An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games
David Millians, Editor
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA
millians.david@paideiaschool.org
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Hello All,
Our guest this month was Nicolas W. Proctor. After completing his B.A. in history from Hendrix College, Nick Proctor received an M.A. in Diplomacy and International Relations from the University of Kentucky, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from Emory University. He is now a Professor of History at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he has served as department chair and director of the first-year program. After completing a traditional historical monograph, he reoriented his research to fit the needs of a teaching institution and focused on writing historical role-playing games for the Reacting to the Past series. To help game authors in the series, he wrote a Game Designer’s Handbook and served as chair of the Reacting Consortium’s editorial board. He now serves as the Executive Director of the Reacting Consortium. You can view our discussion on our YouTube channel.
After the session, we had a robust conversation about content guidelines for tabletop role-playing games. We’ve asked your opinion about it but haven’t heard back – you’re welcome to share your thoughts on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google: Should tabletop role-playing games have a content guidance system?
We’ll be taking a break over the next few months and returning in September. I hope you get a chance to relax and most importantly, play some games!
Sincerely,
Mike Tresca
Committee Chair
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
By Hawke Robinson
I thought it worth sending this information based on the most recent newsletter. A few things of note:
Regarding the “game ratings” discussion/debate, we have wanted to avoid something like the movie, TV, and video game ratings systems, instead we have been taking a different focus related to RPG professionals, educators, community service centers, and therapeutic practitioners.
I currently call it the RPG CARBE Scale: Role-Playing Game Complexity, Accessibility, Risk, and Barriers to Entry Suggested Game Tiers. This is mostly geared for developmental ability levels/ages, and considerations for at-risk or higher risk populations where extra care and consideration should be taken when considering different recreational activities. This is still a work in progress, as are many of our endeavors that are research and evidence-in-practice based, we’re all revising.
https://rpgresearch.com/game-tiers
I’ve also been making incremental progress over the years on the Observed Immersion State scale (been through a few name changes over the decades).
Also here are some summaries of some of the RPG Theories I’ve been working on (or at least the summarizing diagrams):
https://rpgresearch.com/rpg-theory-models
Pros and Cons of each RPG Format:
https://rpgresearch.com/blog/blog-news-category/overview-list-of-the-pros-and-cons-of-each-role-playing-game-format-updates
Gamer Floater Theory:
https://rpgresearch.com/gamer-floater-theory
RPG Therapeutics LLC has been contracted with an additional school district, in our area, to provide our role-playing gaming and other services 5 days a week to particularly challenging clients in exceptional need. This is a particularly challenging and very high-risk population we are working with. We are also using the RPG Trailer to provide a better controlled environment experience. If all goes well, the contract could run through this summer, and even to the end of the year, depending on how it works out. We can’t describe much specific information to protect the client’s privacy, but every other approach has been exhausted by everyone involved, and it is hoped we can provide what has been missing. It is a big challenge, and I have many misgivings and concerns, but our primary goal is to help, and, hopefully, our program will be successful again. Among a number of challenges, this is related to a variation of Autism Spectrum and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) populations, which can be a particularly risky and challenging population. The LLC will be donating a significant portion of the contract funds to the non-profit RPG Research to try to contribute to keeping RPG Research’s Role-Playing Game Community Center open to the public in July, and toward the renovation of the RPG Museum facilities.
Regarding providing mental health related services, using role-playing games (among other services): RPG Therapeutics LLC now has 9 employees (8 in Washington state, 1 in Massachusetts), and will soon be activating the first out-of-Washington-state Authorized Service Provider, in Northern California later this year. RPG Therapeutics provides Therapeutic Recreation (TR) / Recreational Therapy (RT) and role-playing games in all formats (tabletop, live-action, electronic, and hybrids) to a wide range of populations from ages 2 years old through senior adults, and everyone in between. We provide services for Autism spectrum, ADHD, anxiety, depression, phobias, social skills development, brain injury recovery, anger management, impulse control, and much more. We also have extensive adaptive approaches and equipment to support a wide range of physical disabilities including blind, visually impaired, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy. We can provide therapeutic services in-person at our various offices in the Spokane area, online through our telehealth platform, or using our wheelchair accessible (and stimuli controllable environment) mobile facilities at various client locations as needed. We have worked in partnership with therapists, psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, and other healthcare workers across North America and five other continents to help them with their clients using our distinctive blend of intervention modalities.
