Tabletop Role-playing Games Research Articles

Dungeons, Dragons, and Rogues: How Picaresque Literature Shaped the Thief Class in Dungeons & Dragons

This article advocates for a reevaluation of the thief class as a bridge linking literary narratives and tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs). It traces the roots of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) thief class in Picaresque Literature against the wider importance of literature in the early TRGP scene, by comparing the thief class to the Picaresque rogue. Through a thematic analysis of articles from eight key TRPG periodicals published between 1975 and 1986, the article illustrates how “extensibility mechanisms” facilitated creative exchanges between hobbyist game designers, Fantasy fiction, and Picaresque Literature via the rogue archetype. These exchanges demonstrate a turn towards nuanced narrative-supporting mechanics, complex player character development, and including vibrant fantasy cities as settings for adventures in D&D, and TRPGs more broadly, influenced by Picaresque Literature.

New Age Mages: An Interactive Way to Explore and Subvert Gender Biases

From a young age, children are exposed to societal standards of gender and gender roles and, by extension, inherent sex-based biases, which can become inculcated into their worldview. These biases affect their daily lives negatively in ways that can seem almost natural unless specifically pointed out. Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) are pen-and-paper games that revolve around collaborative storytelling in a shared, collectively imagined and built world, usually involving 2 to 5 players. TTRPGs provide a safe, controlled environment to mimic social interactions in a way that video games and other forms of media cannot. This paper introduces a new TTRPG, New Age Mages, aimed at a younger audience, with the goal of introducing the concept of biases and helping them to see things from a different perspective. In New Age Mages, players interact with a world where magic is commonplace as students that have recently unlocked their magic, while a Game Master (GM) narrates the world as determined by the players’ choices. The game’s magic system allows it to mimic the influence and/or impact of modern-day gender roles and biases without referring to them directly while remaining simple and easy to learn for a new player. The game also aims to subtly incentivise the Players to make decisions that would be different from what they might usually make, and promote trying to understand the others’ points of view. We believe this game will be useful for those seeking to help children gain a better understanding of gender roles and their subversion. We use a questionnaire based on the Gender Role Attitudes Scale (GRAS) to measure the impact gameplay has on players’ ideas of gender roles. We also test the game with some initial gameplay experiments among a smaller audience that is more familiar with TTRPGs and present the results. Our work explores not only the ability of TTRPGs to influence perspectives and opinions, but also doing so specifically in the space of understanding gender roles among a younger audience.

Unlocking Storytelling for Psychologists: Tabletop Role-Playing Games as Methodological Empowerment Tools for Psychological Support

Unlocking Storytelling for Psychologists: Tabletop Role-Playing Games as Methodological Empowerment Tools for Psychological Support

Exploring Tabletop Role-Playing Games as Meaningful Occupations: A Qualitative Exploratory Study

Tabletop roleplaying games (TRPGs) are an increasingly popular occupation but are still relatively unknown to occupational therapists. This study sought to understand the overall experience, benefits, and consequences of playing TRPGs and the relationship to other occupations. A qualitative research design with a thematic analysis was employed using semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants who had played TRPGs. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 52 years old and six identified as female, eight as male and one as nonbinary. The researchers gleaned four themes which include: (1) Social Connection and Collaboration; (2) Occupational Participation; (3) Creativity; and (4) Societal Perceptions. This research highlights aspects of the game that people enjoy, and skills developed during gameplay translate outside of the game. It suggests possible therapeutic uses of TRPGs that should be validated with future research.

Linguistic Strategies for Identity and World Building

Over the past decade, the medium of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons has risen exponentially in popularity thanks to shows like Stranger Things and The Legend of Vox Machina as well as actual-play shows like The Adventure Zone, Critical Role and Dimension 20. Unlike video games and board games, the primary vehicle through which these games are played is language, making TTRPGs an enormous and as of yet rarely explored area of research for linguists and linguistic anthropologists. Participants must play, tell stories and build secondary worlds and selves all through interaction and conversation. Using tools from ethnographic field work, I investigate the features of the register as well as the conscious and unconscious linguistic strategies that are necessary to the function of TTRPGs. I observe and record three TTRPG sessions from pre-established recreational groups both in person and online and broadly transcribe relevant sections for linguistic anthropological analysis. Examination of these real-time improvised conversations reveals their performative nature as well as the conditions required for all players to agree that something takes place in the story that they are building. This paper outlines how players navigate the inevitable messiness and ambiguity that comes with multiple people trying to play a game and tell a story together and how they negotiate agency and control over that reality. Essentially, it considers how adults enact pretend play through language. It also describes the unique participation framework of TTRPG players as writers, characters and audience simultaneously. All of these elements serve to provide insight into this increasingly popular way of using language for entertainment and reveal some of why people find TTRPGs entertaining in the first place.

