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mondarth-com/content/post/a-beginning.md

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+title = 'A Beginning'
+date = 2024-05-07T10:00:00Z
+draft = false
+summary="All stories start somewhere."
++++
+
+About fourty years ago I played my first game of Dungeons and Dragons. Soon after I played my first game as the Dungeon Master. From that game onward I was hooked.
+
+Ten years after those first games the group I played in became too separated to make playing practical and none of us felt play by post offered a compeling experience. Consequently the group died out. Life took me on a journey that did not include any role playing.
+
+A few weeks ago my best friend, and one of the players from my old group, contacted me saying he had wandered into a game shop and was reminded of those old D&D sessions, perhaps I was interested in DMing one.
+
+Well, that started something.
+
+I discovered I had missed out on so much in the entervening years. Play online now offers a realistic option for reviving my old passion. Cue a lot a reading the D&D 5e rules, watching YouTube videos, checking out online games, and sampling a few professionally DM'd sessions as a player. I now feel ready to start reviving my DM game.
+
+Now, being me, I never do anything the simple way :wink:.
+
+I always enjoyed world building for my group's adventures and with todays tools that process is so much fun I can't resist. Combine this with my technical background, access to the internet, and a borderline obsession with verisimilitude, and you get this blog and all it entails.
+
+Here are my current plans (briefly).
+
+1. Blog my journey (here).
+2. Make [YouTube videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpj4ryAcG1eIVXHuRSDRXw) about my journey.
+3. Create the world of Mondarth (see the [Codex](https://codex.mondarth.com/)).
+4. Run an assortment of game tables:
+    1. Run one shot campaigns (these will be 'donate to support' and aimed at providing a gateway for new players).
+    2. Run mini-campaigns (these will be pay-to-play and intended to give players a taste of my DM style without commiting to long campaigns).
+    3. Run full campaigns in Mondarth (the will be pay-to-play).
+7. Run [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/Mondarth) (free and paid offering access to materials developed along the way, early access to table seats,, etc.).
+8. Run [Discord](https://discord.gg/AQyChAQj) (community building and access to games).

