Dale Critchley speaks with Alyssia Merrick, a PhD candidate researching the powerful effects of Dungeons & Dragons on mental health. Discover the surprising benefits that TTRPGs offer to players of all experience levels, from reduced anxiety to enhanced self-esteem and community building. Alyssia shares insights into her research, exploring how D&D can serve as a tool for self-discovery and resilience—without requiring a therapist’s couch. Whether you’re a skeptical newcomer or a seasoned veteran, this episode uncovers new ways to engage with D&D for personal growth.

Alyssia Merrick (BPsych Hons) is a PhD candidate located at James Cook University, Townsville. Their research primarily focuses on the impacts of play on adults, with a particular focus on the employment of tabletop gaming as an intervention for wellbeing.

00:00 – Fantasy Characters as Therapy?
00:11 – Tabletop Games with Purpose: Introducing Andovir’s Gods
01:14 – Why We Created a New Class: Meet the Ardent
03:10 – Interview Introduction: Alyssia Merrick
05:00 – Beyond Entertainment: How TTRPGs Support Mental Health
08:13 – Research Findings: Mental Health Improvement After 8 Weeks
10:57 – Character Creation as Self-Exploration
11:29 – Surprising Results: New vs Veteran Player.
13:46 – TTRPGs in the Bigger Picture of Wellness
17:08 – Psychological Theories at Play: Flow and Self-Determination
19:26 – Could D&D Improve Your Next Office Meeting?
21:05 – Trauma, Personified: Combatting Personal Demons Through Play
21:58 – Alyssia’s Three Wishes for TTRPGs
25:48 – For New Players: Drop the Guard, Dive In
28:24 – For Veterans: Foster Mental Health through Play
30:17 – Ongoing Projects: Bringing Game Therapy to a Global Scale
33:40 – Where to Connect with Alyssia
35:06 – Thanks and Farewell

Links

• Investigating Tabletop Gaming for Wellness Promotion: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082697954259 
• Alyssia’s Published Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alyssia-Merrick-2 
• Free: Gods of Andovir: https://wyrmworkspublishing.com/lair/andovir/the-gods-of-andovir/ 
• Ardent Character Class: https://wyrmworkspublishing.com/lair/andovir/ardent/ 
• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing 

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

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How exciting! Take a look at that screenshot from the preview video for the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Players Handbook (PHB)! They’re showing a picture of a character in a wheelchair and talking about new ways to customize your character!

I told my family and friends. I said, when we launched Limitless Heroics, that this is a movement, that we’re showing the industry that people care about disability, neurodiversity, and mental illness representation. Wizards of the Coast (WotC) hired a fantastic consultant to talk to them about the importance of authentic representation. They showed us what was coming in that video. Even if our work wasn’t an impetus for this change, it’s a Divine Smite against ableism!

So I talked to some of my friends who got advance copies and asked them how the 2024 PHB handled disability inclusion! “There’s nothing there.” Is there maybe a wheelchair in the equipment section?! “No, nothing like that.”

Really?

Today, I looked for myself to see whether they missed something. I searched the D&D Beyond version for anything that might reveal an overlooked section. Nothing. That video was poorly planned at best and completely misleading at worst.

Roll for Racism

But it doesn’t stop there. Because WotC (admirably) wanted to remove terms like half-elf and half-orc due to problematic racist connotations, they removed all rules for creating any character of mixed ancestry. They could have included an adapted variation of the custom lineages from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as a paragraph or two instead, but they didn’t, so the 2024 core rules allow only pureblood people groups, effectively gamifying miscegenation laws.

Then, by refusing to follow the distinction between biology and culture as begun with the excellent Ancestry and Culture that nearly every 5e variant since has emulated, they doubled down on the bioessentialism that they attempted to avoid. Contrast that with PJ Coffey’s excellent Homebrew and Hacking: Crafting Heritages and Cultures, which not only offers an infinite variety while distinguishing between biology and culture but also offers a Creative Commons licensed SRD including a digital braille version for accessibility!

GM: “A Hadozee and Tanis Pureblood-Elven walk into the tavern….”

OK, but what about neurodivergence?

Neurodiversity gets even less authentic representation than physical disabilities in games and other media, but WotC showed their (one-time) commitment to this by introducing Asteria in the Book of Many Things, their first autistic character. But sadly, their ADHD representation wasn’t as accurate.

With ability scores, the PHB suggests, “Once you’ve assigned your ability scores, give some thought to what those scores might say about your character’s appearance and personality.” It includes suggestions for high and low scores, but the only remotely neurodivergent trait included, “Fidgety,” is listed under High Dexterity. I can tell you as a fidgety guy with ADHD, Dexterity is my dump stat. Clumsiness is a common trait for ADHD, so if that was an attempt at subtle inclusion, they did not hit the necessary DC for a success.