In Defense of Imagination: Canadian Youth Culture and the Dungeons & Dragons Panic in Canada, 1980–1995

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the iconic tabletop role-playing game released in 1974, sparked controversy from its early inception. This article examines the emergence of moral panic around D&D, particularly in the United States and Canada during the early 1980s. It explores how concerned groups, such as Bothered Against Dungeons & Dragons, portrayed the game as a corrupting influence on American youth. Focusing on the spread of panic into Canada, this article investigates the role of American media in shaping Canadian perceptions. This study highlights questions about transnational cultural influence and the impact of media on societal norms. Was the moral panic primarily a result of American cultural influence, or was there tangible evidence linking D&D to real-world violence in Canada? Through analysis of media representation and cultural discourse, this article seeks to shed light on these complex dynamics and to highlight moments of youth resistance to narratives of moral panic.

A critical hit: Dungeons and Dragons as a buff for autistic people.

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are popular hobbies that may offer specific social benefits for autistic people. This study investigated the ability of TTRPGs to provide a safe space where autistic adults could develop relationships with other autistic adults while engaging in character and world-building. A group of eight autistic adults were split into two groups and taken through a short-form online Dungeons and Dragons campaign over 6 weeks run by one of the researchers. The researcher then led a series of individual semi-structured interviews discussing how participants felt interacting in and out of the TTRPG. Several key themes were identified as important aspects of why autistic people could benefit from such an environment. Analysis showed that while real-life interactions could be challenging, in TTRPG play, they felt they experienced significantly fewer struggles. Results suggested that TTRPGs can provide a safe space environment where autistic adults can engage in productive social interactions with like-minded individuals. It also may allow autistic participants to experience 'bleed' or the ability to take on a new character that changes the way they feel about themselves outside of the game. Future directions for this work are discussed.

Character-Driven Narratives in D&D5E and Fate: Core System

What if the characters we create in games could shape a game’s storyline, making our character creation choices the driving force behind unforgettable narratives? This study explores character- driven narrative design in tabletop roleplayinggame (TTRPG) rulesets, aiming to identify features that lead to character-driven narratives. With consideration of the complexities of interactive mediums we use narratological ideas presented by Eladhari, Chatman, Todorov and others to compare the features of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (Wizards of the Coast 2016) and Fate: Core System (Evil Hat Productions 2013). We present a promising approach for TTRPG design, and argue that Fate: Core Systems active approach to using character traits to generate conflict leads to more character-centric narratives when compared to the Inspiration mechanic that many Dungeons & Dragons 5E players are familiar with.

Dungeons and Dragons meet PowerPoint: an interactive ICT tabletop experience for EFL learners

Background: While wondering and experimenting with different ways to incorporate creative thinking and students’ interests into my English as a foreign language (EFL) lessons, I developed a Tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) that uses PowerPoint and Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) rules/materials to immerse students in an adventure while at the same time developing their English proficiency and confidence. Aim: To craft a straightforward yet enjoyable TRPG accessible to English learners of all levels, fostering the development of their reading, writing, listening, speaking, and critical/creative thinking skills. Methods: My TRPG, hereinafter referred to as EL Adventures, takes the core rules and concepts of D&D and simplifies them, allowing teachers (the Dungeon Masters) to primarily focus on their students (the players) actively participating and using English. The PowerPoint presentations not only enhance the comprehensibility and fun factor of the story for students through pictures, animations, sounds, and text but also alleviate the teacher’s need to memorize the story text. While dice play a pivotal role in determining certain outcomes, the student’s success in the game hinges on direct communication with the teacher, teamwork, and creative problem-solving as they confront challenge after challenge of varying difficulty levels. Results: EL Adventures provided my EFL students with opportunities to practice reading, writing, and speaking English through intricate storylines, character creation, epic battles, and a variety of challenges. Conclusion: Not all lessons can be taught from a textbook; sometimes they are taught on a noble quest in a fantasy world.

