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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D&D is turn-based, but there comes a point when you can’t wait any longer and take action.

I was one of the mods over at r/disabled_dungeons, and we had a promise to keep. If Reddit didn’t change its ways, I vowed to find a new alternative community for everyone there, and if I couldn’t find one, I’d create one. Well, the time has come.

Reddit’s Accessibility Puzzle

This past summer, Reddit made changes, like setting an impossible cost on their API, which basically banished many third-party Reddit apps. Some of these apps were like magic items, offering better accessibility options that made our community more inclusive. In response, like many subs, r/disabled_dungeons went dark (private) in protest. Reddit doubled down and forced many subs to reopen, removing existing owners and mods and replacing them.

Our New Quest on Lemmy

In the face of these challenges, we decided it was time to embark on a new adventure, a quest for a more accessible and inclusive home. We found Lemmy, a federated Reddit alternative that’s more aligned with our values.

At this new community, we encourage people to find what access tools work for them. You can expect the same supportive community there with opportunities to make friends and share your adventures.

Join the Party on Lemmy

We invite you to join us and continue the mission of making TTRPGs accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Your wisdom and insights are our greatest treasures on this journey.

Now, here’s the exciting part. Our Discord remains a private sanctuary for our patrons and the talented freelancers who bring our products to life. But this new community is an open tavern where you can chat about our creations and all the fantastic products from other companies that champion accessibility and representation.

We hope to meet you there.

Link to Disabled Dungeons on Lemmy

Dale interviews Bill Lemmond, a passionate gamer and comic artist. Bill shares his personal story of how tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) have played a pivotal role in transforming his life, from finding joy and relaxation to overcoming depression and pursuing education. Discover the power of gaming to create a supportive community, foster creativity, and provide a much-needed escape. Join us as we explore the impact of TTRPGs on mental well-being and the importance of inclusivity and fun in gaming.

0:00 Introduction: Limitless Champions Update
01:35 Interview: Bill Lemmond
51:30 Patreon Showcase & Closing

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

Bill Lemmond Links

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PastshelfdateJr 

Wyrmworks Publishing

• The Lair: https://cutt.ly/LairYT 
• Wyrmworks Publishing: http://wyrmworkspublishing.com

This week, we welcome Simone Arnold, owner of Hero’s Journey Counseling in Vermont, who discusses outrage fatigue, which can lead to burnout and empathy fatigue, how to balance the desire to make the world better with our own limitations, and prioritize rest.

0:00 Introduction

8:59 Interview: Simone Arnold, owner of Hero’s Journey Counseling

31:15 Wrap-up

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

Simone Arnold Links

• Website: https://www.herosjourneycounseling.net 
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@herosjourneycounseling7933
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simonearnoldmc 
• Twitch: https://twitch.tv/dessicanuvell 

Wyrmworks Publishing

• Limitless Heroics: http://wyrmworkspublishing.com/product/limitless-heroics/?utm_source=youtube 
• The Lair: https://cutt.ly/LairYT 
• Inclusive Artwork: Fantasy Stock Art with Disability Representation for TTRPGs: https://crowdfundr.com/inclusiveartwork/?utm_source=youtube 

Wyrmworks Publishing: http://wyrmworkspublishing.com

Roleplaying games are already great, but what happens when they’re intentionally used to improve lives? We welcome Jack Berkenstock Jr., MHS, Executive Director, The Bodhana Group to talk about therapeutic RPG.

0:00 Introduction
3:54 Interview: Jack Berkenstock Jr., MHS, Executive Director, The Bodhana Group
44:43 Wrap-up

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

Script Change: http://briebeau.com/scriptchange 

The Bodhana Group Links

• https://www.thebodhanagroup.org 
• https://twitter.com/thebodhanagroup 
• https://www.facebook.com/thebodhanagroup 

Wyrmworks Publishing

• Limitless Heroics: http://inclusiverpg.com 
• The Lair: https://cutt.ly/LairYT 
• Limitless Champions: http://mini.inclusiverpg.com 

Wyrmworks Publishing: http://wyrmworkspublishing.com

Tabletop Roleplaying Games like Dungeons & Dragons are great equalizers: people of all ages and abilities can play together, cooperatively. What else can do that? Coloring books! So we used the amazing art from Limitless Heroics to create a coloring book for all ages!

48 images include fantasy characters, assistive devices, and service animals.

How does a coloring book make lives better?

• People like me with ADHD may benefit from coloring to help keep focused during games and other times, and D&D-related coloring books are rare.
• Put this in a child’s hands, and you instantly normalize disabled heroes in their lives.
• D&D is for everyone, and so is artistic expression!
• The pages include quotes from disabled, neurodiverse, and mentally & chronically ill people to teach about their experiences and accessibility.
• 🎒Service Owlbears🦉 are adorable.

The book also includes a local site license for copying, so schools, clinics, local game groups, and FLGSs can print or copy coloring pages for their local events, clients, and fellow players.

I’m deeply honored to have been invited to the Everyone Games Gaming and Mental Health Panel this Saturday, October 1st 2022, 10:00AM – 11:00AM EDT on Twitch.

Taking care of our mental health is so important today especially with everything we have going on in the world right now, but how can gaming be a part of that mental health journey? We’ll be exploring questions like that and more during this panel. Join us as we discuss how gaming is a gateway to many skills including problem solving, practicing empathy, connecting with others, and so much more. It can be an escape and an outlet, but it can also be a useful tool in allowing others to work through their personal struggles and trauma.

