D&D Therapy

[The1True]

I've heard more than one person say that D&D saved their life. Definitely it's pulled me back from the edge of more than one precipice. CBC's 'Day 6' interviewed a therapist who's using D&D to help her patients achieve real break-throughs and she's written a book on it. The interview starts at 21:07:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-14-day-6

@Beoric there's an interesting bit immediately after on an indigenous playwright/actor using 'As You Like It' to confront audiences on native land-rights issues...

 

[Beoric]

I know I have deliberately made one or two characters that had character traits/social interaction skills I wished I had, and used it as a tool for self development. I know I developed my leadership skills that way; btw that was my favourite character, and his name was "Beoric".

@The1True , you know you can link the segment itself from the CBC Listem website. Here is the link to the D&D segment.

EDIT: At the risk of incurring the wrath of Prince, all I will say about Land Acknowledgements is that they are a complicated issue even within the Indigenous community, which should not be discussed without nuanced consideration. The Indigenous peoples of North America are incredibly diverse, and the opinions of Indigenous peoples are not monolithic; while Cliff Cardinal's position is not uncommon, it is not the only point of view being discussed.

 

[Maynard]

D&D is used extensively in childcare for these same purposes. It's a safe haven for many kids at hospitals, libraries, community centers, schools, etc.

 

[The1True]

the opinions of Indigenous peoples are not monolithic

Another good example might be different indigenous communities being for and against pipelines/mineral extraction. Anyway, nuff said, eh.

 

[The1True]

D&D is used extensively in childcare for these same purposes. It's a safe haven for many kids at hospitals, libraries, community centers, schools, etc.

D&D definitely got me through a moment in my life when I was having 'trouble with authority'. I read somewhere (maybe here?), that they've been trying it out in prisons recently?

 

[Maynard]

D&D definitely got me through a moment in my life when I was having 'trouble with authority'. I read somewhere (maybe here?), that they've been trying it out in prisons recently?

Unfortunately they suppress this in almost all penitentaries and county jails in the US. They deny dice because of "gambling risk" and acquiring rulebooks is next to impossible for inmates. I volunteer for a nonprofit that sends books to prisoners upon request and they're always asking for the players handbook and we never have it. I'm trying to put together a 10 or so page booklet that has everything they need we can share around as a print file to different orgs.

 

[Two orcs]

When I was into more pretentious types of roleplaying I did the reverse thing, drawing on my own and others lowest moments to make certain interactions more real and emotionally fraught. Beware!

 

[The1True]

When I was into more pretentious types of roleplaying I did the reverse thing, drawing on my own and others lowest moments to make certain interactions more real and emotionally fraught. Beware!

I had a coworker who ran a Vampire game like that back in the 90's. Using the game to emotionally manipulate and dominate a quasi-consensual group of BDSM/polyamoury freaks enthusiasts. He was not a good guy. Stank of cloves and rotten meat. Finally got held up at the border with a trunk full of BDSM gear (enough to give Canada Customs the willies apparently) and lost his job after the three-day no-call/no-show. Bumped into him a couple years later leading a 'slave' 100x out of his league around the Market on a silver chain. Epic-level software/social engineer. The proto-fedora.

 

[The1True]

I'm trying to put together a 10 or so page booklet

Right right it was you. You should bump that thread every once in a while.

I started a similar thread a while ago looking for light rules for a homeless buddy. He unfortunately couldn't wrap his head around printing the digest-book and communication was too spotty to help him out. It was pretty disappointing in the end. Playing D&D with that guy dug me out of a brutal hole back in the day. I really wanted to return the favour

 

[Beoric]

Finally got held up at the border with a trunk full of BDSM gear (enough to give Canada Customs the willies apparently) and lost his job after the three-day no-call/no-show.

I cannot imagine, not only the volume, but the specific types of paraphernalia that would be required to make this happen. To have legs, I think it would have to trigger some kind of terrorism/kidnapping concern.

 

[The1True]

I cannot imagine, not only the volume, but the specific types of paraphernalia that would be required to make this happen. To have legs, I think it would have to trigger some kind of terrorism/kidnapping concern.

Pre-911. Canada still had some extremely prudish importation rules back then (I remember a couple of gay and lesbian book stores getting shut down back in the 90's). I'm guessing he ran afoul of one of those. He said he had a couple boxes of pretty medieval-looking stuff in the trunk...

 

[Beoric]

He said he had a couple boxes of pretty medieval-looking stuff in the trunk...

I could see some of this falling under the "nunchaku", "kusari", "manrikigusara", "morning star" or "kiyoga baton" classes of prohibited weapons. Pretty much anything that could be classified as a flail. Any whip with weighted ends would probably count, or at least attract scrutiny.

 

[The1True]

I could see some of this falling under the "nunchaku", "kusari", "manrikigusara", "morning star" or "kiyoga baton" classes of prohibited weapons. Pretty much anything that could be classified as a flail. Any whip with weighted ends would probably count, or at least attract scrutiny.

Jesus Beoric, how's your province doing? Did you get jealous of Malrex holding all the 'everything's on fire' glory?

 

[Beoric]

Jesus Beoric, how's your province doing? Did you get jealous of Malrex holding all the 'everything's on fire' glory?

It took me a minute to realize you weren't talking about the upcoming provincial election. Or at least not only talking about that.

It is still only half as bad as 2019, and the air quality in Calgary is still way better than it will be later in the year when the Okanagan catches fire. There are fire bans almost everywhere. A friend of mine in Grand Prairie thought she was going to lose her acreage, but it looks like it is going to be ok now.

 

[The1True]

Crazy that Alberta is getting temperatures in the 30's in May.
Also crazy that that election is still ongoing...