe space' is that as DM or player, you can never predict or completely control what's going to happen - that's the joy of improvisational roleplay games. These tools are not designed to take away that spontaneity, rather they are implemented to make the game more fun, and so players understand they have choice and autonomy over the way the game is being run, and that they are free to communicate about this at any time.  Feeling okay and safe should come before serving any story line. 

Pre-game

Setting the tone

At the beginning of each new game, it can help to lay out expectations when it comes to themes and content. Are you planning on a lighter comedy game, or something dealing with heavier themes? A good way to help your players gage this is by giving examples of films/ books/ tv. Is it more 'The Ring', or 'Ghost Busters'? Is it more 'Nosferatu' or 'What we do in the Shadows'?

This way, the players also get more of an idea of how their characters are likely to behave in-game. 

Another great way to present this is using film ratings like U/ PG/ PG 13/ R...

You can check out the wiki fandom film rating system here, which can be quite useful.

Open door

For me, it's important to acknowledge at the beginning of a new game or campaign that player safety comes before the narrative. I like to remind players that they can leave or stop at any time. This is called an 'Open Door policy'. If players need to step away, they shouldn't bear the weight of having to explain why unless they want to share. 

Lines and veils

It can be helpful to preestablish some boundaries before going into the game, so that both players and GM know what topics to avoid, and what topics the group are open to exploring. One way of doing this can be to use what's called 'lines and veils.' This tool was created by Ron Edward, who originally introduced it  to help navigate sexual content in his RPG 'Sorcery'. 

Lines

Hard limits for topics that will never appear in the game (the "no-go" zones).

Veils

 Soft limits for elements that can happen in the story but are "faded to black" or kept off-screen. Veils allow the story to acknowledge a subject exists without roleplaying the explicit details. They keep the spotlight off the discomfort while moving the narrative forward.

When a veiled topic comes up in the narrative, the GM should acknowledge it and steer the narrative away. For example, imagine the veil is gore or violence. The party stumbles upon a horrific scene of a village destroyed. The specifics of the carnage are not described, but the GM points out the loss is palpable. The focus then moves on how the characters decide to respond.

How to implement lines and veils

The DM can give the players a form to communicate boundaries pre-game. This can be in the form of a google doc for example, where results can be viewed in bar charts before the game commences. A suggestion (particularly for longer campaigns) could be to pin a list of the groups lines and veils in a group chat, so that they can be easily accessed at any time during play. 

Below are lines to some examples of consent forms you can check out:

This google form was created for the TTRPG Safety Toolkit and is adapted from the RPG Consent Checklist that appears in the Consent in Gaming supplement by Sean K. Reynolds and Shanna Germain, published by Monte Cook Games. It can be found at https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/consent-in-gaming/

The TTRPG Safety Toolkit is a resource created by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk. The TTRPG Safety Toolkit is a compilation of safety tools that have been designed by members of the tabletop roleplaying games community for use by players and GMs at the table. You can find it at bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit.

Here is an example of a downloadable lines and veils form created by Jenna Figgers:

 https://jennafiggers.itch.io/ttrpg-safety-form

In-game

Spotlight balance

It's not uncommon for some players, whether because of confidence or pure enthusiam, to dominate play. As GM, it can be important to check in and encourage quieter players from time to time, and ensure they feel included and involved.

X, N and O signs

X, N and O signs are designed to be used in-game, as a way of communicating with the group out of character. These can be used in to form of cards that can be touched or waved, or by typing these letters into a group chat, or by using recognisable body gestures (such as making a 'cross' signal with your arms). These tools were created by John Stavropoulos (X), Mysty Vander and Adam Cleaver (N) and Kira Magrann (O).

Meaning

X = 'I'm not comfortable with this content. A hard no' 

The DM can then skip, change or rewind the storyline to steer the narrative away from this topic.

N = 'I'm not feeling comfortable about where this scene is headed.' 