mondarth-com/content/post/converting-the-delian-tomb-to-foundry-vtt/index.md

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+title = 'Converting "The Delian Tomb" to Foundry VTT'
+date = 2024-05-18T10:00:00Z
+draft = false
+categories = [ 'Game Master', 'Delian Tomb' ]
+
+tags = [ 'walkthrough' ]
+summary='How I converted "The Delian Tomb" one shot adventure into a Foundry VTT adventure.'
++++
+
+# Objectives
+
+The idea is to convert [this](The-Delian-Tomb.pdf "The Delian Tomb PDF") adventure into a reusable one-shot adventure in Foundry VTT.
+
+Along the way we will be:
+
+* Generating art for theatre of the mind scenes.
+* Creating battle maps.
+* Assembling NPC and creature sheets.
+* Setting up our journal to support us during the adventure.
+* Setting up Foundry to take some of the load off our shoulders.
+* Setting up various features to help players (especially new players).
+
+# Getting started
+
+First thing to do is read through enough of the module to establish the main themes and figure out how much we can deal with in the next session. Given this is a one-shot adventure we expect to cover the whole thing in one session of 2-4 hours (depending on player experience and how focussed they remain), so I read the entire module.
+
+The module is broken into four main parts and these can be further broken into individual 'scenes' or encounters.
+
+1. The Green Dragon Inn \
+   Where we meet:
+   1. Tom Dimple the serving boy
+   1. Lars Olson the village blacksmith whose daughter has been abducted
+1. Goblin Tracks
+   1. The Smithy
+   1. The Boar Wood
+1. Out of the Wood
+   1. Goblin Patrol
+1. The Delian Tomb
+   1. Entrance
+   1. Offering Room
+   1. Pressure Plate Trap
+   1. Hall of the Oathkeeper
+   1. Tomb of the Delian Order
+
+## Players are gonna try stuff
+
+Players will hopefully try things we will not anticipate but there are a few things we *can* be prepared for.
+
+### The Green Dragon
+
+Players will interact with NPCs. The module prepares two, Tom and Lars. The module only gives first names but I've added last names in case players ask. Similarly I will prep some random NPCs to be sitting in the inn in case players try to interact with them.
+
+Neither Tom, Lars, of any other patron of the inn need to be especially detailed but having some ideas noted down just in case will relieve some pressure. (As I expect to play this adventure several times I'll note after each session any surprises from players).
+
+I will play this scene as theatre of the mind because I don't expect any combat. If players decide to brawl I'll play it by ear.
+
+### The Smithy
+
+This is entirely driven by interacting with Lars. The objective is to get the party tracking the goblin kidnappers through Boar Wood. If they get distracted nudge them back on course by having Lars beg for help and remind them of the bounty on goblin ears.
+
+Between the Green Dragon and the Smithy players may be tempted to try investigating the village. To discourage this make sure the narration covers the trip between the two locations quickly. If the players still insist then make the investigation boring. All the shops, such as they are, are closed (it is dusk) and most people are either home of at the inn.
+
+Again, this will be theatre of the mind.
+
+### The Boar Wood
+
+No NPCs here but the idea is for this scene to teach players that the world is dangerous even when they are resting. We get them to make camp (the wood is too large and difficult to cross in one days travel). In camp they *should* keep watch. The module makes an encounter with a wild boar a random encounter, I will likely make it a certainty, building suspense with 'you see shapes moving in the dark' and so on. When it is all revealed to be nothing more than a nosy boar it should be a relief to the party.
+
+If they try to kill the boar then let them. This will need a stat block preparing for the boar.
+
+Again, this will be theatre of the mind.
+
+### Goblin Patrol
+
+This is the first opportunity for the party to make tactical decisions that have consequences. Do they sneak around the patrol or take them on. If they sneak around them then they will eventually become reinforcements later in the Offering Room. It they attack then the goblins may escape and raise the alarm putting the Entrance guards and the goblins in the Offering Room on alert.
+
+Goblins are not sophisticated fighters and will, as soon as the opportunity arises, run back to raise the alarm with the Entrance guards and those in the Offering Room.
+
+If the alarm IS raised the goblins will immediately arm the Pressure Plate Trap and players will have no chance to see this happen (see below).
+
+Because there is the opening possibility of combat I'll prepare a battle map for this encounter. Actually this will be a part of the overall battle map.
+
+### Entrance
+
+Continuing on from the previous encounter, if the patrol has not been alerted the party my be able to surprise the Entrance guards, otherwise the party meet opposition and the goblins in the Offering Room are alerted.
+
+The party may try to negotiate if they get close enough without alarming the guards. It may be possible to convince the guards to quit without a fight but they fear their Bugbear master and will require considerable convincing.
+
+### Offering Room
+
