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Safety Tools and Wellbeing for TTRPG

Some cool things you can pick to use at your table for safer games.

Did I miss any safety tools? Feel free to contact me on Twitter or leave a comment on the curated list of safety tools page.

An "exhaustive" guide to roleplaying
Keep your table a safe space.

Want to make sure everyone at your table is on the same page? The Stagwood Safety Card is here to help. It's simple: everyone can discreetly or collaboratively signal their comfort levels, making sure the game stays fun for all.

The opposite of the X-Card. Tap for more! Or you simply love what’s happening. Encourage without interrupting.

The X-Card (created-by-John-Stavropoulos-and-is-entirely-in-Creative-Commons) is a little "X" you draw on a card or a bit of paper that you put it out on the table and people can reach out and tap it if there is anything they want changed or removed from play.
The O-Card is the opposite of that.

You tap the O-Card if you want more of something, or you just simply love what’s happening.

Another way to describe the O-Card is that it represents Enthusiastic Consent.
It is also a great way to encourage other players without interrupting.

A printable aid for OSR players
little tools to facilitate play
questions to ask before we begin and before we part ways

A double-sided business card with prompts for a person or group to reflect on the qualities of what they're about to do together and what they've just done together, and to consider what they'll do next time. There's no room on the card for credits, so here goes: Fonts are Atkinson Hyperlegible by Applied Design Works for the Braille Institute, and Chivels by AF Studio. Watercolors are by Danielle Malan. Icons are by Delapouite and Lorc from game-icons.net. Made in the CHamoru island of Guåhan.

When it comes to portraying more diversity, you may be faced with unfamiliar topics. Whether you're playing a non-binary character or including a few NPCs in a world, here's a handy sheet that summarizes the basics of what you need to know.

If you get a chance to talk to someone involved, feel free to ask them to review your concept, nothing beats direct feedback.

Written by and consulting concerned people. Thanks to Ticus, Eva and Avril for their help!

an emotional safety meta-narrative technique

Chibispeak is a trick to inject your IRL thoughts and emotions into your RPG story. The conceit is this: when you have an emotion or thought very different from that of your character, your chibi self manifests it. (a side-project of the Brise coeur collection)

A list of articles, games, resources and blogs involving safety tools and their application in TTRPG games.

A list of links for Safety Tools and related resources.

An emotional safety/rescue tool for TTRPG

I X-carded myself… is an emotional safety/rescue tool inspired by NVC for solo players, to be used in solo gaming, but also in any circumstances you feel lonely with your distress in a game.

This booklet invites you to discover the basic process of Nonviolent Communication (OFN) and how it can be applied in your practice of role-playing to bring you comfort when it is needed.

Tropes to avoid, characters idea

When it comes to portraying more diversity, you may be faced with unfamiliar topics. Whether you're playing a trans character or including a few NPCs in a world, here's a handy sheet that summarizes the basics of what you need to know.

If you get a chance to talk to someone involved, try to ask them to review your concept, nothing beats direct feedback. 

No matter how much security is used, accidents can happen. Whether it's at a convention with strangers or on a campaign with your best buddies, one day someone will make a mistake. Discover some simple steps to manage these awkward moments!

a tiny zine to help you learn about pronouns

After explaining the basics of gender pronouns to folks one too many times, I decided to make a simple, introductory zine! Pronouns 101 covers the basics of pronouns, including why they're important, how to ask for them, and some common pronouns people use. This is a great resource for organizations especially, and lots of my coworkers have found it helpful.

What are X-cards alternatives? What can I write directly in my game?

Emotional safety is one of those topics creating debates since the dawn of RPGs. Often, the X-Card is at the center of every conversation, but it might not be the best method.
If you want to learn how to include some in your games, here is a handy little document to tell you everything you need! Most of the methods are also useful to add to any game you might own.

a 2-player craft project about consent

The gameplay and cards encourage the players to discuss what they are creating at every step. This game explores the concept of consent in a non-sexual context. Players must agree on which pattern they would like to weave next and how tight or long or loose it should be.

The discussions and actions of the players mimic those of negotiating and respecting consent: listening, reading body language, suggesting an alternative to make someone more comfortable, stopping when it's not working...

Crafting Consent presents a fun way to explore its subject matter, and you’ll have a nifty craft project at the end of it! :)

MOSAIC Strict

The (Un-)Consensual is one page subsystem for having sex in Your game. It's about consent, decisions and their consequences. It's my way of rising awareness of consent importance,  helplessness of rape victims and using protection during sex.  

Free, open licensed guide to include in your TTRPGs

One Last Thing is a free and open licensed document that includes Modern GM and Player Best Practices for you to copy/paste/adapt directly into your games.

This was prompted after of two Twitter discussions where we talked about the subject. I looked at all the answers and wrote what I think is a good recap in the form of this document.

This document is available in English and in German!

an affirmative consent play tool
a conversation moderation tool
an addition to O'Leary's CATS
a game to begin your games
This activity is intended to bring out our assumptions and culturally unspoken rules
A fun mini storygame to tell absurd stories and practice improvisation and the use of the X-Card (English & German)..
A Supplementary Signaling System for Tabletop Role-Playing Games
three emotional safety tools for playing TTRPGs online
a faux academic discussion about group consensus
a resource to find a most satisfying and memorable finale to your game
A session zero strategy for increasing player interaction, world cohesion, and fun by having a stellar first session.
Kill the authority in your mind
A one-page play-aid for Monsterhearts 2e
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