Fans of Wyrmworks Publishing will also note that Naomi Hazlett, copy editor and sensitivity reader for Limitless Heroics (and will be involved in upcoming projects) is also on that panel.

I’d love to have you all there!

Roleplaying games change lives. But what happens when you intentionally turn that dial to 11? We welcome Peter Jung from Roll for Kindness to explain how that happens and how you can do it.

0:00 Introduction
04:04 Interview: Peter Jung
32:57 Wrap-up

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

Roll for Kindness Links

• Using RPGs for Good: https://rollforkindness.com/pathways-for-using-rpgs-for-good/
• Caravan Endures: https://rollforkindness.com/new-caravan-endures-build/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RollForKindness

Wyrmworks Publishing

• Limitless Heroics: http://inclusiverpg.com 
• The Lair: https://lair.WyrmworksPublishing.com 
• Minis: http://mini.inclusiverpg.com 
• Wyrmworks Publishing: http://wyrmworkspublishing.com 
• Patreon: https://Patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing 
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/wyrmworkspublishing 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wyrmworksdale 

Here’s a growing collection of resources to improve your life or to help you improve the lives of others.

Representation Resources

• Ableist Tropes in Storytelling « Oppression Aware Podcast, Fairy Tales, and Games (Interview)
• Writing Characters With Disabilities
• Forge Ahead: A Party to Access
• DnD Disability
• Combat Wheelchair 3
• Limitless Heroics

Miniatures

• Limitless Champions
• Combat Wheelchair
• Skinny Minis

Accessibility Resources

• Accessibility in Gaming Resources
• Roll for Kindness
• A big list of accessibility resource lists
• Braille Dice (Interview)

Mental Health Tools

• Jasper’s Game Day (Interview)
• TTRPG Safety Toolkit
• Consent in Gaming from Monte Cook Games
• MCDM Tabletop Safety Toolkit
• #CouchCon Charity Panel: “Sanity Checks & Stigma- Mental Health in TTRPGs” – YouTube

Publisher Resources

• CNIB Clear Print Guide
• ADA Compliant Print Short Guide
• Accessible Print Guide

Feel free to add more in the comments below!

Hi, wonderful patrons! I know I’ve been quiet lately here on Patreon, and before that, I’ve been talking a lot about the Limitless Heroics Kickstarter, and now that it’s done, what’s next?

Of course, first of all, it’s far from done! If you’ve been watching the conversations in the Discord (Feel free to jump into the conversations!), everyone is busy creating characters, making artwork, writing additional pieces — over 200 magic items and so much more! We set July as the target date and are on track for that, and here’s a Patreon-exclusive teaser draft just for you that I just finished based on a backer submission! (Note: it hasn’t gone through our extensive editorial process yet, so expect it to change.)

GleamForth Wayfinder

Wondrous Item, Legendary

Follow the Gleam, and find your way. Hold me leftward lest you stumble. Let the third eye guide your path. Look to your heart to find your Truths. Center me, and I will bring you home though the darkness envelop you.

This labyrinthine eye provides protection and direction to those who would be lost without it. Unlike most prosthetic eyes, you hold this one instead of inserting it. When held in the left hand, it provides 5′ blindsight. When so held, you cannot use that hand for any other purpose. As an action, you can hold it mid-forehead and cast the find the path spell once per day. Once per day, as your action, you touch the heart of a creature you can reach that is charmed, frightened, or possessed by a celestial, an elemental, a fey, a fiend, or an undead. The creature you touch is no longer charmed, frightened, or possessed by such creatures. When held at the solar plexus, once every seven days, you can cast either plane shift or teleportation circle to your home. Your home need not have a teleportation circle inscribed, but when you acquire this eye, you must declare your home location as the destination of this function.

Pre-Orders Open

If anyone missed the Kickstarter (or knows someone who did — feel free to pass on this link), you can get the pre-order here, and use the coupon code LHPATREON to get $2 off! (Yes, you can share this coupon code along with the link!)

But then what?

We have a long to-do list that keeps getting longer, but picture this: imagine the city version of Limitless Heroics: a campaign city that explores concepts of accessibility where characters can have all the typical urban adventures while encountering what accessibility in its various forms would look like in a high fantasy setting! I’ve already received interested notes from accessibility advocates and universal design firms interested in helping with this and several writers and artists eager to work on future Wyrmworks Publishing projects, and if it’s well received, we can keep adding pieces to create a campaign world with different locations that explore and teach about all kinds of issues, all while having grand 5e adventures! Add in some miniatures based on some of the 50+ characters being designed for Limitless Heroics, and you have something truly unique that helps you improve others’ lives!

Tied to that big project, I have a collaborative project in the works that I can’t discuss yet, but it’s a partnership with at least one well known figure in the D&D space whose name is attached to some official D&D adventures. That one is just in the idea stage right now (We’re both pretty busy at the moment but hoping to get started on it later this year), but when I can say more, you’ll be the first to know! (OK, besides my wife. She hears these things first.)

And, I have some great guests lined up for future Gaining Advantage episodes, so expect more of those soon!

Thanks so much for your support! You’re helping make all this happen!

All the best!

Dale