By Haley Cole and Tylar Kerstetter
Libraries are institutions that excel at both formal and informal learning. We’re where people can pursue passion projects or learn information about a different culture or time. We encourage people to pursue lifelong learning because it can enhance social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development. Whatever type of learning is happening, it helps to have an active role in that learning environment. Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) are games that involve a player taking on the persona of an imaginary character who goes on adventures (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons), where participants assume and play out associated roles. This style of game can be incredibly beneficial for growth and learning, mental health, and connecting to people.
TTRPGs lend themselves to supporting learning in a variety of ways. They can help with basic math skills, spatial awareness and tactics, how to properly use an index or appendix to efficiently find information, and even communication or conflict resolution. But beyond general skills, it’s practice. We’re familiar with repeated actions equalling learning. Doing mental math and flipping through pages to check rules every few minutes, a common practice in TTRPGs, helps cement these concepts – math and literacy – in our minds, but roleplay provides a unique experience for the type of learning that occurs.
Perceiving oneself in the place of characters in a narrative or story isn’t a new concept. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote about Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors, emphasizing the importance of validating representation in books and their importance to portraying marginalized groups. Additionally, those who have been represented need tools to help them understand their wider world. TTRPGs offer a similar experience, but calls upon the imagination and roleplay to help transport players into the world of the story. Young adults are still developing key aspects of themselves as they continue to grow and learn. They can be reckless or experiment with risky behaviors, but rebel against rules and authority of those who try to warn them. Having the buffer of media – either a book, movie, or through game play – helps separate actions from the self in a safe environment. This allows readers and players to make mistakes and explore these risks without heavy, real life repercussions. It may be subtle, but TTRPG players are often practicing soft skills, self-regulation, empathy, and problem solving while roleplaying.
“Stories make ideas more coherent, memorable, and meaningful, enabling children to better comprehend complex concepts (Millar & Osborne, [26])”
– Story-Driven Embodied Play: Empowering Young Children’s Agency in Science Learning by Kyungjun Cho
If you’re interested in integrating TTRPGs into your library or classroom, there are a number of resources out there to support you.
New to roleplaying or storytelling games in general? Check out indie game publisher and studio, Heart of the Deernicorn’s Guide for Educators and Librarians. They offer several suggestions to help newcomers understand storytelling games, how to host a story game or TTRPG event, and what games to play based on age, themes/subject matter, number of players, and more.
For anyone who is super interested in roleplaying, but may not quite be ready for something like Dungeons and Dragons for whatever reason: Critical Core is a great alternative and was created specifically to help parents and facilitators run effective game groups based on outcomes and growth.
Young Minds Inspire, an organization providing free educational outreach programs for all ages, teamed up with Wizards of the Coast to create free D&D based learning resources that align with standards. These official resources for grades 4-8 are great if you’re in a classroom, looking for curriculum tie-ins, or if you need a bit of a buffer activity in between sessions.
Wizards of the Coast has recently reopened their educator resources, including their afterschool club kits and D&D Beyond licenses. They also have a short 1-2 hour adventure free with lots of out of game support (D&D Beyond subscription required) called Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble. We reached out to see if we could learn more about these resources but have not heard a response back. Author Haley Cole has been using the Educator Resources for about 2 years with success. This is what she received, but cannot guarantee that you will receive the same or similar items. However, the list may also be a useful guide for introductory supplies.
Physical Afterschool Kit
- 2x Demo Encounter cards
- 2x Pack of Custom Character sheets with special artwork
- 1x Organizer instructions
- 1x Best practices reference sheet
- 2x Turn reference sheets
- 2x Stormwreck Isle Story Trackers
- 2x Educator’s Kit Dungeon Master Guides
- 1x Boxed copy of the Dragons of Stormwreck Isle Starter Set
- 1x Set of official D&D dice
- Poster and promotional material
Digital Educator Kit
- 5-year D&D Beyond Master Tier Subscription (includes monthly subscriber perks)
- Player’s Handbook
- Dungeon Master’s Guide
- Monster Manual
- Lost Mine of Phandelver
- Dragon of Icespire Peak
- Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
- Candlekeep Mysteries
Of course there’s so much more out there beyond what can fit in this post. However, you can always reach out to GameRT through social media, email, or ALA Connect for guidance, questions, or just to network with others in the profession who are passionate about games.