How Effective are Tabletop Role-Playing (Serious) Games in Understanding and Validating the Predictive Capabilities of Disaster Response Agent-based Models?

Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) for disaster response management are collaborative exercises in which participants take on the roles of characters, guided by a “Game Master.” TRPG are useful tools for training, improving the preparedness of emergency responders, and understanding/validating Agent-Based Models (ABMs). This study evaluates the knowledge of participants and assessed the effectiveness of utilizing TRPG in validating a NetLogo model. Medical doctors and master’s students were divided into two groups, who participated in the exercise based on defined disaster response strategies. The central components of the ABM were transformed into a Disaster Response Tabletop Role-Playing Game (DRTRPG). Medical doctors and master’s degree students were assigned to two groups in the exercise that is based on defined disaster response strategies. Multichoice pre- and post-assessment tests were used to evaluate each group’s knowledge, while a performance scoring matrix was used to generate data from in-game activity. Data was analyzed using Pandas and MS Excel data analytical tools. Pre and post-assessment test results (n = 8) showed an 11.5% and 3.1% increase in knowledge for medical doctors and students on disaster and healthcare decision-making, respectively. Visual comparison between the ABM and DRTRPG results reveals partial model validity. However, statistical comparison shows a clear variation in the outcomes. The “Alternate” policy strategy resulted in better disaster response outcomes. The design and implementation of the DRTRPG resulted in a collaborative understanding and communication of the ABMS model with promising results. However, there are significant statistical differences between both methodologies, highlighting the challenge of validating the predictive capabilities of ABMS using RPGs.

The Bard’s Life

Tabletop role-playing games have experienced a surge of popularity in recent years, as games such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) now boast over fifty million active players worldwide. Several of these games include options for players to choose characters with deep connections to music, the best known being the iconic Bard, often portrayed as a mischievous lutenist and storyteller, singing their way into and out of problems. A musical Bard was not always the standard, however, as an examination of the fifty-year history of D&D reveals a character originally modeled on a rogue that steadily grew in its dependence on music. Instead of relying on weapons or thievery, modern Bards primarily utilize music to accomplish their goals through charismatic performances. Similar to Roger Moseley’s framing of what it means to “play” in musical ways in video games, Bards now grant gamers the experience of “performing” magical music, bolstering a sense of otherworldliness in the game environment. Unlike video games, however, the music created by a Bard is usually silent. Players are directed to give vivid descriptions of their performances, and then roll dice to determine quality and effectiveness, but sounding music is rarely required. This essay explores how the Bard has evolved in D&D and considers the question of what that change says about music as a non-sounding tool in gameplay. Building on ludomusicological theories of music performance, as well as neurological studies of the brain’s response to internal imagining of musical stimuli, I contend the development of the Bard in D&D reflects a desire for expanded social gameplay, and creates opportunities for creative problem solving and deeper immersion in a shared collective imagination. I argue that musical imagery, like sounding music, has the ability to shape a gamer’s experience and helps create a richly decorated imagined fantasy world.

Learning from Ludemes: An Inventory of Common Player Actions within Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) to Inform Principled Design of Game-Based Learning Experiences

In this study, the authors investigate role-playing game design through the lens of instructional design practice to probe the ecosystem of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and their applied use for learning. A qualitative thematic analysis approach is used to systematically catalog and categorize all possible player actions, called ludemes, from the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Through this analysis, the interplay of game mechanics, player actions, and rules of TTRPGs are explored, unveiling their potential to stimulate various psychological, environmental, and behavioral factors that positively influence learning processes. Specifically, this study’s analysis of a game’s ludemes (i.e., player actions) exposes the interrelationships, congruence, and combinations of actions with various learning processes. The identified categories of ludemes in the study pave the way toward a working vocabulary and framework for future research in the application of game-based learning and its potential to catalyze meaningful learning outcomes. From a global instructional standpoint, this study highlights the role of pedagogical affordances, such as collaborative storytelling and problem solving skills, theorizing how TTRPGs can promote cognitive, metacognitive, affective, social, and cultural learning. Toward these goals, the authors posit that role-playing, with its complex dynamics and compelling narratives, offers a robust and natural conduit for learning.

