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Monday, 1 August 2022

RPGaDAY: Who would you like to introduce to RPGs?

Theatre people.

I guess I should elaborate on that a bit.

By theatre people I largely mean actors, although of course that includes voice actors, comedians and other performers.  And I want to introduce them to RPGs partly because many of them seem to really enjoy it when they try it, and partly because there's a lot I can learn from them.

Gamers who are also theatre people tend to be good at bits of roleplay gaming that I, an extremely shy person, am not so hot on.  Character voices, emotion, accents, that kind of thing.  These things aren't necessary to be a good gamer.  They're pretty insignificant compared to things like treating your fellow players with respect and engaging with the plot.  But they are things that can add a bit of extra fun to a game, and seeing the way theatre people play has helped me feel more comfortable with adding more character expression to both my PCs and NPCs.

Occasional conventions aside, the vast majority of my gaming has been done with one small group in my home town.  It's only in the last few years, initially at the MK-RPG club and then over lockdown in the Good Friends of Jackson Elias discord that my horizons have been broadened and I've had the opportunity to play with a much wider range of people.  And that's been a constant process of learning, as every person has brought something new to the table.

So right now it's theatre people who have the most to teach me, but really I don't know who I'd like to introduce to RPGs.  Because none of us will know what they're bringing to the hobby until they get here.

On a slightly more serious note, I'd also like to introduce more women to RPGs.  Because even though the gender balance is improving, it's still sufficiently rare for me to sit down at a table where the number of women equals or exceeds the number of men for it to be a notable experience.  I'd like to see that change.  I think it will.  And I hope that by being visibly female and a gamer, I can help that happen.

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