A Squirrel Plays

You have found a D&D group, your characters are ready and the players are hyped for the start of the game. However there is a thought that keeps cropping up in the back of your head: “What if they take the story in a direction I don’t feel comfortable with?” Tabletop roleplaying games are built on imagination and improvisation. Therefore setting boundaries might feel wrong or tricky. Perhaps you or someone else has a phobia of spiders, or some situations might make you uncomfortable. This is where safety tools come to play. Before you start thinking that these are borderline “censorship” methods - they are communication shortcuts that ensure everyone in your group is having fun, even if the story gets dark or brutal. What are safety tools? Think of safety tools as subtle “safe words” in a stunt show or a timeout in sports. It doesn’t mean that the show can’t go on, instead it allows for the participants to pause, edit or skip certain bits of content that might not be something everyone is comfortable with. It avoids the need for that awkward, long speech about themes and decisions while making some people feel uncomfortable with either expressing their creativity or feeling targeted in another way. When everyone at your group knows where the “emergency brake” lever is, players usually feel more comfortable with intense roleplay situations, as everyone feels more in control of the direction the story is going. /images/general-media/1778077472_okHsoUPF.gifIf the game goes in a direction that everyone is comfortable with - rewind. The big three Lines and Veils This is a list that is collaboratively created during Session Zero. Everyone agrees upon setting limitations regarding various topics and when to let the story progress in a “skip cutscene” manner. Lines: Hard boundaries. If a “line” is drawn at harming animals, these situations do not occur in your games. Veils: A soft boundary - this is more of a “fade to black” moment, where the story overlooks specific details and situations, but still acknowledges their existence. The X-card If a situation makes you uncomfortable, signaling (either with a physical card with an X on it, or writing it in the chat) the X-card means that whatever is going on is skipped or retconned. The game continues but avoids the specific direction it is currently headed. This is a no questions asked situation. You don’t have to explain why this situation bothers you, a healthy group will respect your choice and preference and move on. Open door policy In a situation, where you do not feel comfortable, you are permitted to simply get up and leave the table to either “take five” or stay away until the current situation is resolved. Or if the theme is simply overwhelming, you can excuse yourself for the rest of the session. It is important that the group agrees beforehand to respect the open door approach and will not judge the person choosing to opt out. “This will ruin the mood!” As a DM (or a player), you might fear that using safety tools will break the immersion. In reality, the opposite is true - players knowing that they and their preferences are respected will keep everyone on the same page. When a group has no discussed boundaries beforehand, players are likely to simply “shut down” during specific situations and simply disconnect either mentally or digitally from the game at hand. Since the story involves everyone in the group, everyone should feel like they want to be part of it. Knowing beforehand which themes and topics may be an issue for your players will help everyone in the group focus more on the game, and less on worrying or playing the “guessing game”, wondering whether the topic at hand is appropriate for everyone. How to react when a tool is used If you are the DM and someone uses the X-card or reminds of a “line”, here is a professional way to handle it: Stop. Pause the narration or situation immediately. Acknowledge. Say “Thanks for letting me know.” Don’t ask “Why” or try to downplay the situation. Respect the player and their decision Adjust. Change the scene. Feel free to “rewind” the scene and take it in a different direction. Instead of spiders in the room, there are goblins, wolves, mimics, dragons (okay lets not overdo it…), or nothing at all. Check-in. A quick “Everyone good?” to check whether the situation has been resolved. And continue the game. Why do we promote using safety tools? When meeting new people for the first time, you don’t have years of history to know what their triggers or boundaries are. And circling back to the “guessing game” - you shouldn’t be expected to know these. Instead clear communication will help your group in the long run. Using safety tools should be seen as a strong green flag. It tells others that you are a thoughtful player or a DM, who cares about the people behind the characters. You will turn the group of strangers into trusted players much faster. Be a brave player Great tabletop gaming stories are ones where players take risks, are vulnerable, come up with stupid plans (that somehow work) and defeat villains. Safety tools will guide your game in a direction where you don’t step on anyone’s toes and lets you focus on the game at hand. Ready to get into a game? Post your player profile on Groupfinder, or find a group where you can gather other like-minded, respectful, players.  If you know of a DM, who is looking to level up their group management - then share this article with them and help make the tabletop community a better and more enjoyable place for everyone. If you are ready to jump into a game, head over to our directory to find a D&D group looking for players right now.

The Kind GM Blog is a place you visit when you're on the hunt for Tabletop RPG content. It provides articles and ideas in various formats, including reviews, analysis of newly-released content, and more. Links thekindgm.com - Official website patreon.com - Patreon page

Dragon Warriors is a tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. Published in 1985 by Corgi Books as a series of six mass-market paperback volumes, it was later re-released in a consolidated hardcover format by Magnum Opus Press in 2008 and subsequently by Serpent King Games in 2011. It is historically notable as a domestic UK alternative to early fantasy role-playing systems, celebrated for its evocative, low-fantasy setting heavily rooted in medieval European folklore. Description Dragon Warriors is set in the Lands of Legend, a grim, pseudo-historical analogue of Europe during the early Middle Ages, saturated with superstition, ruined barrows, and perilous folklore. Rather than a game of high magic and superheroic fantasy, players inhabit a brutal, mud-and-blood world where healing is slow and combat is highly lethal. The game focuses on human protagonists belonging to distinct professions. It purposefully eschews a modern unified core resolution mechanic, instead employing a mix of specialized dice rolls that tailor the mechanical feel to the specific action being performed, from martial combat to arcane spellcasting. System Overview & Key Features Class-Based System Characters are created by selecting one of several distinct Professions, such as the Knight, Barbarian, Assassin, Sorcerer, Mystic, Elementalist, or Warlock. There is no multi-classing, and each profession possesses unique features, progression paths, and distinct mechanical subsystems for how they engage with magic or combat. Opposed Combat Mechanics Combat resolution uses a subtractive mathematical mechanic. An attacker subtracts the target's Defence score from their own Attack score to determine a specific target number. The player must then roll equal to or lower than this target number on a 20-sided die (1d20) to score a successful physical hit. Armour Bypass Rolls (ABR) Armor in Dragon Warriors acts as a static physical barrier that must be violently breached to cause harm. If an attack hits, the attacker makes an Armour Bypass Roll using a polyhedral die specific to their equipped weapon (such as a d8 for a standard sword). To inflict damage, this roll must strictly exceed the target's Armour Factor (AF). If successful, the weapon deals a fixed, non-variable amount of damage directly to the target's Health Points. Contextual Task Resolution The game lacks a traditional, unified skill system or expansive skill lists, relying instead on contextual attribute checks based on core statistics (Strength, Reflexes, Intelligence, Psychic Talent, and Looks). General tasks are typically resolved by rolling equal to or under an attribute on a d20, while opposed or complex actions (such as Stealth versus Perception) utilize calculated target numbers resolved with either a d20 or 2d10. Asymmetric Magic Subsystems Magic mechanics vary drastically depending on the spellcaster's Profession. Sorcerers, Elementalists, and Warlocks utilize a standard pool of Magic Points (MP) that depletes upon casting and regenerates at specific times of day. Mystics, conversely, do not use MPs; they can cast spells freely but must roll a check after each casting to see if they suffer psychic fatigue or temporarily lose their arcane abilities. Additional links serpentking.com - Official publisher website for the current edition of Dragon Warriors cobwebbedforest.co.uk - Comprehensive fan resource and archive for Dragon Warriors rules, errata, and game downloads