If you haven't used safety tools in RPGs before, now is a great time to learn and start, even if it doesn't seem like something you need.

They may seem like an intrusion into your game, a handicap, or a distraction, but you will likely find they are the opposite. https://twitter.com/GauntletRPG/status/1245712592519065602

Once in use, I found my thinking shifted towards the better about all parts of the game. A principle of continous enthusiastic consent makes a great foundation for gameplay at *all* levels of intensity.

Ask your players for permission before carrying out a critical hit against them. With their permission, it shifts from something horrible *you* are doing to *them* to a dramatic moment we are choosing together for the character.

Make the game a constant conversation between players, put the power in their hands and you will get many more benefits than just avoiding catastrophe or discomfort. When the subtext of choosing what happens is brought to the surface, you'll be surprised!

For the longest time I thought that the hardest part of being a DM is anticipating what your players are enjoying, what they're curious about, where they want things to go, and what moments you can give them to help them shine. I was wrong. That's not part of the game at all.

No one wins when you try to be a mindreader. Just ask.