+Continuing on from the previous encounter, if the party have managed to get past the Entrance guards without alerting the goblins in the Offering Room then no doubt we are in for a fairly extended fight. The goblins in this room are highly unlikely to give in without a fight as their leader in only a few feet away. IF the Goblin Patrol and Entrance guards were passed they will join the mêlée after a turn.
+
+I will change the details of this encounter to provide a clue about the Pressure Plate Trap. On entering the Offering Room roll passive perception, any character passing this check sees one of the goblins pull down a lever (this is arming the trap which they leave unarmed so they can move back and forth freely).
+
+Once the party are free from the struggle they may investigate and notice the lever. It will be down and apparently loose (moves up and down with no resistance). The trap can only be disarmed as described in the module. As the trap is disarmed the lever will spring up. If pulled down now it will offer resistance and the trap will be rearmed.
+
+Assuming the players look around they will see the inscription (I will prepare an image for this) "I swear to fight chaos in all its forms, to uphold order, by honour of my word". Give a little emphasis to that last phrase as a clue to finding the solution to the riddle in the Hall of the Oathkeeper.
+
+### Pressure Plate Trap
+
+This plays out as described in the module. Players may try to cross or jam the trap. Let them try (it's not that tough to disarm, but hey they're gonna try stuff).
+
+The players may accidentally rearm the trap with the lever in the Hall of the Oathkeeper :smiling_imp:.
+
+### Hall of the Oathkeeper
+
+This is essentially the Boss Level with the Bugbear. Negotiation is not possible, well *successful* negotiation is not possible. These creatures are both relatively intelligent and determined fanatics.
+
+Assuming the party dispatch the Bugbear (and the goblin shaman) the party should free the girl, Bess Olson. If they look around, in addition to the details in the module they also see a lever like the one in the Offering Room, it also sets the Pressure Plate Trap.
+
+I don't like the description of gold being scattered in the 'nest' of blankets. They can be found in a leather purse on the Bugbear (this makes more sense to me, the 'scattered' placing suggests that the Bugbear does no value gold and that begs the question why does it have any then?).
+
+### Tomb of the Delian Order
+
+If players find this room they are likely to need to fight the skeletons. There is one skeleton per sarcophagus so if players are cautious they should not pose too much of a problem.
+
+Players may attempt to turn undead, in this situation only the currently animated skeletons will be effected.
+
+## VTT Additions
+
+What can the VTT add?
+
+Most obviously is bringing the players and GM together. For basic audio and video communication I am avoiding any complexity in using the Foundry AV system at the moment. It seems common to use either Discord or Zoom. My experience with Discord for video conferencing has been varied, sometimes fine, other times irritatingly unstable. Zoom has, for me, been rock solid. The downside is that for the long sessions required for RPGs we need a subscription for Zoom. Also, most RPG players have Discord installed while some will have to add Zoom.
+
+We could go audio only, but I like the feedback of players expressions. If going audio only I will use Discord, if the party prefer audio and video I will provide Zoom.
+
+As far as the Foundry table top itself we have a lot to cover.
+
+First, any scene I designate Theatre of the Mind I want a suitable graphic to sit on screen to give players context. This is less important for this one-shot as players are unlikely to return to locations, but in even short campaigns it will be nice to provide visual indicators for locations that are played Theatre of the Mind.
+
+For many locations an overhead map (often called a battle map during combat) provides context and players will move tokens around. The meat of this adventure takes place around the Tomb of Delius and this will provide the main overhead map.
+
+To create atmosphere I will use soundscapes on both Theatre of the Mind and overhead map scenes. Foundry has powerful audio tools to produce atmosphere on maps tailored to each character's token position.
+
+The main overhead map for this one-shot is on multiple levels. Fortunately Foundry has add-on modules that support complex multilevel maps which allow different characters to see different parts of the map according to their position.
+
+Foundry also has a lot of modules supporting combat. Modules to help players and modules to help the GM. Apart from smoothing out play there are also modules to provide enhanced visuals (like cool spell animations and lighting effects). Foundry also takes care of only showing characters parts of the map they can actually see, so players can move tokens around and investigate without the need for the GM to micro-manage describing every detail.
+
+For the GM Foundry (with apporpriate add-ons) provides extensive adventure management tools. These tools really become powerful for campaign management, tracking in-world events over many sessions that enable real colour to be added without too much GM overload.
+
+There is simply too much to cover in one article. We now have a very high level view of what we want to achieve. In subsequent articles we will detail the actual build step-by-step.

