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,

And just like that, July is over! I unfortunately had little time to game, but that was due to having several adventures in real life. I celebrated my 25^th wedding anniversary on a global cruise with my family in the Eastern Mediterranean, and it involved everything from getting lost in a dungeon to encounters with saints.

We flew from New York City to Munich, Germany, and then to Bari, Italy, where one of my ancestors was a military judge for the Knights of Malta, Giovanazzao Tresca. I had a lot of opportunities to put my seven years of learning Italian to good use during the trip.

The cruise departed from Bari, where we visited the Basilica of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus!) and even bought some manna that leeches from his bones, a miracle healing water. From there the cruise stopped in Venice, where we went on a gondola ride and visited the Doge’s Palace. While trying to return to our tour group, we got lost in the dungeons beneath the palace. It was quite the experience to be completely disoriented underground in something of a panic (we fortunately caught up to our tour guide).

We then visited Dubrovnik, Croatia, a fortified city that was filmed as a backdrop for several scenes in Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is also the site of one of the oldest pharmacies (established in 1326) and one of the first cities to institute quarantine protocols before entering.

We then visited the medieval town of Kotor, Montenegro. Of particular note was Perast’s Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made island created when two local fishermen who discovered a painting of the Virgin Mary floating in the water. They built a church there, where the iconic painting is enshrined within and brought out for special occasions. The basement of the church is filled with offerings of thanks from sailors and spouses who survived maritime tragedies or hoped for better news from those lost at sea. Most iconic of these is an embroidery that took Jacinta Kunić-Mijović 25 years to finish, a task that involved her own hair (changing from blonde to silver).

From there we visited Corfu and Zakynthos in Greece, where we got to sample local food and witness regional dances. Our tour ended with a visit to the Chapel of St. George. We saw many relics throughout our trip, including arm and thigh bones … but nothing prepared us to meet a saint in-person! St. Zakynthos’ entire body is preserved in the chapel!

Of course, no trip would be complete without travails. In addition to the aforementioned challenges in Venice, we all came home with COVID (acquired, most certainly, from the cruise).

It was an unbelievable experience for my family. You don’t get to see five countries (including Germany where we stopped over) very often, much less in the span of two weeks. It was also a turning point for my family: My daughter only recently became a teenager, and my son will be going to college soon. It’s unlikely we’ll be traveling together like this again, so it was as much a vacation as it was a celebration of our little family before my kids begin their own journeys. I hope they cherish these memories of different lands forever.

We’ll have more adventures this summer (we camp annually in Maine while visiting friends), but for now it’s good to be home. Traveling fuels my D&D writing, so look for my 5E Foes: Italia Bestiary and 5E RPG: Italia Adventures. But in the meantime, I hope you all have exciting adventures of your own this summer, in-person or in the shared imagination of your table!

Sincerely,

Mike Tresca

Committee Chair

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.

Analog Game Studies (2024 Jul 27) Generation Analog 2024 Keynote 2: Emily Friedman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttBOJePnPNw. Actual play research results and observations.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 1) Interview with “The Kiddo” (2024). https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/01/interview-with-the-kiddo-2024. An update to the conversation with her own child about games.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 4) TTRPGkids on Ludology Podcast, Episode 14: TTRPGs and SEL in the classroom. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/04/ttrpgkids-on-ludology-podcast-episode-14-ttrpgs-and-sel-in-the-classroom. Opportunities for social-emotional learning.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 11) Review of Venture Society by 9th Level Games. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/11/review-of-venture-society-by-9th-level-games. RPG made for kids as young as five.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 18) Review of Yeld 2nd Edition. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/18/review-of-yeld-2nd-edition. Expanded, streamlined update with greater accessibility emphasis, more lore, and broccoli lobsters.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 22) Pirate Themed Tabletop RPGs for Kids. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/22/pirate-themed-tabletop-rpgs-for-kids. Collated small reviews and references for games.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 25) My kid wants to play D&D – now what?. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/25/my-kid-wants-to-play-dd-now-what. Questions and tips.

Campbell, Steph (2024 Jul 29) Review of The Kid’s Table D&D podcast season 1. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/07/29/review-of-the-kids-table-dd-podcast-season-1. Family-friendly live streaming game for kids and adults who enjoy playing with them.

