One topic that has gained a lot of attention in recent years is the use of safety tools in role-playing games. There are many available options and even more opinions about them, but we’d like to briefly explain what they are, what they’re used for, and which ones are most commonly used, so that anyone unfamiliar with them can learn a bit more and decide whether they want to include them in their RPG sessions.
What are safety tools?
A role-playing session is built on communication and trust between participants, both of which help the story flow more smoothly. However, sometimes players around the table don’t know each other well, or even if they do, the game’s themes or specific scenes might touch on sensitive or uncomfortable topics.
When this happens, it can lead to moments of discomfort at the table. Each group may handle these situations in their own way, but safety tools are designed to help prevent or manage them, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the session with as little disruption as possible.
There are many different safety tools, and they can be used individually or combined depending on the situation. We’d like to highlight a few of the most commonly used tools that are easy to implement in your games.
Session 0
While not strictly a safety tool, Session 0 is worth highlighting because it can help prevent or reduce uncomfortable situations before they arise.
Session 0 is a preliminary meeting before the game itself where the group discusses their expectations for the campaign and any personal boundaries or limits.
It doesn’t have to take up a whole session, it can be just a short moment at the beginning where the game’s tone and genre are explained and players check in to ensure everyone is comfortable.
During Session 0, you can also agree on which safety tools to use, set the overall tone for the game, and align expectations between the GM and players for the session or campaign.
Beyond safety topics, Session 0 can also be helpful for organizing practical details like how often you'll play, the expected session length, what happens to a character if a player can’t attend, and anything else the group finds essential.
The X-Card
The X-Card is a mechanic that allows anyone at the table, GM or player, to remove content they’re uncomfortable with, while minimizing disruption to the session.
Typically, a physical card with a large “X” is placed somewhere accessible to everyone. In online games, it might be a designated chat symbol or an agreed-upon gesture like crossing arms in front of the camera.
If someone feels uncomfortable, they can push the card forward (or make the gesture) and indicate which content they’d like to remove. That content is then modified, skipped, or removed entirely as needed. The person using the X-Card is not expected to explain why, and the rest of the table should respect that without pressuring them for more information.
The X-Card was created by John Stavropoulos and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution–ShareAlike 3.0 license. You can find more details at: http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg
Lines and Veils
Lines and Veils is a tool that allows the group to agree in advance on their comfort levels with specific topics, either by establishing a line (the topic will not appear in the game at all) or a veil (the topic can be present but will not be described in detail).
These are typically discussed before the game starts, such as during Session 0, but can also be introduced mid-game if a new sensitive topic arises.
Fade to Black
The last tool we want to mention is the “Fade to Black.” This technique involves ending a scene the moment it becomes potentially uncomfortable for someone, effectively “fading to black”, much like how movies or shows avoid explicit content by cutting the scene and letting the audience fill in the blanks. It’s especially common with romantic or sexual scenes in more family-friendly media.
We hope this article has given you an overview of some of the most common safety tools and how to use them.
If you’d like to explore the topic further, we recommend visiting https://ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com/, which features an extensive collection of options for your games.