mondarth-com/content/post/do-you-want-to-play-a-game/index.md

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+title = 'Do You Want to Play a Game?'
+date = 2024-07-06T10:00:00Z
+draft = false
+summary="A guide for the bemused."
+categories = ['Player', 'Game Master']
++++
+
+Role playing games are great fun and Dungeons & Dragons is the OG. If you are coming to D&D with no (or very little) experience or if you are simply overwhelmed by the torrent of advice online, then this series is ideal for you. In this series I will take you through the basics of role playing (and D&D specifically) introducing more complexity as you 'level up' your game.
+
+These articles are arranged in the manner of those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books where you read a page and then at the bottom of the page you can select from several options where to go next. In the same way at the bottom of each article you will see choices for where to go next. These are marked with flags ('P' for player focussed articles, 'GM' fo game master focussed articles, and 'T' fo technical articles---these tend to be about the Foundry Virtual Table Top system, more on this later). Articles may be marked with multiple flags, don't panic, just follow the ones that interest you, you can always circle back.
+
+A lot of material online can be overwhelming. It is easy to be distracted by (even put off by) weird, arcane discussions about the game system, how spells combine, the problems with class 'A' of ability 'B', and so on. None of that in this series.
+
+Let's start at the beginning (generally a good place to start) with a few questions...
+
+**Do I need to learn the rules?**
+
+No. At least not all of them and not all at once. This series will introduce the rules you need as you need them.
+
+**Those books are *way expensive* do I need to buy them?**
+
+No. The core rules are available for free at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. These are the 'Systems Reference Documents' (SRD). There's still a *LOT* of content in these and it is presented in a less than helpful order fo new players. But, it is there, it is free, and it is everything you need to get started (and more).
+
+**Holy Cow! That's a 400 page PDf!**
+
+Don't worry, you don't need most of it to get started. Just treat it as a reference book (unless you want to read through it, in which case enjoy).
+
+**Okay, so I don't need the books and I can do without reading the SRD. How do I play then?**
+
+Glad you asked. Let's get you started...
+
+# The heart of RPG
+
+The clue is in the name, Role Playing Game. An RPG (or more specifically a Table Top RPG---TTRPG) is a game of imagination. What this means precisely depends on the player, the game master (GM), and the group you play with but generally the Game Master will create a situation which they describe to the group, the group then use their imagination to describe how their characters (oh, yes, you play a character in the world created by the GM) act, then the GM resolves the outcome of those actions before describing the new situation. Rinse and repeat.
+
+That's it. Those three steps are the essence of a TTRPG;
+
+- Situate (describe the situation),
+- Act (characters do something in response to that situation), and
+- Resolve (figure out what happens as a result of those actions).
+
+{{< imgproc dnd5e-core-loop Resize "200x" >}}RPG Loop{{</ imgproc>}}
+
+Within those three 'phases' only the Resolve phase may need the rules. The Situate and Act phases are entirely in the hands of the GM and the players.
+
+Let's take a look at a simple example.
+
+## Situate
+
+The GM describes the situation.
+
+**GM**: As you walk along the path you suddenly find yourself at the edge of a chasm. A crack, about ten feet wide, has opened across the path extending as far as you can see to your left and right. Looking down you can barely make out what may be the bottom maybe a hundred feet down. What do you do?
+
+This last 'What do you do?' will be said many times during your game. It is the classic way for the GM to start the player's actions.
+
+## Act
+
+Players may have questions at this point.
+
+**Player 1**: Can I jump it?
+
+**GM**: You? Not sure. Thrud (the player's character) might like to try.
+
+This is the GM reminding the player that it is their character's actions that are important and as such the question would be better phrased 'can Thrud jump it?'. That said, the GM is unlikely to give a yes/no answer to this sort of question as it is up to Thrud to decide if he wants to try to jump the gap.
+
+**Player 1**: (Slightly irked at GM's pedantry) Okay. Thrud tries to jump the chasm.
+
+**GM**: Okay. He's just going to jump it in full plate armor and carrying all his equipment?
+
+The GM is being kind here, reminding the player that although Thrud is strong he may find things easier without all that extra weight.
+
+**Player 1**: Er, no, I take off the armor and my pack. "Balock, will you throw these to me once I'm over?"
+
+**Player 2**: (as Balock) "I'll surely try."
+
+**GM**: With a mighty run up Thrud leaps into the air and... give me an Athletics check.
+
+## Resolve
+
+This "give me an Athletics check" is part of the game mechanics. Thrud's player and the GM are now in the Resolve phase of Thrud's action. This is an 'ability check'. The GM has secretly set a target Difficulty Class (DC) for Thrud's attempt to jump the chasm. Player 1 rolls a twenty-sided die, then adds (or subtracts) any modifiers (more on these later) if the resulting total is higher than the DC then Thrud succeeds in his attempt, otherwise he fails.
+
+Player 1 rolls a 13 and with his modifiers gets a resulting 'athletics ability score' of 16.
+
+**GM**: ...lands safely on the far side of the chasm.
+
+**Player 2**: Balock starts throwing Thrud his stuff.
+
+With this we are back to 'Act' with Balock.
+
+**GM**: Everything is going smoothly until you throw the backpack. Give me a strength check.
+
+Another dice roll, and back to 'Resolve'. The GM is saying that throwing a heavy backpack is not simple and Balock needs to check if he is strong enough.
+
+**Player 2**: Okay, 11?
+
+**GM**: You heft the pack but it falls short. Thrud, give me a Dex save.
+
+"Dex save" is a common short form of "Dexterity saving throw", another dice roll.
+
+**Player 1**: 18?
+
+**GM**: As the pack disappears into the chasm Thrud dives forward and barely manages to grab one strap of the plummeting backpack. Grunting with effort he pulls the pack to safety.
+
+**Player 1**: "Balock you fool! You nearly lost all my gear."
+
+**Player 2**: "Sorry"
+
+**GM**: Okay, Thrud and his gear are across. How about the rest of you?
+
+And so play proceeds.
+
+# What is with all these dice rolls and modifiers?
+
+Don't panic. Your GM will help guide you through what dice to roll and when. You'll soon be anticipating what to roll and when.
+
+Okay, how does the GM decide on the target number for these dice rolls? Well, they make it up. If the GM is running a pre-made module the type of roll and the target number will be specifed in the module, but often your character will be trying something the module does not provide information for, so the GM will make something up on the spot. The harder the thing you are trying to do, the higher the target will be. Sometimes the GM will tell you the target but often they will not. It depends on the GM and whether they feel it will add to the fun if the player knows the target number. If you are planning on being a GM we will cover how we go about deciding this later. Sometimes the rules offer guidance, but the GM can ignore or modify this as they wish. For example, the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) says that a character can jump horizontally up to their Strength (one of your characters attributes) in feet if theyy have a run up of at least ten feet. Say Thrud had strength of 17 they can jump 17 feet horizontally. Why did the GM make the player roll a dice then? Perhaps they decided Thrud was tired as it was late in the day, or they had just been in combat. Perhaps the GM decided the terrain was unven warranting the roll. Whatever the reason the DMG says that a DC 10 Athletices check is apporiate for tricky situations. Is this wnat the GM was using? Who knows. Again it is up to the GM to decide the DC for the specific situation.
+
+Offsetting the difficulty of the roll target, your character has innate abilities, skills, magic items, and other effects that make the task easier (or harder). All of these effects are represented by roll modifiers that you add to or subtract from the actual dice roll. The final number is then compared with the target and the GM narrates your success or failure.
+
+Why all the dice?
+
+It would be perfectly possible for the GM to run this encounter without rolling any dice at all. Ther narrative would be identical, just no one would roll dice, the GM simply decides on the outcome of each action. If fact, this will happen a lot when the GM is trying to keep the story moving forward. As a player this should not concern you.
+
+Dice are a mechanism to introduce chance into the resolution of actions. They can be used to build tension into the story.
+
+

