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
Hi All,
I wanted to bring to the forefront a discussion regarding the ethical considerations of art generation within the role-playing game industry, particularly in light of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
Simply put, most RPG-created works from pro-am publishers do not generate enough income to be able to pay artists a fair wage, which is why some end up turning to AI-generated art. The emergence of AI art generation offers new possibilities for creators to produce art at scale, potentially reducing costs. However, this development raises significant ethical questions, particularly concerning the compensation and rights of human artists who form the backbone of our creative community. Many feel that current forms of AI art may not fairly compensate artists for the data used in its training and can devalue human artistic labor.
One platform that aims to address these ethical concerns is Tess. Tess operates on a model that licenses or purchases art from contributors to train its AI, and importantly, it shares subscription revenue with participating artists based on the usage of their styles. This approach allows creators to generate images in consistent visual styles while ensuring that artists are compensated for their contributions to the AI model. You can learn more about their process on their “How Tess Works” page and in their press release announcing their launch as “the first AI image generator that pays artists when it generates in their style.” Platforms like Tess represent a potential avenue for integrating AI art ethically into our industry.
As some of you may know, my first non-fiction book was published under McFarland Books, The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. The company is working with ProQuest, an academic ebook aggregator and trusted partner that has been reselling McFarland titles since the beginning of ebooks. My agreement with McFarland is covered under revenues from licensing of subsidiary rights, which is split equally with authors.
If my day job is any indication, the AI wave is not going away any time soon. These sorts of agreements, like Tess and ProQuest, are going to become increasingly common. Working with AI is a complex issue with no easy answers, requiring a thoughtful balancing act between supporting creators, ensuring fairness to artists, and acknowledging the evolving technological landscape. I believe it’s a conversation worth having as we continue to navigate the future of our industry.
Sincerely,
Mike Tresca
Committee Chair
ARTICLES
Adam’s Educational Electrum
June 2025
Hello, and welcome to my inaugural column for the monthly CAR-PGa newsletter! For those readers out there who are educators, I am flattered, humbled and grateful for the chance to share a modest trinket of treasure to help you on your instructional quests. This might be a gaming resource, a full out TTRPG, or a particular educator’s story.
I’m Adam Watson, a Kentucky public school educator about to finish my twentieth year. I began in 2005 as a high school English teacher, then became a district Digital Learning Coordinator, and recently joined the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC) as its Digital Learning Consultant. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have my geeky passions become a part of my education life. For example, back in my teaching days, I had my “Shakespeare and Star Wars” English unit get name dropped in Star Wars Insider. But my latest quest is convincing people that TTRPGs in education can have a positive impact on learning. To that end, I launched Kentucky Educators for Role Playing Games in 2022. I’ve interviewed and celebrated many teachers in the Bluegrass and beyond, and I’ve shared resources in national conferences such as Gen Con and GAMA Expo. KyEdRPG has been featured in articles, podcasts and even a news segment for our local PBS affiliate; back in January, Mike Tresca interviewed me for CAR-PGa’s monthly vodcast. Looking ahead, my book Tabletop Role-Playing Games in the Classroom: Infusing Gameplay into K-12 Instruction will be published by McFarland by the end of the year. (If you’re a glutton for more Adam Watson details, my educational biography is here.)
And now, onto this month’s focus! Christopher Woo has been a social studies teacher at Seneca High School in Louisville, KY since 2014. Recently, Woo was the subject of a short promotional video by his district, highlighting the afterschool D & D club he runs. This is good work, but admittedly, not an earth-shattering bit of news in today’s world. However, what really caught my attention was the books he self-publishes (and pays for out of his own pocket!), which narrates the ongoing campaign world of his students’ characters. This endeavor is, as you can imagine, an arduous one. Luckily, he has help from a former Seneca student and member of the club, La’Kori Carson. I was thankful for the opportunity to interview both.
Woo first began playing Dungeons & Dragons as an adolescent in the 1990s with AD & D 2e. Despite that background, he only started the D &D club at Seneca when a student asked him to sponsor one in 2018. The first campaign book came out just a few years ago, but it has already spawned a multi-volume series; the ninth will publish later this summer. Additionally, Woo brings TTRPGs into his social studies instruction. He has students role play as Kennedy and his cabinet during the Cuban Missile Crisis, as the United States in a War in Ukraine simulation, and as explorers and merchants on the Silk Road in 13th century China.
