Safety Tools

Every player has the right to feel safe in their gaming space. Feeling safe and comfortable allows players to let down their guard, take creative risks, invest more in their character, and test the limits of their RP with the knowledge that their boundaries will not be crossed. We encourage DunDraCon GMs to choose one or more of these safety tools to use at their table.

Open-Door Policy

DunDraCon maintains an Open-Door policy: which means that a player may leave a game at any time, for any reason, and will not be judged for doing so. There is no social pressure to stay at a table.

Session Zero

Before play starts, it may be helpful to determine if there are any subjects that may be upsetting for players: violence against children, personal phobias of the player, etc. A GM may modify their game to bypass these triggers, or a player may opt to leave the game with no prejudice - an upset player is no fun for anyone. for more information, see our Session Zero page

Lines and Veils

A line is a firm designation of what topics will not be explored in the game. The group should discuss lines before starting play, and anyone can draw a line mid-game to edit out that content. A veil is a “fade to black” or “pan away” moment. The event is still part of the story, but calling to veil to a scene indicates that the group won’t add further detail. Note that DunDraCon has a list of topics that are not suitable in any official game.

X-Card

The X-Card is a tool created by John Stavropoulos that allows anyone in your game (including you) to edit out any content anyone is uncomfortable with as you play. Since most RPGs are improvisational and we won't know what will happen till it happens, it's possible the game will go in a direction people don't want. An X-Card is a simple tool to fix problems as they arise. To use the X-Card, Simply say: “If anything makes anyone uncomfortable in any way… [draw X on a card or piece of paper] …just lift this card up, or tap it [place card at the center of the table]. You don’t have to explain why. It doesn't matter why. When we lift or tap this card, we simply edit out anything X-Carded. And if there is ever an issue, anyone can call for a break and we can talk privately.”