Carter, Chase (2024 Jul 3) Unfortunately, I Was Right About D&D’s Digital Future. https://www.rascal.news/unfortunately-i-was-right-about-d-ds-digital-future. Marketing and upgrades.

Carter, Chase (2024 Jul 8) Your Kind, Annual Reminder That Awards Aren’t That Important. https://www.rascal.news/your-kind-annual-reminder-that-awards-arent-that-important. Discussing the place of the ENnies and other awards.

Carter, Chase (2024 Jul 22) Lack Of Diversity In Tabletop’s Biggest Award Isn’t That Hard To Judge. https://www.rascal.news/lack-of-diversity-in-tabletops-biggest-award-isnt-that-hard-to-judge. ENNIE awards reflect wider disparities in the RPG community.

Chapman, David (2024 Jul 22) RPGaDAY Returns In August. https://www.rascal.news/rpgaday-returns-in-august. For ten years, spreading ideas about RPGs through daily writing prompts.

Codega, Lin (2024 Jul 4) At 50 Years Old, Dungeons & Dragons Is An Artifact. https://www.rascal.news/dungeons-dragons-is-an-artifact-50th-anniversary-the-making-of. Mythology and the need to seek truth from facts.

Conrad, Austin (2024 Jul 16) Discovery Writing Through Gaming. https://www.sfwa.org/2024/07/16/discovery-writing-through-gaming. Creativity and inspiration through play.

Embry, Egg (2024 Jul 30) Graphic Design Layout Artists: The Reason TTRPGs Look Great. https://www.enworld.org/threads/graphic-design-layout-artists-the-reason-ttrpgs-look-great.701564. Increasing recognition.

ENnie Awards (2024 Jul 5) 2024 ENNIE Nominations. https://www.enworld.org/threads/2024-ennie-nominations.705135. Winner announced August 2, 2024, at Gen Con.

Game Manufacturer’s Association (2024 Jun 26) GAMA Horizons Fellowship Returns to Promote Underrepresented Voices in the Tabletop Industry. https://www.gama.org/news/676296. Memberships, grants, and support for Attendance at GAMA Expo 2025 and Origins Game Fair 2025.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 3) Roll20 confirmed data breach as Admin account compromised. https://www.geeknative.com/167152/roll20-confirmed-data-breach-as-admin-account-compromised. Identity data but not full saved payment methods.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 6) Peckers: Scottish school class trying to crowdfund this creepy-cute RPG. https://www.geeknative.com/167208/peckers-scottish-school-class-trying-to-crowdfund-this-creepy-cute-rpg. Classroom of 9 and 10 year olds in Scotland working to bring their robot-bird game to market.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 6) The old way is dying: Lin, Rowan and Chase of Rascal on the future of publishing, TTRPGs and AP. https://www.geeknative.com/167215/the-old-way-is-dying-lin-rowan-and-chase-of-rascal-on-the-future-of-publishing-ttrpgs-and-ap. Gamers and journalist discussing the changing landscape of game journalism.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 11) Not a quest from the King: The Royal Mail celebrates 50 years of D&D with stamps. https://www.geeknative.com/167326/not-a-quest-from-the-king-the-royal-mail-celebrates-50-years-of-dd-with-stamps. Wayne Reynolds illustrates images for the Royal Mail.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 24) The Massachusetts Institute of Technology-affiliated MIT Press wants to get you into game design. https://www.geeknative.com/167559/the-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-affiliated-mit-press-wants-to-get-you-into-game-design. Big name publisher offers a Bundle of history and design.

Girdwood, Andrew (2024 Jul 25) Cozy Companion: The Nonbinary Tabletop Award returns. https://www.geeknative.com/167575/cozy-companion-the-nonbinary-tabletop-award-returns. Nominations for advocacy, art, content creation, game design, and writing open through December 31, 2024.

Handiwork Games (2023 Oct 31) Games in History, History in Games: Episode Zero. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy0qk58L6Hg. More episodes on their YouTube page.

