Check-In Tool Kit

The Check-In Toolkit is a trio of TTRPG emotional safety tools designed for online play via channels like Zoom and Discord. 

The affordances of many common emotional safety tools are not ideal for online play; they often rely on visual signals, which makes the tool inaccessible to people who play with their camera off for reasons of anxiety or internet connection speed. Players are also more likely to be juggling multiple tabs, which makes it more likely for non-verbal signals to be missed. All of these things can make it difficult for players to rely on traditional safety tools in online play.

Instead, the Check-In Tool Kit uses key phrases to pause the conversation and establish what conversation is needed to establish safe bounds around the fiction. Additionally, because it can be difficult to interrupt play in progress, it also includes a tool for checking in between scenes and making sure that everyone's needs are being met.

Acknowledgement: Let's Not was originally created by Steve Segedy and Jason Morningstar for Fiasco In A Box. The other 2 included tools were originally created and published in Our Traveling Home - a Ghibli-inspired game of happy queer romance, found family, and finding healing through belonging.

What's included?

The Check-In Tool Kit is designed to be printed on a double-sided sheet of letter paper. On the front, it has the tools, along with scripts for who says what and when.

On the back, there are examples of the tools in use that facilitators can use to show what using the tool looks like.

Why are safety tools important?

No one sets out to have a bad time playing TTRPGs. When we play, we want to make sure that we all have a fun and positive experience. But we don’t always know the other players, and when we do we might not know what things might be difficult, uncomfortable, or traumatizing for someone if they come up in the fiction. 

Emotional safety tools exist to help us navigate potentially difficult subjects. These tools are a safety net and exist to help us trust each other play bravely. They work best when everyone promises to use the tools if needed and trust their fellow players to take care of themselves. That way, everyone can have a safe and fun experience together that everyone can feel good about.