For the last few volumes of the club’s book series, Carson has helped Woo edit and write. If you are wondering what the value of TTRPGs can be in the lives of students, look no further than Carson, currently a college sophomore who will likely graduate early with multiple majors. Woo’s D & D club brought her connections, a sense of belonging, an opportunity to authentically lead others, and a redefinition of what it means to be “smart”: “I really do appreciate what experience he gave me because I’m part of the small student group of like, say, minority. And that also just didn’t make friends well. So to be put into a team-based game where me as a person, I don’t like group projects. I don’t like group projects solely because I’m always the one who does everything. I’m always the one who has to take a leadership position. I’m always put into a leadership position by my teachers, by my professors, so to be put into a game where I can just kind of sit down, de-stress after schooling, it was fine. Then I became the group leader, funnily enough, through the situation, and I was allowed to like reach my own peaks of interest where I could play out what I could do. That was pretty cool, but I also understood balancing out my skill set. I was not a fighter, but I was a healer of the group. And through being a healer, I was probably, I think, the smartest person in my group.”
For the full version of this story, please read my blog entry here.
Until our next time together at the table,
Adam Watson
CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES
This section is to note any readers attending events in the near future.
Please, let us know your plans. It’s a chance to meet and share ideas!
Your humble editor is, unfortunately, unable to be at any upcoming summer conventions.
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.
Appelcline, Shannon (2025 May 12) Homaging the D&D Classics I: The AD&D 1e Core Rules. https://www.designers-and-dragons.com/2025/05/12/homaging-the-dd-classics-i-the-add-rules. Artistic allusions to First Edition covers.
Appelcline, Shannon (2025 May 27) Homaging the D&D Classics II: The BD&D Rules. https://www.designers-and-dragons.com/2025/05/27/homaging-the-dd-classics-ii-the-bdd-rules. More cover callbacks, this time for Basic D&D.
azura26 (2025 Apr 19) An even bigger map of /r/rpg’s favorite TTRPGS. https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/1k3b140/an_even_bigger_map_of_rrpgs_favorite_ttrpgs. Visual analysis of game recommendations and connections with an even more detailed version available.
Baker, Ian, Ian Turner, and Yasuhiro Kotera (2025 May 11) Role-play Games (RPGs) for Mental Health (Why Not?): Roll for Initiative. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35578675. Literature review and opportunities for future work.
Buckland, Robert (2025 May 29) Dungeons & Dragons—and Jesuits. https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2025/05/29/dungeons-dragons-religious-life-250622. Games in seminaries, Catholic schools, and beyond.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 5) Review of Inkforged. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/05/review-of-inkforged. Flexible structure for play inside a story.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 12) Available now on YouTube: TTRPGkids workshop @ SHE, Making a TTRPG for YOUR Particular Kid. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/12/ttrpgkids-she-workshop-on-youtube. Workshop on making and playing games with kids.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 15) Game-Based Education & Therapy Conference @ Origins 2025. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/15/game-based-education-therapy-conference-origins-2025. Two full event tracks on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, in Columbus, Ohio.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 15) TTRPGkids games, talks, and events @ Origins 2025. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/15/ttrpgkids-games-talks-and-events-origins-2025. Even more exciting events at this year’s Origins convention!
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 19) Interview with Alex pre-K TTRPG teacher. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/19/interview-with-alex-pre-k-ttrpg-teacher. Learning and playing with young students.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 21) TTRPGkids Dev Log #4: EDU Guide, Player Safety, Idea Voting, and more. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/21/ttrpgkids-dev-log-4-edu-guide-player-safety-idea-voting-and-more. Projects and plans.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 22) TTRPGkids on Ludology Podcast, Episode 23: Journaling TTRPGs, differentiated learning, and writing practice. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/22/ttrpgkids-on-ludology-podcast-episode-23-journaling-ttrpgs-differentiated-learning-and-writing-practice. Applications and adaptations of journaling in games.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 26) Review: Roll for Learning, 51 Micro TTRPGs to Use in the Classroom. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/26/review-roll-for-learning-51-micro-ttrpgs-to-use-in-the-classroom. Games for multiple subjects and age groups.
