Safety in Role Playing
While you may not hear it mentioned often in the show, Explorers Wanted utilizes several safety mechanics in our games that we highly endorse.
- Pre-game checklist: Everyone completes a Consent in Gaming form which you can get for free here.
- X-Card: We rely on the X-Card mechanic for any exceptions that arise during play.
There are other tools out there that we don't currently use, but may fit your group's needs.
- Script Change: Script Change is a powerful toolbox of techniques that groups can use to handle difficult situations in game. It's far more granular than tools like the X-Card, which has both its pros and cons. While it can be used for any game, we could see it being particularly powerful in horror games where players may approach difficult subject matter more often as a matter of course.
- Lines and Veils: This is an approach that can be used in place of or in conjunction with the Consent in Gaming checklist. It is far less formal that the other approaches and you can find a description of it here.
We also recommend checking in with each other regularly, possibly at the end of each session, to make sure everyone is having fun and comfortable with the state of play.
We take player safety very seriously, and highly recommend that you do in your games as well.