I hope this information is of interest and value. I also welcome any discussion/questions on these topics
NEW MATERIAL
This is a compilation of articles and other resources that have come to the editor’s attention over the last month. Everyone is welcome to send bibliographic information about anything you discover that fits the mission of CAR-PGa and this newsletter.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 5) Review of the ABCs of D&D. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/05/review-of-the-abcs-of-dd. Engaging art and imagination while learning letters and lots of new ideas.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 8) Review of Lil Gremlins, an SEL journaling game for kids and their grownups. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/08/review-of-lil-gremlins-an-sel-journaling-game-for-kids-and-their-grownups. Mischievous critters and integrated Social-Emotional Learning practice for minutes at a time.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 14) Interview with Jack Berkenstock from The Bodhana Group. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/14/interview-with-jack-berkenstock-from-the-bodhana-group. Applications and complexities of TTRPGs in therapy.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 22) Review: Teacher-Gamer Handbookm a guide for TTRPG educators. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/22/review-teacher-gamer-handbook. Valuable resource and planning guide based on classroom experience and testing.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 28) Recap and talk audio from TTRPG Kids at Origins Game Fair. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/28/recap-and-talk-audio-from-ttrpgkids-at-origins-game-fair-2023. Workshops on publishing, education, and therapy, as well as games played and games discovered.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 29) Review: Magi-Knights, a 5E compatible magic girl TTRPG. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/29/review-magi-knights-a-5e-compatible-magical-girl-inspired-ttrpg. Fun game for tweens and older with relationship rules and a new magic system.
Campbell, Steph (2023 Jun 30) Inner Realms Journey – The World’s First Guided Meditation RPG. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2023/06/30/inner-realms-journey-the-worlds-first-guided-meditation-rpg. Awareness and play.
Carter, Chase (2023 Jun 6) Battletech community ousts Reddit mods after Pride Month zine bigotry. https://www.dicebreaker.com/series/battletech/news/battletech-pride-month-zine-bigotry-causes-subreddit-shakeup. Publisher and others step in to make clear, “Battletech is for everyone.”
Carter, Chase (2023 Jun 22) Surgery scars, stretch marks added to Hero Forge’s digital miniature maker. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/news/hero-forge-add-surgery-scars-stretch-marks-character-creator. The marks of our stories on our bodies.
Dakota Irish (2023) This ad is a … critical hit. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=2Rb1fB&v=960648101647025. Amazing video advertisement for D&D in Japan.
Jarvis, Matt (2023 Jun 5) One-page RPG collection The Most Tabletop Games per Square Centimeter squeezes 10 games onto a single sheet of A4. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/news/one-page-rpg-collection-10-games-a4-sheet. Playful challenge.
Jarvis, Matt (2023 Jun 7) UK Games Expo 2023 apologises after rejecting RPG over queer content. https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/uk-games-expo/news/uk-games-expo-2023-rejected-queer-rpgs. Mistakes and promises to do better.
Meehan, Alex (2023 Jun 16) Dimension 20’s newest season celebrates Pride Month with Dungeons and Drag Queens. https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/dimension-20/news/dimension-20-dungeons-drag-queens. Live play that slays.
Meehan, Alex (2023 Jun 20) Roleplaying is the perfect medium for stories of sex and romance – so why is the genre so underserved on the tabletop?. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/opinion/romance-sex-tabletop-rpgs-underserved. Why indeed?
