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TTRPG Streaming & Safety Tools: A REVIEW THREAD.
No channels or productions are going to be named. I simply want to list & reflect on my experiences.
No channels or productions are going to be named. I simply want to list & reflect on my experiences.
The first couple games I was invited to be a part of were one-shots on separate channels. Both implemented the "X,N, O (&O?)" cards in private chat & on-screen by explicitly instructing and explaining to the cast during pre-roll what they were for. Excellent for a new player.
I didn& #39;t use them myself, but it got me thinking about the idea that I, as a player, had the right to opt-in to story elements. It wasn& #39;t until I GM& #39;d on-screen that I felt comfortable to X-card something a player& #39;s character had done. Honestly? It was terrifying to do that.
The reaction of the player was compliant and supportive, but also, they were shocked & ashamed. Having to pull the X-card for my own health made me feel guilty for making a player feel like that. So, the X-card isn& #39;t great by itself for streams & narrative fluidity.
That leads to the next tool: Lines & Veils.
L&V are often paired with the X/N/O/O? tools on-stream as a quick session zero. "Here& #39;s an anonymous spreadsheet, fill it out, it& #39;s a living document always up for change." Another pretty interesting tool!
L&V are often paired with the X/N/O/O? tools on-stream as a quick session zero. "Here& #39;s an anonymous spreadsheet, fill it out, it& #39;s a living document always up for change." Another pretty interesting tool!
I got into the habit of always putting down "spiders" as a line, and "sexual assault/harrassment" if it wasn& #39;t already there. Then, as I played more, I realized my list of L&V& #39;s was getting pretty long...but I needed more context of the table & it& #39;s intended narrative.
For streams that are hip with the safety, these two tools paired together are the golden standard. They work well together, but they are reactive tools & put the responsibility on the person harmed.
A moment that haunts me to this day was when a regular group I was playing in decided to try an evil campaign every now and again when our DM couldn& #39;t show up. We didn& #39;t put anything in terms of safety in place, bc we thought we knew each other.
I messed up. I chose an attack bc statistically, a fellow PC wasn& #39;t going to be harmed even though they were in line of fire. I ended up killing that PC& #39;s animal companion, and it was a big no-no that I didn& #39;t think about. I still feel awful, but I use this as my big lesson.
In that instance, tools that could have prevented this: A Session Zero discussion, with a Consent Checklist + Line & Veils. But more importantly, we have to respect the boundaries of communication btwn players vs their PC& #39;s.