Campbell, Steph (2025 May 29) Review of Adventuring Family – therapeutic family-focused gaming. https://www.ttrpgkids.com/2025/05/29/review-of-adventuring-family-therapy-informed-ttrpg-for-youth. Insights and guidance for facilitators.
Carpenter, Nicole (2025 May 27) Tabletop makers push back against tariffs with honesty and direct political action. https://www.rascal.news/tabletop-makers-push-back-against-tariffs-with-honesty-and-direct-political-action. Networks and communities facilitating shifting plans for shifting policies.
Carpenter, Nicole (2025 May 28) TCGplayer workers rally at shuttering authentication center amid union-busting allegations. https://www.rascal.news/tcgplayer-workers-rally-at-shuttering-authentication-center-amid-union-busting-allegations. Hundreds, the entire staff, lose their jobs.
Carter, Chase (2025 May 6) Rowan, Rook and Decard pull out of Gen Con 2025 over international travel concerns. https://www.rascal.news/rowan-rook-and-decard-pull-out-of-gen-con-2025-over-international-travel-concerns. USA border controls create unsafe conditions for many travelers, some of them game publishers.
Carter, Chase (2025 May 16) Latest 90-day tariff reduction is a stay of execution for some tabletop RPG publishers. https://www.rascal.news/latest-90-day-tariff-reduction-is-a-stay-of-execution-for-some-tabletop-rpg-publishers. Creators and small publishers are working fast to deal with economic fluctuations and uncertainty.
Chinn, Christopher (2025 May 11) Facilitation Fatigue. https://bankuei.wordpress.com/2025/05/05/facilitation-fatigue. Designing and running games with less resistance.
Codega, Lin (2025 May 7) What is a “D&D Experience” anyway?. https://www.rascal.news/what-is-a-dnd-experience-anyway-universal-fan-fest-nights-xanathar. Story, game, and experience.
Caelyn, Ellis (2025 May 9) Players boycott the World Championships of Warhammer because of Trump. https://www.rascal.news/players-boycott-the-world-championships-of-warhammer-because-of-trump. Players and publisher also caught in political storm.
Damigella, Rick (2025 May 29) Game On: Single-player RPG ‘HOME’. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/30/entertainment/video/hollywood-entertainment-role-playing-games-rpgs-kaiju-home. Paper & pencil solo game appears in prominent media.
Dean, Imani (2025 May 21) AsAlwaysImani Presents: Juneteenth All Black Stream Event. https://www.rascal.news/asalwaysimani-presents-juneteenth-all-black-stream-event. Supporting Black creators on June 19, 2025.
Engelstein, Geoff (2025 May 21) Tabletop Game Designers Association: Year 1 Accomplishments. https://gametek.substack.com/p/tabletop-game-designers-association. Creating support and connections for creators.
Evans, Kate (2025 May 9) Tariffs, MCG, and Your Games. https://www.rascal.news/tariffs-mcg-and-your-games. Monte Cook Games’ statement on its adaptations to increased but uncertain import costs.
Evans, Matt (2025 May 5) I played Dungeons & Dragons with ChatGPT, and it was far better than I expected. https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/i-played-dungeons-and-dragons-with-chatgpt-and-it-was-far-better-than-i-expected. Better than expected but still not the real thing.
Francisco, Dave (2025 May 19) Dungeons and Dragons Fan Builds ‘Truly Random’ Die. https://gamerant.com/dungeons-and-dragons-truly-random-die-dice. Based on background radioactive decay.
Girdwood, Andrew (2025 May 6) RPG Party: GameFound partners with DriveThruRPG and some publishers. https://www.geeknative.com/172813/rpg-party-gamefound-partners-with-drivethrurpg-and-some-publishers. Selected projects to receive advice and support from experienced creators and publishers, deadline June 2.
Girdwood, Andrew (2025 May 7) Silver Fox Productions and RAFM Miniatures: Canada’s largest miniatures producer is closing. https://www.geeknative.com/172839/silver-fox-productions-and-rafm-miniatures-canadas-largest-miniatures-producer-is-closing. Debts and layoffs.
Girdwood, Andrew (2025 May 16) Critical Role announces theatrical rebroadcasts of 2025 Live Shows. https://www.geeknative.com/173034/critical-role-announces-theatrical-rebroadcasts-of-2025-live-shows. Roughly 800 theaters in the USA and Canada.