This card is used as more of an early warning by a player that they are in danger of becoming involved in a type of scene they would not consent to. The group can then do a quick check-in, change the scene or 'fade the black'. 

O = 'I'm comfortable with this topic and wish to continue.' 

This card can be used if the DM or a player is checking in with the players to see if they are okay with a scene continuing in a certain narrative direction. An example of a check-in could be 'O?' or 'Check-in' to which players can respond with 'O' to communicate they feel safe to continue.

These gestures can and have been used in the form of coloured cards also, with read, yellow and green signifying X, N and O.

A group chat

Creating a group chat can offer players another channel where they can communicate about what's happening for them in-game can be a valuable safety tool. Some issues I've seen when reading about this tool is that it works well if the GM sees the messages, but if they miss them (due to being absorbed in story-telling) it can backfire. 

Breaks

My rule is to break every 1.5/ 2 hours during a game. This allows players to check in with themselves, attend to any bodily needs, and frees up some breathing space to discuss anything out-of-character that might be bugging them, or exciting them. It's a great informal chance for the GM to get a little bit of feedback on how the players are doing. 

Post- game

De-rolling

Sometimes , especially when players have become invested in the emotions and experiences of the characters they have been playing, it requires time to 'shake off the character and come back to reality. This emotional attachment to the perspective of a character is called 'bleed-out'. There are some tools we can use to help transition players back to their 'baseline'. 

Name tags

I often give players name tags to wear in-game. This not only helps players to remember eachother's in-character names, but once the play is finished, the act of removing the name tag becomes a ritual to signify that we are no longer playing that character.

Third-Person Shift

Post game, it can be useful to encourage players to refer to the expereinces of their characters in third person, using "he/she/they" instead of "I" to detach from in-game personal feelings and experiences.

Ritualized Prop Storage

Physically packing away a character sheet, dice set, or costume piece can act as a definitive psychological marker that the game has ended.

Debrief

This happens at the end of the game session, after the roleplay has come to a close. It's a chance for players to decompress, clear up misunderstandings, and transition out of character. It's great feedback for the group to share what worked/ didn't work for them in-game and reflect on their experience. 

I try to keep a debrief for a 3 hour one shot TTRPG about 15 to 20 minutes. For longer more engaged roleplays and LARPS, it can last longer.

Pass

This is an opportunity to hold space for players to share something from the game that they are willing to, nobody should feel forced to share if they don't feel ready. Making clear that players can 'pass' if they don't feel comfortable helps to make this space feel supportive rather than as a forced confessional.

Structure and Formats

There are several different ways to run debriefs. Below are listed some popular examples. 

Take With / Leave Behind

Explicitly share one positive character value to embrace moving forward, and leave a dark or negative emotion behind.

Stars and wishes

By Lu Quade

Ask every player to name one favorite highlight (Star) and one detail or hook they want to explore next time (Wish).

Roses, Thorns, and Buds

Originally form the Boy scouts of America

Discuss one positive moment (Rose), one frustration or tough moment (Thorn), and one point of future potential (Bud).

What?, So What?, Now What?

From Terry Borton

Revisit specific game facts (What), identify why they mattered emotionally (So What), and plan character actions based on that insight (Now What)

Anonymous Check-ins

 Some players may be quiet or introverted, and prefer to process away from the group. For these types, it's possibel to check in using messaging or written feedback forms.

Thank you

Well, I think that covers some of the basics! Reach out if you have any more interesting safety tools you think I might have missed.

Thank you for reading!

Alice 

A huge thank you to all these source: You can find more information below in these useful links.

https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/opinion/lines-and-veils-rpg-safety-tools

https://blog.roll20.net/posts/guest-blog-an-introduction-to-lines-and-veils/

https://ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com/

https://www.dramadice.com/gm-tips/safety-tools-for-tabletop-rpgs/

https://thespacebetweenstories.com/2018/06/20/the-debrief-toolbox/