But not a critical fail

That said, they did make some improvements.

The artwork includes a vast range of demographics, showing far more diversity than ever, although still no body differences like face differences, body proportion differences, or pigmentation varieties such as vitiligo. The inclusion of disabled characters in the artwork is commendable, even if it’s a picture that lacks 1000 words that should explain them.

Common Sign Language has been added to the common languages list.

The physical version has a larger font for better readability than before but still no braille, not even electronic braille, even though WotC promised this back in 2020.

The Best Improvement

But if I could get them to include one subtle change, one Limited Wish, it would be the inclusion of this sentence, which does appear in the 2024 PHB:

Many effects impose a condition, a temporary state that alters the recipient’s capabilities.

Conditions like Blinded, Deafened, and Paralyzed have often been used to represent the permanent experiences of blindness, deafness, and paralysis, but we have argued that conditions in 5e, in spite of the problematic images in the 2014 PHB (Thanks for removing those!), are designed to represent temporary circumstances, not the permanent disabilities we encounter and experience in the real world. WotC finally codified that.

This is a critical inclusion. This clarifies that disabilities are more complex than rolling with disadvantage. It hints that disabilities are nonbinary spectrums. It removes the insinuation that people can’t learn to adapt to their disabilities and even thrive with them.

Yeah, I’m probably reading too much into that, but we’ll take our victories where we can get them and use them to ascend yet another step in an inaccessible world.

We are still in Initiative, and it’s our turn.

Discover New Realms with Our Limited-Time Bundle!

Elevate your Dungeons & Dragons 5E campaigns with a treasure trove of new content! This limited-time bundle on DriveThruRPG brings together exciting titles from multiple publishers. Get incredible value and fresh adventures for your table. For a limited time, you can get this amazing collection at a significant discount.

• Total Value: $32.37
• Special Bundle Price: $17.77
• Savings: $14.60 (45%)

Included Titles:

1. Maze of Mezeria for 5e by Earl of Fife Games

   • A thrilling 53-page adventure filled with labyrinthine secrets and survival challenges, best for 1st or 2nd level characters.
   • Features new adversaries, a fully keyed map, and fatigue mechanics to test your players.

2. Stoneharbor (Andovir Atlas) by Wyrmworks Publishing

   • A vibrant port city that integrates accessibility and diverse cultures, perfect for any campaign world.
   • Includes adventure hooks, new ancestries, backgrounds, and NPCs to enrich your stories.

3. Cavern Crawl #047 – Vein Vengeance (5e) by Grim Press

   • A 4th-level adventure featuring new monsters, magic items, and detailed battle maps.
   • Perfect for a party of four to six players.

4. Asger Earthsculptor — People of the Vale by T.M. van Dalen RPG

   • Focuses on a wizard obsessed with earth magic, including a unique encounter and exploration-focused mini-boss battle.

5. Into the Paper World: Ashcan Edition by Echidna Design

   • A whimsical and dark setting inspired by forgotten creative works, featuring new monsters, magic items, and adventure hooks.

6. Siege of the Silver Stag (5e) by Scoundrel Game Labs

   • A horror survival one-shot where players must withstand waves of zombies while managing NPC interactions.

Don’t Miss Out!

This bundle is an unbeatable way to inject fresh life into your campaigns with diverse adventures and rich settings. Whether you’re exploring the depths of a maze, navigating a bustling port city, or surviving a siege, this collection has something for every D&D 5E fan. Grab it now before it’s gone and bring new excitement to your gaming table!

In this episode, we explore using tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) for language learning. Shane Dunkle, a Language Pedagogy Specialist at the University of Chicago, shares his research on assessing English proficiency through board games and TTRPGs like D&D.

Discover how these games create an engaging environment for practicing real-world communication skills, from mastering idioms to navigating social cues. Shane reveals strategies for convincing skeptical faculty and his vision for embracing TTRPGs as a mainstream educational tool.