mondarth-com/content/post/player-character-death.md

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+title = 'Player Character Death'
+date = 2024-05-13T10:00:00Z
+draft = false
+summary="Can player characters die?"
++++
+
+I gather that some tables have a policy (sometimes explicit) that player characters cannot die. This baffles me.
+
+I get that we become very attached to our characters. Invested in their progress. It should be tragic when a character dies. That said, providing plot armour to characters cheapens them. If you know that a character cannot die then whence comes heroism? Heroes are heroes because they do things others are unwilling, or unable, to do. Principal among these is risking their life for a cause.
+
+It is also important to note that if your character dies in one adventure that is not necessarily the end. Characters can always participate in other adventures, they only "die" in one adventure/campaign.
+
+At my table character death is an ever present risk. I believe this motivates characters to be cautious but it also makes their actions in the face of danger meaningful.

mondarth-com/content/post/refreshing-the-basics.md

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+title = 'Refreshing the Basics'
+date = 2024-05-17T09:00:00Z
+draft = false
+summary="Relearning the basics of D&D and some new VTT stuff."
++++
+
+Setting out to update my knowledge of the D&D game system means picking up the [D&D 5e System Reference Document](https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document) (SRD) and doing some reading. Actually, having decided to invest some time in this I bought the Players Handbook (PHB), the Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG), and the Monster Manual (MM) (I know, just before the new 2024 edition release, genius move but I figure 5e will be around for a good while even after the new system is released). It took a while to read through the PHB and DMG, even when focussed on the core and just skimming the details (e.g. all the spells and monster details). The MM is mainly reference material, so as with the details from the PHB and DMG I just dip in here and there as the mood takes me.
+
+I have already decided to focus on online play so investigating the options for this was necessary. Going 'old school' with play by post (or its modern equivalent) did not appeal. There are several more interactive options but the two that appeal most are [Roll20](https://roll20.net/) and [FoundryVTT](https://foundryvtt.com/) and after some brief play on each I prefer FoundryVTT. Adding to this impression are the flexibility, community development, and the pricing model. On top of all this I am an IT nerd and self-hosting Foundry was just too appealing an opportunity to miss. So FoundryVTT it is.
+
+Base Foundry is plenty to start hosting online sessions (bonus, Foundry supports a LOT of game systems, not just 5e; although it's fair to say 5e is the best supported). That said, and as noted, I am an IT nerd and my learning process is sort of 'saturation in the topic' so what followed was a deep dive into the possibilities with Foundry. Oh the joy! SO MUCH STUFF!
+
+First up, hosting. If you're not technically inclined you can use services like [The Forge](https://forge-vtt.com/) to host your Foundry VTT. Simple buy a license from Foundry, set up an account on The Forge, enter your license, and away you go. I however like pain :wink:, so I have set up a self hosted system on a cloud service. This is fairly straightforward but not really related to the task at hand so I'll skip the gory details (if enough people ask I will do a series on my set up).
+
+Regardless of how you host your Foundry instance the next task is setting up Foundry itself. There are many, many blogs and YouTube videos on doing this. So many that the real problem is figuring out the best core setup for your needs. I want to automate as much of the mundane mechanics as I can. For some the whole Maths Olympics involved in combat etc. is fun. I find that most of it is tedious bookkeeping and in my opinion there's no point in having a computer that is more capable of keeping track of this stuff than I and choosing to do it myself. Similarly there are rules that add to verisimilitude but are often glossed over because they are a lot of bookkeeping (things like time---spell duration, torch burn time, etc.---, encumbrance, and so on). Again, let the computer do the hard work and you can add another dimension to play without a lot a cognitive load leaving you to add the human element that makes TTRPG so different from video games.
+
+Another aspect of using a VTT is the added media. Sounds and visual effects add to the general player experience. If we can add these without too much extra work I say 'bring it on'. Foundry has a plethora of options for adding effects that have the potential for player delight. As the GM you can also relieve some in game load with good preparation. For example, using add-on modules to automate traps, or allow players to shop without the need to micromanage every transaction, or loot chests without you needing to provide every detail. Automating all this away, once again, frees you up to add more interaction that can only be provided by the human element.
+
+At the end of all this research and setup I have both a reasonable grasp of the game, its mechanics, and a VTT setup I can start building adventures upon.