Girdwood, Andrew (2025 May 17) WizKids apologises for botched BG3 minis and offers a refund. https://www.geeknative.com/173063/wizkids-apologises-for-botched-bg3-minis-and-offers-a-refund. More images from ENworld.
Hisham, Khairul (2025 May 4) TTRPG News Roundup. https://hishgraphics.com/ttrpg-news-roundup. May news and events in Malaysia.
Hisham, Khairul (2025 May 17) International Tabletop Day Malaysia 2025 at UniMAP. https://hishgraphics.com/international-tabletop-day-malaysia-2025-at-unimap. More games and conversations at Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
Hutton, Christopher (2025 May 8) Starting the Fire to Fight Trump’s TTRPG Tariffs. https://www.ttrpginsider.news/p/starting-the-fire-to-fight-trump-s-ttrpg-tariffs. Digital game product to protest tariffs and raise money to compensate for them.
Hutton, Christopher (2025 May 23) Tariff Time-In: How Mythworks Seized the Moment to Make Slugblaster Happen. https://www.ttrpginsider.news/p/tariff-time-in-how-mythworks-seized-the-moment-to-make-slugblaster-happen. Navigating shifting trade policies.
Hutton, Christopher (2025 May 21) No Quest, one of the larger Starfinder Actual Plays, has declined to attend GenCon for political/safety reasons. https://bsky.app/profile/newsnerd.bsky.social/post/3lpot2vpjxc2n. Concerns about Canadian performers in light of USA immigration behavior.
Hutton, Christopher (2025 May 29) Third-Party Designers Hold Steady to ‘Old’ D&D Rules Despite 2024 Update. https://www.ttrpginsider.news/p/third-party-designers-hold-steady-to-old-d-d-rules-despite-2024-update. Deep interest in older, less-curated rule systems.
Ionita, Serban (2025 May 20) The Psychology of Fun: What Makes a TTRPG Engaging and Enjoyable?. https://therpggazette.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/the-psychology-of-fun-what-makes-a-ttrpg-engaging-and-enjoyable. Our varying and mixed goals when playing.
Jackson-Ellery, Ben (2025 May 18) Expectation Traps. https://www.geeknative.com/172759/genre-police-expectation-traps. Playing the game you want to play, free of community and corporate limits.
Juliette (2025 May 4) Alarums and Excursions has officially ended its nearly 50 year run. https://bsky.app/profile/juliette2k18.bsky.social/post/3loen3kkzps2b. Lee Gold concludes a foundational RPG conversation.
MacDougall, Nico (2025 May 3) April 2025 TTRPG Crowdfunding Retrospective. https://ttrpg-spider.blogspot.com/2025/05/april-2025-ttrpg-crowdfunding.html. Almost $10 million raised, and projects utilizing AI continue to do poorly.
Maliszewski, James (2025 May 8) Letting Someone Else Do Our Imagining. https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2025/05/letting-someone-else-do-our-imagining.html. Personal inventiveness and community inheritance.
Maliszewski, James (2025 May 16) Save Versus Senescence. https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2025/05/save-versus-senescence.html. Keeping the mind active and playful.
Manuel, Thomas (2025 May 12) In Realis, Surreal is the new Real. https://www.rascal.news/in-realis-surreal-is-the-new-real. Art & Game, Illusion and Truth.
Martínez, Antonio Roda, et al. (2025 Apr 30) Postcards from Role-Playing the Humanities. https://analoggamestudies.org/2025/04/postcards-from-role-playing-the-humanities. Participant reflections on University of Cincinnati symposium earlier this year.
Morrissey, Russ (2025 May 1) Mass Layoffs At Polygon, Major Gaming News Outlet. https://www.enworld.org/threads/mass-layoffs-at-polygon-major-gaming-news-outlet.713162. Polygon site going silent.
Morrissey, Russ (2025 May 8) Goodman Games Revives Relationship With Anti-Semitic Publisher For New City State Kickstarter [UPDATED]. https://www.enworld.org/threads/goodman-games-revives-relationship-with-anti-semitic-publisher-for-new-city-state-kickstarter-updated.713282. D&D’s earliest game setting and its contemporary tribulations. More from Chase Carter.