International Journal of Role-playing 15 -- Full Issue

Sarah Lynne Bowman, William J. White, Evan Torner -- "Editorial: The Increasing Specificity and Maturity of Role-playing Game Studies" Kjell Hedgard Hugaas -- “Bleed and Identity: A Conceptual Model of Bleed and How Bleed-out from Role-playing Games Can Affect a Player’s Sense of Self” Orla Walsh and Conor Linehan -- “Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of a Frequent Player” Emry Sottile -- “‘It Might Have a Little to Do with Wish Fulfillment’: The Life-Giving Force of Queer Performance in TTRPG Spaces” Kerttu Lehto -- “Nordic Larp as a Method in Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Work: Case SÄRÖT” Lennart Bartenstein -- “Live Action Role-playing (Larp) in Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy: A Case Study” Maryanne Cullinan -- “Surveying the Perspectives of Middle and High School Educators Who Use Role-playing Games as Pedagogy” Mátyás Hartyándi and Gijs van Bilsen -- “Playing With Leadership: A Multiple-Case Study of Leadership Development Larps” Jeremy Riel and Rob Monahan -- “Learning from Ludemes: An Inventory of Common Player Actions within Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) to Inform Principled Design of Game-Based Learning Experiences”

International Journal of Role-playing Issue 15 -- Table of Contents

Sarah Lynne Bowman, William J. White, Evan Torner -- "Editorial: The Increasing Specificity and Maturity of Role-playing Game Studies" Kjell Hedgard Hugaas -- “Bleed and Identity: A Conceptual Model of Bleed and How Bleed-out from Role-playing Games Can Affect a Player’s Sense of Self” Orla Walsh and Conor Linehan -- “Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of a Frequent Player” Emry Sottile -- “‘It Might Have a Little to Do with Wish Fulfillment’: The Life-Giving Force of Queer Performance in TTRPG Spaces” Kerttu Lehto -- “Nordic Larp as a Method in Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Work: Case SÄRÖT” Lennart Bartenstein -- “Live Action Role-playing (Larp) in Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy: A Case Study” Maryanne Cullinan -- “Surveying the Perspectives of Middle and High School Educators Who Use Role-playing Games as Pedagogy” Mátyás Hartyándi and Gijs van Bilsen -- “Playing With Leadership: A Multiple-Case Study of Leadership Development Larps” Jeremy Riel and Rob Monahan -- “Learning from Ludemes: An Inventory of Common Player Actions within Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) to Inform Principled Design of Game-Based Learning Experiences”

Roll for Insight: Understanding How the Experience of Playing Dungeons & Dragons Impacts the Mental Health of an Average Player

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast. Evidence shows that D&D is being used as therapeutic practice by clinical psychologists, and the reported success of these interventions indicate that it may have positive outcomes for its players. However, there is little research that establishes, from a psychosocial perspective, how playing D&D provides opportunities for supporting frequent player’s mental health. Using semi-structured interviews and a reflexive thematic analysis, we aimed to understand better how playing D&D interacted with players’ well-being psychologically and socially, as well as exploring factors that may prove challenging or problematic in the therapeutic context. 6 men, 2 women, and 2 nonbinary people participated in the study. Analysis illustrated several processes that are supportive for players’ mental health. These features were identified as five key themes: escapism, exploration of self, creative expression, social support, and routine. These findings highlight the transformative potential of D&D in a therapeutic setting, offering insights into its positive impact.

Dungeons and Dragons: Gender, Race, and Power in the Fantasy and Storytelling Space

Fantasy allows for the intermingling of the imagination and the physical. It creates collective spaces that can reify, reiterate, or challenge socio-economic structures and power dynamics that create inequalities in our everyday lives. Fantasy spaces create the possibility of the impossible, the unbelievable, and the extraordinary, while simultaneously being bound to the real world from which these ideas stem. The creators manufacturing characters, stories, and worlds are conditioned by the social and political context in which they exist, with their own positionality drastically changing the way that they create and interact with stories and storytelling structures, as Garcia’s 2017 work “Privilege, power, and Dungeons & Dragons: How systems shape racial and gender identities in tabletop role-playing games” details. We explore the history of race, gender, and other social forces in the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 5e text, a gaming system that creates a framework of races, classes, and backgrounds for character creation in a roleplaying game. We grapple with our own experiences of how the game can (re)create biases that often go overlooked, creating both feelings of (un)safety for players. In this article, by documenting our experiences playing the game, we explore the ways that Dungeons and Dragons both harmfully recreates the dynamics of the White cis heteropatriarchy, as well as offers space to challenge these same forces, bringing the tumultuous clashing of social forces into the semi-private space of gameplay.