Hobbs, Caroline (2024 Jul 17) Designing games for how we learn. https://www.lessthanthreegames.com/blog/2024/07/17/designing-games-for-how-we-learn. Drawing on education insights, such as cognitive overload, loops, and special rules, the better to make and play games.

MacDougal, Nico (2024 Jul 18) January-June TTRPG Crowdfunding Retrospective Pt 1: Platforms. https://ttrpg-spider.blogspot.com/2024/07/january-june-ttrpg-crowdfunding.html. Analysis of Backerkit, Crowdfundr, and Kickstarter in 2024 H1.

Morrissey, Russ (2024 Jul 18) New WotC President Is John Hight. https://www.enworld.org/threads/new-wotc-president-is-john-hight.705558. Formerly of Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft and Diablo lines. Examinations by Chase Carter and Andrew Girdwood. Changes at Paizo as well.

Morrissey, Russ (2024 Jul 26) WotC Removes Digital Content Team Credits From D&D Beyond. https://www.enworld.org/threads/wotc-removes-digital-content-team-credits-from-d-d-beyond.705711. Giving credit or not.

Morrissey, Russ (2024 Jul 31) Gen Con Sold Out. https://www.enworld.org/threads/gen-con-sold-out.705801. 60,000 badges all taken.

Mott, Darryl (2024 Jul 12) Moonbeam Seeks to Take on Twitch as TTRPG Streaming Service. https://www.enworld.org/threads/moonbeam-seeks-to-take-on-twitch-as-ttrpg-streaming-service.705427. Fundraising for a community of RPG creators.

Phoenix, Bronwen Winter (2024 Jul 23) Jon Hamm will investigate real-life Dungeons & Dragons crime in upcoming podcast series. https://www.geeknative.com/167515/jon-hamm-will-investigate-real-life-dungeons-dragons-crime-in-upcoming-podcast-series. With Will Wheaton as Gary Gygax, the story of Dallas Egbert.

Riggs, Ben (2024 Jul 7) D&D Co-Creator Gary Gygax was Sexist. Talking About it is Key to Preserving his Legacy. https://www.writerbenriggs.com/blog/4h8ich5klfw83ehgcxamqko6u1yrg7. History, words, community, and change over time.

Sheehan, Gavin (2024 Jul 14) Lucca Comics & Games 2024 Announces D&D Exhibition. https://bleedingcool.com/pop-culture/lucca-comics-games-2024-announces-dd-exhibition. Art originals in celebration in Italy.

Stamps Forever (2024) Playing the Long Game. https://www.stampsforever.com/stories/playing-the-long-game. USA Philately at 50 years.

Vougt, A. A. (2024 Jun 30) The History Behind “They Took Our War” and “Before the Boats”. https://aavoigt.com/f/the-history-behind-they-took-our-war-and-before-the-boats. Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen’s solo RPGs about the Vietnamese experience during the Vietnam War.

Tresca, Mike (2024 Jul 22) Teaching D&D to Scouts…Again. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-teaching-d-d-to-scouts-%E2%80%A6-again.704777. Teaching games and game design with scouts.

Tresca, Mike (2024 Jul 29) Change is Coming. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-change-is-coming.705691. Wizards of the Coast and third-party creators signal shifts to updated D&D.

Turner, Adam (2024 Jul 30) When We Were Wizards Podcast. https://www.rascal.news/when-we-were-wizards-podcast-2. Early history of D&D and Gary Gygax with interviews.

Walton, Jo Lindsay (ed.). Utopia on the Tabletop. Brighton, UK: Ping Press, 2024. Essays combining Utopian Studies and RPG analysis, available at https://ping-press.com/2024/02/23/utopia-on-the-tabletop.

Wieland, Rob (2024 Jul 11) Now Is A Great Time To Get The RuneQuest Humble Bundle. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robwieland/2024/07/11/now-is-a-great-time-to-get-the-runequest-humble-bundle. Forbes covers a discounted game book offer.

Zeoli, Rowan (2024 Jul 23) Chaosium Brings Actual Play To The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. https://www.rascal.news/chaosium-brings-actual-play-to-the-edinburgh-fringe-festival. Experimental theater through actual play.

© Copyright 2024 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, email 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.