Hey folks! We’re ecstatic to announce the launch of officially supported Safety Tools on Roll20! And, because we want to support our players in as many ways as possible, we’re debuting two options depending on your playstyle! Sometimes a game can go in an unexpected direction, or explore difficult subjects, and situations or topics may come up that causes players to feel uncomfortable, scared, or even trigger memories of traumatic events. Here are some mechanisms that promote clear communication to help avoid these situations and give players tools to address them when they occur. Even if these tools are never used, it often puts players at ease to know that everyone in the game is committed to having a good experience at the table. OPTION 1: Built-in Safety Card Deck on the VTT Starting today, all new games created on Roll20 will automatically include a 3-card deck of safety tools. You can find them in your collections tab, right where you normally find the player card deck. If you’d like to implement the 3-card deck to a game that already exists, you can do so via the free Burn Bryte Safety Card Addon . Simply select the Burn Bryte Safety Card Addon from the Addons dropdown list in your campaign details page. How do I use the Safety Deck? The Safety Deck is a card deck that makes communication about questionable topics easy and anonymous between players and the GM. Each deck has an unlimited number of three different cards. When a person places a card on the table, the group should pay attention and follow the rules of the card without asking who placed the card or why the card was placed. If the person who placed the card wishes to explain why they did so, that is their prerogative, but there is no obligation or expectation to do so. You owe no explanation to the group when you place a card on the table. When a card is placed, follow its rules and move on. Keep Going Card The Keep Going Card is green and an indicator to others that you are currently enjoying the content that's occurring. You don't need to play this card every time you're having fun or at all. This card is meant to be played when your game gets into a topic that could make others feel unsafe. It is a way to check in with everyone and say, "I'm feeling good, let's keep going with this topic." If someone else drops this card on the table and no one else drops a Slow Down or Stop Card, you can keep going. Slow Down Card The Slow Down Card is yellow and an indicator to others that you are fine with current content of the game, but going further with the description or detail would make you uncomfortable or unsafe. Play this card as a heads up to your fellow players that you don't want them to get more descriptive about a specific topic. If someone else drops this card on the table, respect your fellow player, consider pulling back some of your description or discussion of your current content, and move on from the scene as quickly as possible without asking any questions of the other players. Stop Card The Stop Card is red and is an indicator to others that you feel uncomfortable or unsafe and want the current content of the game to end. When this card is played, all players should immediately end the scene and move on without asking any questions of the other players. OPTION 2: Free RPG Safety Tools Addon from Evil Hat Productions If you are looking to offer a more in-depth suite of safety tools for your games, we are proud to present the free RPG Safety Tools Addon from our partners at Evil Hat! The amazing folks at Evil Hat have brought together the suite of safety tools previously featured in their Fate games: “We’ve picked the X-card by John Stavropoulos, Script Change by Beau Jágr Sheldon, and Palette (Lines and Veils) because we feel they're well suited for use in a virtual tabletop environment, but we encourage you to explore other tools as well and find out the tools that work best for your group!” The RPG Safety Tools Addon includes: X-Card (macro and card deck) Script Change (macros and card deck) Palette (Lines and Veils) page One handout reviewing all the tools You can select the RPG Safety Tools Addon from the Game Addons dropdown list on any new or in-progress games on Roll20. All players and GMs can use both Safety Tools options, or choose whichever one they like best! And these tools are completely system-agnostic, meaning they can be used no matter what your table’s game of choice is. We hope these safety tools give all our GMs and players more safety, comfort, and communication at your tables. Here’s to stories everyone can enjoy telling together. Happy gaming!