Emotional Experiences in Online, Text-Based Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Background This study explores the emotional experiences of players in online, text-based tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and their potential impact on players. The goal is to understand the therapeutic and educational possibilities arising from these emotional experiences. Methods Through qualitative analysis, themes were identified based on participants' narratives. Eight participants who engaged in online, text-based TTRPGs were interviewed to gather data on their emotional experiences and effects outside the game. Result The study identified three main categories of emotions experienced by players: emotions related to the community, emotions associated with the game world and characters, and emotions linked to game mechanics. These emotions were found to impact players beyond the gaming environment, influenced by the players' emotional immersion. Additionally, the study revealed two distinct approaches to immersion among players and highlighted emotions as motivating factors for gameplay. Discussion The findings emphasize the role of TTRPGs in providing creative outlets, social interaction, and recreation, facilitating skill development, and broadening perspectives based on players' emotional experiences. Additionally, this study highlights the potential for immersion in online, text-based TTRPGs linked to therapeutic and educational uses. Limitations This study employs an in-depth phenomenological qualitative interview method. While this approach yields detailed and nuanced data, it may not provide extensive generalizability. Future research endeavors could benefit from more significant and diverse participant pools to enhance the understanding of emotional experiences in TTRPG players. Furthermore, exploring additional factors such as genres, narrative structures, and player-character relationships could offer more profound insights. Conclusion This study demonstrates that online, text-based TTRPGs allow players to experience various emotions with implications beyond the game's boundaries. The findings suggest that interventions based on role-playing activities may benefit from the online text-based method due to its accessibility and lower barriers to entry.

Framework proposal for Role-Playing Games as mental health intervention: the Critical Skills methodology.

Gamified interventions are an emerging approach in mental health treatment and prevention. Their positive effects on managing various clinical conditions stem from enhancing social skills. However, cost-effective options like Table-top Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs), which offer similar benefits to other game-based interventions, lack standardized methods for ensuring replicability. In this regard, the method outlined in this study endeavors, in a structured and guided manner drawing from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), to establish a six-step protocol for developing an intervention method utilizing TTRPGs. In all Steps, we aim to anchor ourselves in robust literature concerning social skills training (SST), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and gamification comprehensively. Thus, the method presented encompasses the objectives of SST, the strategies of CBT, and the dynamics of gamification via TTRPGs. Furthermore, we demonstrate a possible application of the method to illustrate its feasibility. Ultimately, the final method is structured, evidence-based, easily applicable, cost-effective, and thus viable. Mental health professionals seeking a structured and instructional tool for protocol development will find support in the method proposed here.

‘If it's held dear, it’ll get pushed through’: Transmedia narratives, play cultures, and soft canon in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs)

Transmedia storytelling is a strategy adopted by media franchises and brands to create participatory story-worlds for their consumers; it incorporates a range of forms, actors, and texts, all of which have varying degrees of narrative authority in determining the events that occur. This article focuses on tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to show how play cultures in Singapore are shaped by transmedia storytelling techniques. In doing so, it makes two contributions to existing research: first, it shifts scholarly focus from game texts to player practice, showing how communities of play are created through players’ emergent usage of transmedia storytelling techniques. Second, it describes a player practice of soft canon, which I theorise as an approach to shared world-making that prioritises the emotional resonance of narrative details over a positivist accounting of narrative events. The concept of soft canon reveals a new perspective on how communities create and sustain intersubjectively imagined worlds.

A Study on the Efficacy of the Tabletop Roleplaying Game Dungeons & Dragons for Improving Mental Health and Self-Concepts in a Community Sample.

Purpose: Tabletop gaming has seen a rise in popularity over the past 10 years, with an influx of interest following the Coronavirus pandemic. Limited research has explored the impact of tabletop roleplaying games on mental health and self-concepts such as self-esteem and self-efficacy. This study used a repeated-measures design with four measurement points to quantitatively evaluate the effect of playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) on mental health and self-concepts in a community sample. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five community participants took part in 8 weeks of D&D gameplay (one 1 hour session per week), completing pre-, mid-, and postintervention surveys. Eighteen of these participants also completed a 1-month follow-up measure. Results: Participants demonstrated significant decreases in depression, stress, and anxiety and significant increases in self-esteem and self-efficacy over the study period. Conclusion: As such, D&D may have potential utility as a wellbeing intervention or prevention program.