For more information about various safety tools and how to use them, Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk have an award-winning collection available for free at ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com.

Lines & Veils

First developed by Ron Edwards, Lines and Veils are a safety tool designed to be first employed in a Session 0, and revisited as much as is needed throughout a campaign. When discussing the tones and goals for the game, the GM should make a list of player’s Lines and Veils.

Lines are topics that players do not want in the game. They should not appear in any form.

Tracey lines spiders. That means that, not only will the players never encounter spiders, spiders effectively do not exist in this world. There are no cobwebs or eight-legged monsters. The GM touches base with Tracey about how she feels about other bugs, so she explains that insects and other similar creatures are perfectly fine, her line is specific to spiders. This means, the party may encounter swarms of bees, follow a line of mysteriously colored ants, or fight off a giant beetle.

Veils are topics that players do not want to feature in the game, but can still exist in the world.

Tracey veils spiders. That means that spiders can exist in the world, but they will not be a feature of the game — they will not crawl on characters, and players will never battle a spider-monster. The GM checks in with Tracey and she explains that cobwebs are fine, as long as there are no spiders in them. This means ancient cobwebs could fill an old castle, but there will not be any bugs scurrying within them.

Though the GM is keeping the list and designing the encounters, they should also announce their own Lines and Veils. This will help set the culture of a safe table, take any stigma off players having topics they wish to avoid, and let other players know what they should not include in their roleplay. It’s important to remember that the GM is also a player and deserves the same care.

It’s important to remember that Lines & Veils are a “living document,” meaning the list can be updated at any point.

Tracey initially veiled spiders but just realized in the middle of this session that she would feel more comfortable if they were lined. The GM’s giant spider is making her very uncomfortable. She flags her change to lining spiders and the GM simply switches their giant spider out for a giant beetle and continues play.

Some players may wish to keep their Lines & Veils between them and the GM. To allow for this, a GM can suggest that anyone at the table write down additional topics on scrap paper to share later, send a text, or discuss in a one-on-one conversation.

X-Card

Created by John Stavropoulos, this is a tool that allows any player (including the GM) to remove content from the game. This traditionally appears in the form of a physical card, marked with a large letter X, and placed within reach of all players at the table. That said, your table could use a designated item, someone creating an x with their arms, or other symbol that feels best to the group.

To utilize the X-Card, a player only needs to tap the paper (or hold up crossed arms, etc.) and note the moment of play they wish to “rewind” to. It can be helpful to note the detail they’re flagging for removal, but this is not a requirement for using the tool. The group will simply go back to the designated moment and play forward, making a new choice.

There are a few important details about the X-Card worth flagging:

• When a player X-Cards a moment of play, they do not need to explain their reasoning, and the process of using this safety tool should not impose that on any player. If someone wishes to go into more detail, the table may break for group or private discussion as needed.
• The X-Card should not be designated as a tool of last resort. No player should feel they need to sit in discomfort until the stakes become too high. Using the X-Card is not an offense, and having the X-Card used during your moment of improv does not inherently mean you made a grievous mistake in play.
• Encouraging use of the X-Card in your game is often just as important as the X-Card itself. Setting up a table with safety tools establishes a culture of caring and helps make the game fun for everyone.

Open Door Policy

The Open Door Policy is a safety tool that is as simple as it sounds. Tell your players that they are welcome to leave the game at any time, for any reason, and reassure them that they will not be punished or judged. This can manifest as calling for a break from play, simply to take a few moments and grab a snack, or someone heading home early if they need to.

Example Discussion of Safety Tools

In their session zero conversation, the group agrees to use Lines & Veils, the X-Card, and the Open Door Policy.

Jo says they don’t want transphobia, homophobia, or any bigotry against queer people in the game. The GM writes those topics down on the group’s list of Lines—elements that won’t appear in the game at all. Olivia says that she’d like to put a veil on real-world current events for the campaign, so the game can feel like a break from the worries of everyday life. The game might include some unintended parallels with real-world events, but that comparison will never be in the spotlight, and the game’s table talk will avoid making those comparisons. George adds a line on tiny swarms of insects, with the caveat that he doesn’t mind having insects in the campaign, as long as they aren’t ever near his character.