Meinberg (2023 Jun 12) Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Literacy: Roles. https://goatsongrpg.wordpress.com/2023/06/12/beginners-guide-to-mechanical-literacy-roles. Many of us are more than one for a given game session.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 13) NuTSR Declares Bankruptcy. https://www.enworld.org/threads/nutsr-declares-bankruptcy.698239. Little income and lots of debt, freezes litigation for now.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 18) Renegade Studios Sends C&D To Stop Creator Using the Word ‘Renegade’. https://www.enworld.org/threads/renegade-studios-sends-c-d-to-stop-small-creator-using-the-word-renegade.698312. Testing control of non-trademarked words, and now resolved with the addition of a disclaimer in the new work.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 20) This Year’s Diana Jones Award Nominees Include a Journalist, 2 TTRPGS, a D&D Adventure, and a Game Designer. https://www.enworld.org/threads/this-years-diana-jones-award-nominees-include-a-journalist-2-ttrpgs-a-d-d-adventure-and-a-game-designer.698345. Winner of varied selection announced at Gen Con and more details from Dicebreaker.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 26) Here Are This Year’s Origins Award Winners. https://www.enworld.org/threads/here-are-this-years-origins-award-winners-coyote-crow-and-agents-of-dune-win-for-rpgs.698447. Coyote & Crow and Agents of Dune for RPGs.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 29) 2021 Was A Massive Year for TTRPG Crowdfunders. https://www.enworld.org/threads/2021-was-a-massive-year-for-ttrpg-crowdfunders.698490. Data and analysis of million dollar plus fundraising.
Morrissey, Russ (2023 Jun 30) The Final Open RPG Creator (ORC) License Is Here. https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-final-open-rpg-creator-orc-license-is-here.698527. Links and analysis, plus more discussion at Dicebreaker.
OtroQuest (2023 Jun 6) The Many Names of Gamemasters (2023 Update). https://www.ageofravensgames.com/blog/the-many-names-of-gamemasters-2023-update. Lots of variety.
Poulter-Jones, Anna (2023 Jun 20) Why the Disney Lorcana lawsuit matters, and every tabletop creator should be paying attention. https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/disney-lorcana/opinion/why-disney-lorcana-lawsuit-matters-and-every-tabletop-creator-should-pay-attention. IP protection versus innovation.
Queer Games Bundle (2023) Queer Games Bundle 2023. https://itch.io/b/1812/queer-games-bundle-2023. Support queer people in a life-changing way.
Rancic, Michael (2023 Jun 26) From D&D and Pathfinder to Critical Role, cultural consultants have never been more important in the tabletop RPG industry. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/cultural-consultants-have-never-been-more-important-in-tabletop-rpg-industry. A range of applications, experiences, and a need for long-term, in-house hiring.
ReasonTV (2023) Everything is political: board games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4hrF_qf93E. RPG adjacent humor.
rell (2023 Jun 12) momocon 2023 review: an exceptional blerd hangout in atlanta. https://www.blerd.com/momocon-2023-review-an-exceptional-blerd-hangout-in-atlanta. A celebration of cosplay and community.
Senzatimore, Renee (2023 Jun 15) Ed Greenwood Confirms Honor Among Thieves’ Canon to Forgotten Realms’ History. https://www.cbr.com/dnd-movie-forgotten-realms-canon-ed-greenwood. Flow ideas among media forms.
Serrano, Sara (2023 Jun 22) DUNGEONS AND DRAGOJNS: Kids engage in ‘endless creativity at Minecraft camp. https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/dungeons-and-dragons-kids-engage-in-endless-creativity-at-minecraft-camp/article_b9d87564-113d-11ee-b108-679100fe2347.html. IDEA Summer Academy at Northeastern State University.
Short Rest Studios (2023) 5 Tips for Playing DnD With Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdd3tH675TQ. Video advice to keep it moving and engaged.
Tresca, Mike (2023 Jun 12) RPG Evolution: The People Who Don’t Game. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-the-people-who-dont-game.697684. Waste of time, too revealing, bad impressions, and more.
Warren, Tor & Ellie Lovde (2023 Jun 27) Rolling the Dice, Breaking the Norms; TTRPGs as a Tool for LGBT+ Youth Empowerment. https://gametogrow.org/2023/06/27/lgbt-youth-empowerment. Helping kids thrive.
© Copyright 2023 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404) 377-3491, e-mail millians.david@paideiaschool.org. Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn’t have someone else’s copyright on it. Information, including details on joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.