It’s 3:45pm on Wednesday. I’m staring at my computer screen, my eyes going blurry as I re-read the assignment I have planned for my students next week. Rubbing my eyes, I blink at the little clock on my monitor. At my elbow is a post-it note with my to-do list, and only a third of the items are checked off. 

Nope, I decide, I’m done. With a definitive snap, I shut my laptop. I’ve hit my limit. I can’t do any more. Resigned to the fact that I did as much as I could in a single day of teaching and that there will be more to do tomorrow, I bid my classroom goodnight, flick off the lights, and head out.

Three hours later…

In a place very far away, a small group of adventurers huddle in a narrow alleyway on a high-tech floating city. The heroes have finally regrouped after a series of challenging encounters, but they know that they have worn out the welcome of their robotic hosts. They need an escape, and fast.

“Wait a second,” Jacien growls. He looks like your typical tall and dark anti-hero, complete with the cloth mask over the lower half of his face that conceals extra sharp canines. “We haven’t established whether we can trust her.” He jerks his chin towards the woman with long black hair and a bushy fox tail. All eyes in the group flicker back and forth between the two. “You let yourself be assimilated,” Jacien accuses. “How do we know they aren’t already controlling you?”

“They aren’t,” the only other female answers. She is a petite elf with long white hair and eyes that continuously sparkle with mischief. “But the longer we stay, the more we risk that they will decide to. If you’re concerned, we should split up. Nepthys -” the elf nods to the fox-girl, “and I will go find a way to take out the implant. You all move ahead to find the crystal.”

“No.” This comes from the only full robot in the group. He speaks little, but when he does speak, everyone listens. “Together. We go. Now.”

The last of the companions, a dragoon with a casual slouch and a tiny dragon on his shoulder, nods. “I’m with Er. We need to stick together. But how do we get out of here? We can’t jump. Addy, can you do anything?”

The elf girl smiles. “I can get us out. If we’re ready?”

Jacien snarls, unhappily. “Fine. But this conversation isn’t over.” He jabs a finger at Addy, then at Nepthys, “When we get to safety, you both owe us explanations.”

Addy shrugs, unconcerned, then closes her eyes. Moments later, security drones from the city drop from the sky into the alley, just as a flock of seagulls launch into the sky with a flurry of feathers. The seagulls dodge lasers shot into their midst and dive towards the surface of the sea where Addy turns them all into dolphins. Free, for the moment, the team takes off to the north, slicing through the waves on their way to the next stop on their epic quest.

“I hope you guys had fun tonight,” Dennis, our gamemaster, says. It is kind of a ritual. Every night that we play, he ends by asking if we had fun. We agree that we did and thank him for running. Then we say goodnight and log out of our discord chat. When I collapse into bed, I have a smile on my face. It was a long day, but I feel mentally refreshed, and after 7 hours of sleep, I’ll be ready for another day of teaching.

For 20 years, role playing games have been one of my favorite hobbies. As a teacher, they have become my primary method of self-care in a profession where taking care of your mental health is paramount to your survival. I highly recommend TTRPGs to anyone, but especially to my fellows within the education profession.

What are TTRPGS?

Tabletop Roleplaying Games, or TTRPGs, are a hybrid: part game and part collaborative storytelling. The most famous TTRPG is Dungeons and Dragons, but I like to say that Dungeons & Dragons is to TTRPGs what Monopoly is to board games: they may be the most well known, but they are just one of many. There are over a thousand different TTRPG systems that provide a variety of styles for anyone to choose from. Even Dungeons and Dragons has no fewer than 5 different versions with varying complexities.

Before the rise of Stranger Things, which brought a view of D&D to the masses, many people imagined players dressing up in costumes and chasing each other in the forest or performing mock battles. Several years ago, I was sharing a particularly exciting story from my latest game session with my mother and she interrupted me to ask, “Hold on. Did Stacy literally pick up a sword and run around the room?”

No. Stacy did not. 

That would be LARP (live action roleplay), which is a close cousin of the TTRPGs. Traditional TTRPGs don’t involve costumes or physically acting out the story. It is simply a bunch of friends sitting at a table (often with drinks and snacks), telling a story. With our current technology, games can now be played online as well, with players from all over the world using voice chat and a program called a VTT, or virtual tabletop.

Most TTRPGs include a GM (game master) who sets up the story, describes the scene, and controls any background characters, from the evil villain to the simple shopkeeper. The GM’s role is to help drive the story forward by introducing conflict and opportunities in equal measure.

Outside of the GM, everyone else is a “player” and they are responsible for a single heroic character. In most games, players will have a character sheet, which describes the abilities, skills, and gear for their character. Players will then respond to the story that the GM creates by describing the actions of their characters. What do they do? What do they say?

As for the basic level of roleplay required to play TTRPGs, there really isn’t any! Often, players simply describe the actions that their characters take, or explain their character’s mood and motivations. Conversations in game may take place in first person, but every player only roleplays to the level that they are comfortable. 

The Benefits of TTRPGs

Doctors and mental health professionals have been using tabletop roleplaying games as a method of therapy for over 30 years (Blackmon, 1994). It has been used with clients who struggle with social anxiety, depression, autism and a variety of other issues (Baker et al., 2022). Roleplay provides safe spaces for clients to practice social skills and emotional expression. It teaches empathy and communication, as well as teamwork and problem solving skills (Ana, 2022). The benefits of role-playing games for mental health patients is well documented (Alison, 2023).

But TTRPGs also provide other benefits, which apply not just to mental health clients, but to anyone who plays. Below are some of the key benefits that are especially relevant to teachers and others who work in high-stress environments.