Morrissey, Russ (2025 May 9) Goodman Games Offers Assurances About Judges Guild Royalties. https://www.enworld.org/threads/goodman-games-offers-assurances-about-judges-guild-royalties.713311. Escrow accounts to reimburse old Kickstarter supporters and donations to charity.
Morrissey, Russ (2025 May 23) Judges Guild Makes Statement About Goodman Controversy [Updated]. https://www.enworld.org/threads/judges-guild-makes-statement-about-goodman-controversy-updated.713499. Updates and possible contradictions to previous statements.
Müller, Federico (2025 May 20) Play, Politics, and Protest in Argentina’s Tabletop Industry. https://www.rascal.news/play-politics-and-protest-in-argentinas-tabletop-industry. Building communities of play to face the politics of hate.
Patrick, Ian Jeremiah (2025 Apr 12) From dice rolls to dialogue, educators explore how tabletop RPGs can level up English lessons in Malaysia (VIDEO). https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2025/04/12/from-dice-rolls-to-dialogue-educators-explore-how-tabletop-rpgs-can-level-up-english-lessons-in-malaysia-video/169431. Educators using games for education in Malaysia.
Peterson, Jon (2025 May 5) Playing at the World 2E V2 Arrives. https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/playing-at-world-2e-v2-arrives.html. Revised RPG history complete.
Puc, Samantha (2025 May 14) Fat People Belong in Fantasy, Including TTRPGs. https://www.rascal.news/fat-people-belong-in-fantasy-including-ttrpgs. Play, escape, and acceptance.
Sell, Daniel (2025 May 25) Things I Learned From Talking To One Of The Biggest Book Distributors In The Uk This Weekend. https://www.dsell.me/things-i-learned-from-talking-to-one-of-the-biggest-book-distributors. RPGs in book stores.
Struder, Tori (2025 May 18) Why I introduced my daughter to D&D using ChatGPT. https://www.geeknative.com/173078/why-i-introduced-my-daughter-to-dd-using-chatgpt. Rather like a text-based computer game of long ago and ready to go right away..
Tresca, Mike (2025 May 12) Dice Alternatives. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-dice-alternatives.713255. Spinners and more.
Turner, Ian (2025 May 3) Learning, Education, & Games by Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press. Volume One is Curricular and Design Considerations and can be found here – downloading is free. https://bsky.app/profile/docwiththesocs.bsky.social/post/3lobj6gf2r22z. For designers.
Turner, Ian (2025 May 4) Learning, Education, & Games by Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press. Volume Two: Bringing Games into Educational Contexts and can be found here – downloading is free. https://bsky.app/profile/docwiththesocs.bsky.social/post/3lodlmfap242f. Implementation.
Turner, Ian (2025 May 4) Learning, Education, & Games by Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press. Volume Three: 100 Games to Use in the Classroom & Beyond and can be found here – downloading is free. https://bsky.app/profile/docwiththesocs.bsky.social/post/3lodznh7hit2k. Games to use or reference.
Watson, Adam (2025 May 9) KyEdRPG Spotlight: Christopher Woo and Seneca High School’s “TableTop RPG Club’s Adventures”. https://watsonedtech.blogspot.com/2025/05/kyedrpg-spotlight-christopher-woo-and.html. Dedicated, ongoing afterschool game club produces its own stories in print.
Weiland, Rob (2025 May 26) An Interview With Jason Carl About The Rebirth Of White Wolf. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robwieland/2025/05/26/an-interview-with-jason-carl-about-the-rebirth-of-white-wolf. Business branding and reorientation.
Wójcik, Łukasz (2025 May 19) Study of RPG Players Preferences. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16EVP2knFE. Data gathering for players of Call of Cthulhu 7e, Pulp Cthulhu, Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying, Trail of Cthulhu, Fear Itself, The Secret World – Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, Chronicles of Darkness, Hunter: the Vigil 2e, and Candela Obscura.
Wojnarski, Kay (2025 Spring) Tabletop Gaming in Schools. https://www.mbteach.org/mtscms/2025/05/14/tabletop-gaming-in-schools. Benefits and resources.
Zeoli, Rowan (2025 May 7) Itch.io’s Negligence Causes Delay In Crips For ESims For Gaza Bundle. https://www.rascal.news/itch-ios-negligence-causes-delay-in-crips-for-esims-for-gaza-bundle. Lack of communication for one of the most important RPG platforms.
© Copyright 2025 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.