mondarth-com/content/post/safety-tools.md

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+title = 'Safety Tools'
+date = 2024-05-12T10:00:00Z
+draft = false
+summary="Are safety tools necessary or healthy?"
++++
+
+Look on [StartPlaying](https://startplaying.games) and you will find most tables listing "safety tools". Some tables list a few, some list many. If you feel that you need safety tools to play a TTPPG you have plenty to choose from. What then are "safety tools"? Are they required? Are they healthy?
+
+Safety tools are intended to protect players from psychological harm. They do this largely by discussions before play on what players expect from the game and what players prefer to not confront during play. During play they provide mechanisms for players to control the narrative, steering it away from topics the player finds uncomfortable or disturbing.
+
+On their face these tools look like a reasonable facility and this is certainly how they are presented. Who would not want to protect players from harm, psychological or otherwise?
+
+Proponents of safety tools often compare them to safety belts in a car; something you hope you never need, but grateful you have when in a crash. This analogy is horribly flawed. In a car crash I have no option but to remain in the car, at an RPG table I can *choose* whether I stay or leave. In one case I have little control over my situation (and a safety belt is therefore a sensible precaution), in the other case I have complete personal autonomy (I can *choose* to stay at the table, I can *choose* to negotiate with the GM and other players if something makes me uncomfortable, and if all else fails I can *choose* to leave the game).
+
+The problem is that safety tools places the burden of managing one players issues on all other players at the table. For example, an arachnophobe might halt play at the mere suggestion of spidery involvement thereby stopping all other players the potential thrill of this story line. Consider if cinema theatres employed this logic. Two hundred patrons sit watching Lord of the Rings, but because one of those people is arachnophobic the entire audience is denied the pleasure of the battle with Shelob. This hardly seems reasonable. Surely it is more reasonable for that one audience member to remove themself from the situation? The same common-sense approach suggests itself at the gaming table. If the adventure veers in a direction a player is uncomfortable with it is their responsibility to remove themself, not for everyone else to protect them.
+
+This is doubly true when playing online. It is simply a matter of muting the sound of a player (or the GM), or disconnecting entirely. Contact the GM through other channels to discuss why you chose to leave (a good GM will contact you to ask anyway). Have a conversation. If a compromise is possible then one can be reached, if not just leave the game it is obviously not something you will enjoy going forward. The point being, it is not for the other players to surrender their fun on the alter of your issues.
+
+Where does one draw the line? If you have five players each censuring play according to their own taste then you run the risk of sanitising your story to the point of blandness. Bill deplores bloody violence, Sally is triggered by graphic descriptions of poverty, Kevin has no truck with any depiction of sex, Barry is a devout Christian and objects to depictions of demons or magic use, and Jane is vegan and object to any form of animal exploitation. This will be a pretty sterile environment for fantasy role play.
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+I am not saying we should ignore players sensibilities but suggesting to players that they need safety tools is not the way to go. Safety tools suggest that players are victims to be protected. This is healthy in therapy sessions, not at the gaming table.
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+If you feel that you can only enjoy playing inside the constraint of safety tools then more power to you, there are plenty a tables willing to hand you that power, mine are not among them. If you do not trust me enough to talk with me then we are not going to have much fun at the table.