This may be the best example of why safety tools, consistently and thoughtfully employed, make such a deep and lasting impact.
We have to understand that we are not just putting safety tools out there for players to protect themselves, we are actively looking to create safety, a long term cultural shift towards care, respect, & compassion for each other, even if our characters are post-apocalyptic beasts
Tagging @billy_white :)
[pulling a continuation of my thoughts into the main thread] @HHauntedSky said "I still believe safety mechanics should be core mechanics", and I'm inclined to agree, even though it's not always evident, and there's not always a specific technique offered by the text.
When I say "role playing is a conversation", that is part of what I mean. What is so often called 'safety tool' is perhaps more perfectly called a communication tool (h/t to @lumpleyandsons
for that insight), because what they do is aid conversation around the original point:
for that insight), because what they do is aid conversation around the original point:
Caring more about the real-world well-being of the people at the table than the construction of the fiction, and wanting to make sure everyone leaves the table eager to come back together next session.
Safety and communication tools, as constructed for use in ttrpgs, give us ways to support ourselves in talking about our own strong emotions, recognizing the emotional reactions of others, and acknowledging when we have failed to notice other's discomfort or misjudged our own.
Wrapping back to @rachelthebeck's post, the original communication tool of first asking "Are you okay?" de-escalates the situation, centers the conversation on the well-being of the people involved, & can then lead to positive action (cleaning up the mess). That's the whole goal.
