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This time last year, I wrote about gaming through the holidays. I was lucky enough to grow up in a heavily gaming family (granted, it was mostly euchre), so when roleplaying was introduced, we were all up to give it a try. It stuck! On holidays, we gathered around the dining room table with various snacks and played for hours. The same does not hold true today, unfortunately. Others have been added to the family while some have moved away (me), but we can still be found gathered around a game of euchre.
With everyone visiting family and scheduling their own holiday events, it becomes difficult to keep the weekly sessions on track. It’s okay! My roleplaying groups tend to take breaks around the holidays. Even if the group doesn’t want to stop, do other things if you are missing people. Play some card or board games, try a one-shot in a different system, or have fun pulling off shenanigans in an expected TPK scenario. Regardless of the decision your group makes, encourage one another to return to the table after the holiday events come to an end. Each of your players will be able to relax and enjoy the time away knowing the fun will continue when they return. As they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” right? So I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Happy Holidays!
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“There’s no place like home” is what Dorthy said when she wanted to go back to Kansas, and she is right! Trying to work without your usual set-up is a struggle. I miss my desk, stool, two wide-screen monitors, and the ever present three drinks at the ready. But alas, we must sometimes leave that wonderful cockpit we built for ourselves and take work on-the-go. So how do you handle this change?
First of all, give yourself grace, you will not have all the answers at your fingertips. I am missing notes, books, and anything on my desktop computer. There is only so much available on the internet that I can look up, and my personalized notes are not there. I can type it all into a document, but that is a lot (quite frankly, I prefer my hand written notes). Then, assess your new environment and create a suitable substitute. Find a desk, chair, and anything else needed to create a temporary cockpit. Think about what is vital and build from there. If the stay is extended and you are used to multiple monitors, consider taking one from home, or get a smaller one for travel. For my day job, I need a second monitor, now I have one for travel. Also, consider video calls or meetings. Since I stream, I must have a neutral background, so placement is very important to me. Above all, make it work for you! No, it will not be like home, but you can set up an environment that works temporarily. Do not be afraid to change anything that is not working and/or try something new. You might just find something that you can take back home to improve your own cockpit. We have all been there, sitting in a classroom learning a new choir song, instrument, or dance. It is a shared experience with the entire class, or even with all your peers, but did you know this experience actually aided you across other areas of school and life? When you are involved in a performing art, you build confidence, self-awareness and expression, empathy, and even cultural awareness. What would you think if I told you that these same things can be explored within a roleplaying game? But it’s not a performing art…right?
I know that no one sits down to a roleplaying game to watch the GM perform, they come to participate. There are many conversations about the performing arts and how they aid in development (especially the youth). I say that roleplaying games can provide very similar experiences on a smaller scale in a more intimate setting. Playing with a group of friends, pretending to be make-believe characters, is a perfect environment to explore and develop many of these areas. This is a safe place to try new approaches to social interactions or solutions to strange circumstances. Here is where you can discover your own likes/dislikes and learn to work around disagreements. When faced with challenges in the game, you have to work with your fellow players to investigate a solution. Every time you do this, the next encounter becomes easier. The first character you play, it is easy to dismiss any actions or reactions as “that’s just my character,” but every character you play has a little piece of you in it. As you play several characters, you will notice the similarities between them. Eventually, you realize that is part of you. Self-discovery is the best way to build self-esteem and confidence. You begin to see your own strengths and weaknesses and how others aid you (not just your character). As you explore the world, you come across different cultures and the viewpoints and religions of other people (even those held by your fellow players). Navigating these experiences teaches social skills that follow you throughout your life. You learn how to interact with others to come to peaceful understanding, and what may happen if you cannot compromise. Sure, these things can be taken to extremes in a roleplaying game, but it is the same basic concept. |
AuthorJodie 
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April 2025
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