Roleplaying safety tools
Our games are driven by players and offer unique opportunities for collaboration, storytelling, and creativity. However, it is because of this improvisational nature that consent is very important.
As a Game Master (or Director), make sure all players are respectful of each other. To start off with, it’s a good idea to go through certain topics or scenes that your players are uncomfortable with before starting your game.
This can be done using safety tools like Lines and Veils. In certain groups, you might need a more formal structure and other safety tools such as Script Change and Stars and Wishes. These safety tools are outlined below.
Try them out to see what works best for your group and makes them the most comfortable!
Lines and Veils
This safety tool is used to handle boundaries in your game. These boundaries are defined before the start of a game or campaign by your players through Lines and Veils.
A line is a hard boundary. They represent content that players do not want to explore at all in roleplaying. This could be anything, but common lines are rape, sexual violence, or discrimination.
Veils are softer boundaries where players are fine with a topic being included in the game, but want to keep it out of the spotlight and not go into graphic detail. Think of veils as a “pan away” or “fade to black” moment. Sometimes, despite establishing lines and veils before the game, topics might come up during play that makes a player uncomfortable. Be open to any player introducing a new line or veil and always try to address their needs.
Script Change
Script Change can be used in game by players to express their needs and desires. It is a more formal structure but can be very effective. In short, three cards are placed in the middle of the table labeled “rewind”, “pause”, and “fast forward” that anyone at the table can tap to activate.
Rewind – By using this card, a player is requesting to fix something that’s already happening. They want to take the game back to before the current situation and to take a different approach.
Fast Forward – By using this card, a player is requesting to jump ahead past the current situation. This will avoid that situation being described.
Pause – By using this card, the player calls for a short break. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the player wants to change anything, but wants a breather.
Stars and Wishes
Unlike the other safety tools, Stars and Wishes is used at the end of a game session.
At this point, all players offer a Star to another player, or to a moment or element of the game. This can be because they loved the roleplay, or the GM did a great job describing a scene, or because of a great feeling they had during the game. It can be anything they loved and want to point out to the group.
After everyone gives out a Star, everyone makes a Wish. Players tell the rest of the table something they would like to happen in future sessions. This can be anything from wishes for their own character, an interaction they’d like played out, a mechanic they want to be used, a place they hope to visit in game, and more.
