A New Take On It: Tabletop RPGs
- Samma Lynne
- Apr 22, 2015
- 3 min read
A New Take On It is a series of brochures I designed for handing out at our library. They come out irregularly as I think up topics to discuss. In each ANTOI, I strive to show the benefits of extracurricular activities that seem purely for fun. I believe that in any fun activity, there are nuggets of knowledge to learn. After all, games began both to pass time and to teach valuable skills. I will be sharing the text of each brochure here along with a link to a PDF document if you wish to have a copy of the brochure as well.
A New Take On It: Tabletop RPGs focuses on the benefits garnered from RPGs that suffer from various stereotypes - from the idea that only overweight nerds in their parents’ basement play to the myth that it encourages “dark arts” and violence.
Tabletop RPGs encourage high levels of speaking skills, social encounters, and even basic mathematic and organizational skills. Give them a chance and take a peek at other benefits offered to gamers young and old!
Introduction
Once upon a time, a game called Dungeons & Dragons had parents up in arms. That was the seventies, and the fervor against RPGs has long since died down - but many of the myths surrounding its players have not. It is often regarded as little more than an idle pastime played by “nerds” and “geeks.”
But we learn by play, and this method of play is designed for anyone, of any age, who enjoy any genre.
A well-run game calls to mind campfire stories, with all the camaraderie of a group of old friends, even if among perfect strangers. A game requires an array of mental work: adding up dice, calculating the chances of various plans, teamwork, outside of the box strategies, clever diplomatic verbal maneuvering, and crafting engaging storylines. All of these are essential to a well-run and enjoyable game.
What Is an RPG?
A tabletop RPG refers to games that involve a set of rules, extensive characters controlled by the players, and variables often determined by dice rolls. It is not a board game, though one might start imagining there - a board game with no board and often with more intensive rules.
A tabletop RPG is often moderated by one player, called some variation of Game Master (GM), and play takes place verbally: the GM sets the scene and creates the scenarios and the players relay their reactions all through spoken word. Some games for younger players are written down and create stories, but many games geared for adults are improvised storytelling.
Essential Skills
Critical Thinking: Encounters in an RPG can be resolved in a number of ways, only a few of which involve fighting. In fact, many games are tailored to promote diplomatic resolutions, requiring out-of-the-box thinking and application of rules, as well as tactful diplomacy.
(Not included in brochure: Players must also decide on ways to turn "failure" (defined here as a failed roll of the die or dice) into a way to continue the story. Learning from a mistake and not letting it stand in your way is an important skill to develop.) Mathematics: Though arguably only requiring basic mathematical principles, players must always be sharp, and many actions require the addition of dice rolls, player attributes, and environmental factors. Applied in a fanciful setting, however, the mathematics often go unnoticed and can be honed without a child realizing it.
Verbal Skills & Written Skills: For most traditional games, players all communicate verbally. They must ingest verbal information, then plan a course of action, and relay this action verbally. Great games happen when players “talk in character” and they learn quickly the art of improvisational acting, a skill that carries over into speech & debate and high level communication. In many games now being developed for younger players, game mechanics rely on writing the story down, teaching in a playful way the art of sentence structure and story progression.
Reading Comprehension: The rules of an RPG will often come in book format. Rules for games for young children will be contained within a single book, but rules for games for teenagers and older players may run through many volumes. Play requires a thorough understanding of the rules, and while they are presented with thick text, they also involve images and require many mental connections. Rules are referenced throughout play, and allows extensive development of reading skills from start to finish, and comprehension comes with experience during play, making inferences easier.
Teamwork: There’s no “I” in team, and that applies to tabletop RPGs as much as sports. The players must work together to overcome otherwise insurmountable odds, and while RPGs rarely have a “losing” outcome, teamwork can be the difference between life and death of a beloved character.
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