0:00 Opening
0:10 Exclusive Charity Offer Reveal – How Your Purchase Can Change Lives
2:49 Meet the Gamer Turned Innovative Educator Revolutionizing Language Learning
4:06 Traditional vs Game-Based Teaching: The Authenticity Showdown
18:26 From Munchkin to Murderhobo: Navigating the RPG Classroom Transition
21:31 Mastering Real-World Interactions Through In-Game Role-Play
28:34 Student Resistors vs Faculty Skeptics: Overcoming Unconventional Hurdles
33:51 Three Wishes to Transform Language Education Worldwide
35:45 The Recipe for Educators: Embracing Unorthodox Methods That Work
40:47 Convincing the Naysayers: A Manifesto for Embracing Gaming in Academics
42:34 Behind the Scenes: Upcoming Pedagogical Playground Projects
44:47 Your Doorway to Immersive Language Learning Resources

• Wyrmworks Publishing: https://wyrmworkspublishing.com
• Rio Grande Flood Charity Bundle: http://rio.inclusiverpg.com
• University of Chicago English Language Institute: http://esl.uchicago.edu/
• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing

What’s the ideal number of players for a TTRPG game? Five or six? What about dozens? Or hundreds?

What if you wanted to run a Dungeons and Dragons 5e game for hundreds of players, most of whom have never played a TTRPG, all at the same time? Introducing Crowdplay, a solution that allows presenters to run immersive encounters for dozens or even hundreds simultaneously!

What is Crowdplay?

Crowdplay is simplified, streamlined system for teaching D&D 5e basics through shared narrative encounters. A presenter explains the game and uses “Table GMs” to facilitate the encounter. A Table GM needs no experience with Dungeons & Dragons or other tabletop roleplaying games. The Crowdplay system uses simplified rules that anyone can use without experience.

Key features:

• Designed for large groups of any experience level
• Focuses on core TTRPG mechanics: Ability Checks, Initiative, Advantage/Disadvantage, and, for some extra fun, critical successes and failures!
• Built on 5e to prepare players for full 5e play
• Demonstrates that experience is not necessary to have fun as a Dungeon Master
• Can be used in-person, online, or both at the same time
• It’s free to download and use

Teach TTRPGs Anywhere!

We designed Crowdplay to answer the question, “What is Dungeons & Dragons?” through a fun interactive demonstration. We tested it at a non-gamer event with 100 players, including 6–8 attending via Zoom. 5–6 total attendees had ever played a TTRPG before, and we updated the design based on that test.

We designed the final product to be usable in nearly any setting, such as:

• Business Conferences
• Family Reunions
• Motivational Speaker events
• Classrooms
• Neighborhood Barbecues
• Gaming Conventions
• Tween Birthday Parties and Slumber Parties
• Church Youth and/or Family Events
• Those times when a horde of kobolds invade your home looking for entertainment (As we’ve all experienced!)

A Little Problem: Examine the Kit

This all-in-one resource includes all of the files you need to run a Crowdplay game:

• Presenter’s guide PDF with tips for facilitating Crowdplay sessions.
• PowerPoint presentation file to visually set up the narrative and mechanics.
• Pregenerated character sheets representing a wide range of diverse heroes to demonstrate the limitless character possibilities that tabletop games offer
• Comprehensive Table GM guide for coordinating the encounter in person and across multiple “virtual tables” using apps like Zoom, with insider info on enemies, adjudicating ability checks, initiative chart, encounter management chart, and more.
• An escort mission with an encounter facing hostile goblins, including multiple possibilities for success.

Download it for Free

Download the free “A Little Trouble” Crowdplay kit from DriveThruRPG today so you have it next time someone asks you, “What is D&D?”

This episode explores the cultural significance and far-reaching influence of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) through an insightful interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal, editors of the book “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons.” It offers insights into how the iconic tabletop RPG has influenced various aspects of global culture, from gaming and entertainment to education and beyond.

The discussion covers D&D’s historical roots, examining its evolution from a niche hobby to a mainstream phenomenon. Sidhu and Zagal shed light on the game’s unexpected crossovers with diverse fields, such as interactive storytelling, solo journaling, and educational applications.

Key points covered include:

• The book’s approach to celebrating D&D from a scholarly yet accessible perspective
• Surprising insights into the game’s evolution, such as the progression of combat systems
• D&D’s influence on other media and how it has been influenced by culture in turn
• The game’s potential in education and fostering critical thinking
• Speculative discussions on D&D’s future, including the role of AI and emergence as a mainstream entertainment genre

Links

• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing
• Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus: https://books.inclusiverpg.com 
• Fifty Years of D&D: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547604/fifty-years-of-idungeons-and-dragonsi/ 
• Get it at the Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus & support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/103322/9780262547604 
• University of Utah’s Division of Games – https://games.utah.edu/ 
• José Zagal Academic Profile – https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=a4a3GTMAAAAJ&hl=en 
• Seeing Red: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy – https://bit.ly/3UIHvmb 
• Premeet Sidhu Academic Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WGI4GlUAAAAJ&hl=en 
• Premeet Sidhu Twitter: https://twitter.com/premeetsidhu 

0:00 Introduction

0:19 Wyrmworks Publishing Updates

03:18 Interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal

06:12 “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons” Book Overview

10:41 Insights and Revelations

15:58 D&D’s Cultural Influence

18:33 Future of D&D

36:01 Upcoming Projects

43:57 Patreon Showcase & Closing

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

Please leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice!