1. TTRPGs allow a medium of escape from the stresses and worries of our work day. As a teacher, I often come home with a mind burdened with the day’s events. I am thinking about how my lesson went, what my appraiser thought of her observation of my classroom, what one of my students told me, and all the things that I have to do for tomorrow. For me, the best self care is when I can turn my teacher brain off. When I escape into my tabletop characters, I am not thinking about how my day went – I am thinking about how my superhero is going to escape the haunted school with the bleeding walls and the shifting doors. When I can put away my thoughts about teaching for a couple hours, it allows me to come back refreshed to face the concerns and responsibilities of my job.

2. TTRPGs allow us to be everything we wish we could be. Teaching is one of those professions that is filled with limitations. We are limited by not enough time and resources, even as we are burdened with increasing expectations. There are so many things that we wish we could do. Just how much could we accomplish if we could stop time, or read thoughts. (Yes, it’s a scary prospect, but we’d also know what our students don’t understand!). As heroes in roleplaying games we can accomplish all the things we wish we could do in real life. We can save lives, inspire the masses, or build schools. Or, you know, become the king, defeat a dragon, throw a fireball, or collect piles of riches. If you can imagine it, you can do it. It’s an enlightening contrast to our daily lives – instead of being expected to work miracles with no resources, we can spend a few hours wielding literal magic and do whatever we want with it! Talk about refreshing.

3. TTRPGs are sociable – with adults! Let’s be honest: how many of us come home desperate to have a conversation with someone who isn’t a child or teenager? Role-playing games are, at their core, social activities, so this is the perfect opportunity to interact with other adults. Of course, you can play with kids, and there are numerous games and systems geared towards introducing children to the joys of TTRPGs. I’ve used D&D with my SPED students for years, and as a reading teacher, I use D&D to explore both reading and written expression. TTRPGs are not adult-only, but if you are looking for an opportunity to socialize with other humans your age, this is the perfect chance.

4. In addition, TTRPGs connect people with vastly different interests and backgrounds. I cannot count the number of friends I have made through role-playing games that I would never have spent any amount of time with if it hadn’t been for those games. Many of my regular co-players have very different interests and we wouldn’t normally have anything in common to talk about. But when we are creating fictional characters embarking on a shared journey, it brings us together in a way that is anything but awkward. It’s a great way to meet different people without actually trying to.

5. Lastly, but equally important, TTRPGs are fun and funny. At their base, TTRPGs are games. They are intended to encourage players to have fun. They are also collaborative, so there’s no winner or loser. If everyone has fun, then everyone wins. As such, I’ve never been in a TTRPG where humor wasn’t involved. Even when the dice fail us, we can laugh at our characters’ problems and then use them as jumping off points to create a more epic story. As a therapeutic release, there are few things quite as effective as laughter. 

How do I get started with TTRPGs?

Okay, so I’ve twisted your arm and you are willing to try this weird activity that sounds more like a group hallucination than anything else. Good for you! Where do you start?

As I mentioned before, TTRPGs come in a wide range of flavors. And, while it is good to keep in mind the different variations of TTRPGs, I have found that the key determining factor in my enjoyment of a game isn’t what I’m playing but who I am playing with. So, it’s most important that you find a group that is welcoming of newcomers and has a healthy gaming philosophy.

There are several options for finding an in-person group near you:

Look up your local FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store). These might be listed as gaming stores or comic book stores. Many of these stores will have rooms where groups can meet to play. The caution with these groups is that they can have high player turnover; thus GMs often avoid long term games. Additionally, the groups can be large, making it harder for new players to make connections and learn the game. 

Another option is to ask your local FLGS about gaming groups in the area that are looking for new members. Many stores will have a board (either physical or digital) where local groups can post that they are looking to add a new member or start a new game. These will typically be smaller groups that meet in someone’s home. Typically, these groups aim to be more stable, with the same players meeting each week and participating in a campaign that can last months or even years.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that you can probably find some gamers on your very doorstep – in your school. Ask about a board game or nerd club and check in with the sponsors of those clubs. Chances are good that there are gamer teachers on your campus who can get you connected.

Finally, there is also the option of finding an online game to join, but I don’t recommend it for new players. Communicating over voice chat takes away the benefit of face-to-face interactions, and makes it harder for new players to connect, especially if they don’t already know the other players.

As an educator of almost a decade, TTRPGs have provided me with the fresh air that keeps me rejuvenated and ready to jump back into the fray. I know I’m not the only one. I have spoken with numerous fellow gamer teachers who have said the same thing.

So, whether you’ve ever thought of yourself as a gamer or not, teachers of all styles should take the opportunity to try something new. You might find that flinging spells as a wizard or swinging from the mast of a pirate ship or flying over skyscrapers in a superhero city is just the sort of escape you need. New friends included for free.

Sources:

Allison, P. R. (2023). The Fall and Rise of Role-Playing Games: From Societal Pariah to Psychological Support. In Deviant Leisure and Events of Deviance: A Transgressive Compendium (pp. 75-100). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Ana, T. (2022, Sept 14). RPGs as therapy: How fictional worlds help vulnerable people explore real-life emotions. Dicebreaker.com. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/feature/rpgs-as-therapy-support-workers

Baker, I. S., Turner, I. J., & Kotera, Y. (2022). Role-play games (RPGs) for mental health (why not?): roll for initiative. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 1-9.

Blackmon, W. D. (1994). Dungeons and Dragons: The use of a fantasy game in the psychotherapeutic treatment of a young adult. American journal of psychotherapy, 48(4), 624-632.

Jennifer Stuart, Houston, TX