Table Tools
Why use Table Tools?
Safeguarding table tools create a specific mood at the table. It says “We’re here together to have a good time. If you need to stop, we’ll stop. The people playing are more important than the game we’re playing”. Since RPGs are improvisational it’s possible that the game will go in a direction that makes a player uncomfortable. Table tools help us avoid that and have more fun!
X Cards
X Cards are our top recommended table tools, they’re quick to make and easy to understand!
The X card is a tool that allows anyone in your game (including you) to edit out content that anyone is uncomfortable with as you play. When a person at the table is uncomfortable with the content for any reason - just tap the card or say “X card!” The GM and other payers will leave the topic at hand and move on without fuss.
The X Card was created by John Stavropoulos. Find out more about X cards.
Lines and Veils
If the X Card doesn’t have enough options for you, we recommend Lines and Veils! This is especially good for horror games, you can set Lines and Veils ahead of play or use it in play like the X Card.
Saying “Line” or tapping the Line Card represents places we do not wish to go in the game. We cut the item from the story and move on.
The Veil Card represents something that we don’t mind in the story but that we don’t want to see or focus on. We draw a veil over a moment to make it happen off screen or fade to black.
Lines and Veils were coined by Ron Edwards but developed by the indie gaming community. You can learn more about them from the Role-playing Game Stack Exchange.
Script Change
Script change is a more advanced table tool which treats your game like a movie. The script can change, rewind, fast forward, pause and run frame by frame!
Just say “rewind,” “fast forward,” “pause,” “frame-by-frame,” or raise or tap a Script Change card. You can integrate these phrases into a sentence, like “Could we rewind that statement? My character probably wouldn’t actually say that!” or “I have to pause, this is a little intense.” or even “This feels like the right place for the scene to end, could we fast forward?”
Script Change creates more group control of the story and is great for players who enjoy intense roleplay.
Script Change was created by Brie Beau Sheldon. Find out more about Script Change.
Cut and Brake
Cut and Brake are generally used for LARP’s, and work similar to Lines and Veils. As LARP’s can involve personal conflict and are more immediate than tabletop RPG’s, it can be easy to mix up a character yelling at your character, to a friend being angry with you.
Saying “Cut” means roleplaying stops immediately and nearby players must stop what they are doing to check in on the players and assist if needed. It can be used when a players is overwhelmed or if there is an emergency such as injury that needs to be dealt with.
“Brake” lets other players know that the play is too intense or change the direction of play, it says “This far, but no further”. The game does not stop but players decrease the intensity of play.
Cut and Brake (Kutt and Brems) were developed by the Nordic Larp community. Get a more in depth take on Cut and Brake from the Nordic Larp website.
And more…
These are the tools that we recommend, but there are lots more! If one of these doesn’t meet your needs, there are lots of others out there - do your research and figure out what works for your table. If there’s a tool you think is valuable but isn’t here, send us an email at nomoredamselsrpg@gmail.com