AI chatbots are immensely popular tools, and many have speculated about how to use them to improve D&D and other TTRPG games. Here’s a list of prompts that you can use to improve your game.

Add Variety to Your Game

Give me some recommendations for great D&D 5e books and resources from third party publishers

If you ask a chatbot for these resources directly, it can create suggested resources from adventures to stat blocks, but because AI uses an average of everything, you’ll only get average results. It can be helpful to get you past Blank Page Syndrome (AKA Writers Block), but everything gets repetitive quickly, and don’t expect any ideas that will blow away your players.

But by suggesting products made by actual design professionals, it might show you some of the more popular books by creative designers who know and love the game and have invested themselves in making your game better. Or you can check out the most popular titles at the DMs Guild.

It will hallucinate though, suggesting books that don’t exist, so you’re probably better off asking people about their favorite resources or going to the suggested companies’ websites.

Get Advice to Improve Your Game

Give me a list of D&D 5e blogs that give Dungeon Masters great advice, and give me directions how to subscribe to them

Because you don’t know what you don’t know, it’s hard to get general advice from a chatbot that’s helpful beyond the most generic suggestions. But thankfully, the hobby boasts many amazing blogs full of great tips that will answer questions you didn’t know you had and give you tips you’d never think to ask for. Or you can follow the RPG Blogroll to get a steady feed of insights and suggestions from people who know the game and write from extensive experience.

Get Feedback to Improve Your Ideas

Give me a list of online communities where Dungeon Masters give each other advice

While you could feed your latest adventure idea into a chatbot and ask for feedback, even minimal experience playing the game as a human will give you more insight than a chatbot. The problem is that chatbots don’t have insights. A black pudding has more insight than a chatbot.

Instead, find online places with other players and GMs. All of the major social media platforms have them. Personally, to avoid chasing algorithms, I prefer oldschool forums like EN World.

Make a Game Your Players Will Love

Give me a few questions I can ask my players to make sure they’re all enjoying the D&D 5e game that I’m running as Dungeon Master

You can’t ask a chatbot what your players value most in a game. It has no values. You have to ask the players. But a few pointed questions can be helpful.

Impress your players with amazing art for your encounters

Give me a list of sources to find low cost or public domain non-AI fantasy artwork that would work for my D&D game

Instead of exploiting talented artists by using their work without their permission, find some interesting art & use that for inspiration. It’s the reverse of how most DMs design their encounters, but perusing the Smithsonian collection, Wikimedia Commons, or other sources can give you many adventure, monster, or treasure ideas. Sadly, most public stock art sites have become nearly useless as they’ve been flooded with AI images. If you’re looking for something specific, DriveThruRPG is the only fantasy art site I know of that forbids AI images to be added as stock art (although they still allow it to be used in other products with a content flag and haven’t removed the hundreds of AI-generated images currently in their library), support actual artists so they can keep creating original pieces by purchasing stock art from DriveThruRPG.

Notice the Pattern?

OK, this article is a but tongue-in-cheek, but I hope you recognize the point. What makes tabletop roleplaying games great is the people. For all the amazement over AI tools, human creativity can ponder an idea, consider it, and imagine it. AI takes a Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder of words and mindlessly puts them into a mold, the opposite of what makes analog games so great.

Talk to people — local and online communities. Support creators, both the homebrew community and professional designers and artists. Get advice from people who care about their players and want everyone at your table to have a great time.

We explore the connections between language, masculinity, and tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) experiences with sociologist Dr. Steven Dashiell. He studies language in male-dominated spaces like gaming conventions.

We discuss how language use, rules lawyering, gamesplaining, and off-topic conversations (metadiscourse) at gaming tables can create barriers. These reinforce masculine norms and potentially alienate players from underrepresented groups. Dr. Dashiell shares research on gendered speech patterns, the historical invisibility of women TTRPG players, and the challenges that women face asserting themselves without seeming overly aggressive.

The conversation also covers the benefits of increased gender diversity in TTRPGs. Dr. Dashiell explains how bringing your authentic self enriches the gaming experience for all. He offers insights for designers to create more welcoming, inclusive spaces.

Whether new or experienced with TTRPGs, this episode provides a valuable perspective on building a more equitable gaming culture.

Links:

• Dr. Steven Dashiell at American University: https://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/dashiell.cfm

  • Dr. Dashiell’s Research and Papers: https://american.academia.edu/StevenDashiell

• Accessible Character Sheet: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/476978/Accessible-Character-Sheets-for-DD-Players-with-Print-Disabilities?affiliate_id=2455077&src=GainingAdvantage37
• Ready-to-Roll: Fairweather Friends Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wyrmworkspublishing/ready-to-roll-last-minute-no-prep-dandd-5e-adventure-1?ref=c7371z
• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing?utm_source=gaining_advantage&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=037

Show Outline:

00:00 Welcome and intro
00:21 Accessible character sheet for print & reading disabilities
00:56 Ready-to-Roll: Fairweather Friends D&D adventure Kickstarter
01:29 Interview with Dr. Steven Dashiell sociology of language
04:57 Gender representation in TTRPG spaces
06:24 Metadiscourse and inside references
07:21 Masculine language and behavior in gaming
08:18 Rules lawyering and excluding players
12:14 Gamesplaining
14:51 Historical gender erasure of women gamers
16:12 Benefits of diversity in tabletop RPGs
18:26 Murderhobo
25:08 Charisma in D&D and its effect on inclusion
28:36 Male dominance in D&D
31:33 Bringing your authentic self to gaming table
41:40 Designing more inclusive TTRPGs
50:32 Gendered guilt when missing game sessions
52:01 Jerks and toxic behavior study
57:31 Support Inclusive Gaming

Are you or someone you know a Dungeons & Dragons player with print or reading disabilities? We’re excited to announce a new resource designed to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in tabletop gaming.

We understand the importance of accommodating diverse needs within our gaming communities. That’s why we’ve developed a set of character sheets tailored specifically for players who have difficulty with traditional text-based materials.

They should be fighting monsters, not their character sheet!

Our Accessible Character Sheets utilize 🧙emojis🧝 alongside text to help players navigate character information efficiently. Whether it’s tracking ⛑️🎶Abilities♿️🪽, ✨Spells⚡️, or ⚒️Possessions🪙, the intuitive layout makes it easy to find what you need at a glance. Plus, with blank spaces for personalized drawings, players can create visual cues that resonate with them, enhancing memory and engagement.

Key Features:

• 🧑‍🎨 Emoji-based design for easy navigation 🧭
• Blank spaces for personalized drawings
• Images of dice shapes for quick reference
• Available in PDF and DOCX formats for flexibility and customization
• Screen reader-friendly DOCX option for enhanced accessibility

We’re committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in gaming, and these character sheets are just one way we’re working to make TTRPGs more accessible to everyone. Best of all, they’re offered under a CC-BY-4.0 license, so you can share and adapt them to suit your gaming group’s needs and share your creations.

Join us in fostering a more inclusive gaming community. Download our Accessible Character Sheets today so everyone can explore together!

Together, let’s make tabletop gaming accessible for all.

We’re committed to creating a more inclusive gaming experience for everyone. We’re thrilled to announce the release of the first-ever braille conversion of the 5th Edition System Reference Document (SRD), making the core rules of 5th edition accessible to a wider audience of players and creators.

This comprehensive resource is completely free and available in multiple formats:

• Players Guide: Explore core character creation options, including races, classes, backgrounds, and equipment.
• Game Master Guide: Discover essential rules for running the game, crafting engaging campaigns, and utilizing magic items (with harmful content removed).
• Monster Guide: Encounter a vast library of creatures, faithfully adapted for braille readers.
• Spellcasting Guide: Master the art of magic with comprehensive spellcasting rules and descriptions.
• Step-by-Step Tutorial: Designers, open your games and supplements to more fans and customers!

Designed with accessibility in mind, the SRD braille conversion comes in two formats:

• BRF: Optimized for dynamic braille readers and physical embossers.
• BBZ: Editable in BrailleBlaster software for further customization.

This resource is released under a CC-BY license, allowing anyone to freely use and adapt it for their projects. We encourage the RPG community to embrace accessibility and make their content inclusive for all players!

This braille conversion marks a significant step towards a more inclusive gaming space. While we continue striving to create RPG materials that are not only accessible but also celebrate diverse representation, this resource provides a valuable starting point for players and creators who are blind or visually impaired.

Join us in breaking down barriers and making gaming a more inclusive hobby for everyone!

Download the 5th Edition SRD Braille Conversion and Tutorial Files

We’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions! Share your thoughts in the comments below.