Chicagoland librarians (and NU Tabletop Club) present
Resources!
A mighty hoard of links and resources that might be helpful in the quest to bring TTRPGs to your library - or level up the existing ttrpg programming!
Resource Links!
Running Games
Intro Guides
tribality - Playing D&D with kids
Explore D&D - rules explained simply
Dungeon Mastering Advice
Being a DM for Kids - Official D&D Advice
Sly Flourish - Books, articles, podcasts. The Lazy DM series is especially great!
The Monsters Know What They're Doing - blog + books about how to think about monsters
General Resources, Advice, and Toolkits
TTRPGkids.com - kid-centric TTRPG resources & recommendations
sordbord - tons of helpful lists and how-tos
YMI Classroom D&D Lesson Plans - Puzzles, Mazes, and Mysteries Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons
Game Tools
Marketplaces
itch.io - indie gaming marketplace, look out for game bundles
Game Tools
DnD Character Sheet Compendium - alternate sheets, dyslexia-friendly sheets, etc.
FastCharacter.com - generate a DnD 5e character super quickly!
PrintableHeroes - Printable Figurines
fantasticmaps.com - tutorials & maps
DungeonDraft Mapmaking software ($19.99)
shmeppy.com - simple TTRPG whiteboard & mapmaker
HeroForge - custom mini maker, can buy the STLs to print, or just use the images
Printables - Free STL files for 3D printing
Thingiverse - More free STL files for 3D printing
Worldbuilding
Notebook.ai - Smart Worldbuilding Notebook
Ground4Inspiration - geologically informed worldbuilding
donjon - plethora of free random generators - maps, NPCS, entire adventures
Safety & Diversity
Safety Tools
Inclusion
Accessibility
Game piece accessibility for players with visual impairment and low vision
AccessibleRPG - an (under construction) library of TTRPG accommodations
Game Recs
These games range from free downloads to a couple bucks for a PDF to a $25+ book (which could maybe even come out of your collections budget instead of programming budget)!Things in bold are explicitly-kid friendly, everything else is up to your discretion and/or may require some modifications.Some of the games are more mature and best enjoyed with a group of fellow adults (but can still provide some neat insights and experiences that you can apply to any ttrpg)
Lesser-Known Game Systems
HeroKids - fantasy RPG specifically designed for ages 4-10
Magical Kitties - you're magical kitties, helping humans solve problems!
Glitter Hearts - an inclusive Magical Team RPG (Sailor Moon, Power Rangers, etc)
Critical Core - designed as an alternative to traditional social skills training programs for autistic people, a great general intro to TTRPGs for anyone
Color My Quest - color & cut fantasy roleplaying for kids as young as 4
Kids on Bikes - strange tales in small towns à la Stranger Things or IT
Coyote and Crow - a science fantasy set in an uncolonized future
MonsterHearts - the messy lives of teenage monsters (NOT kid-friendly)
Brindlewood Bay - old ladies solving murder mysteries
Root - woodland creatures, fighting for freedom & justice
Masks: A New Generation - teenage superheroes, fighting crime (and drama)
Into the Mother Lands RPG - epic space odyssey (by an all BIPOC team)
Casket Land - occult western with incredibly stylish art
Fifth Season TTRPG - upcoming TTRPG based on NK Jemison's Broken Earth series
One-Page Games & Other Simple Games
Honey Heist - you're bears trying do a heist
Crash Pandas - you're a bunch of raccoons trying to drive a single car
Lasers and Feelings - Star Trek style space shenanigans
Dread - simple horror game with Jenga instead of dice - knock it down and you die (or worse...)
Abort, Retry, Fail - you're all malfunctioning subroutines of a killer robot
Fiasco - GMless game for tales of small time capers gone disastrously wrong
Across the Endless Sea- GMless, inspired by Voyage of the Dawn Treader & Earthsea
5e Adventures for Kids (with minimal modification)
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight Official Module
Spelljammer Academy Official Module
Journeys through the Radiant Citadel Official Module
Thanks for coming!
If you came to either/both Dungeon Academy Panel(s) and want to get in touch with any/all of the panelists, contact info can be found below! We're happy to field questions
Izabel Gronsky she/her | Children's Librarian | [email protected] |
Martha Sullivan she/her | Adult and Teen Services Manager | [email protected] |
Krista Hutley she/her | Teen and Adult Librarian | [email protected] |
Kristin Lansdown she/her | Librarian & Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Coordinator | [email protected] |
Evan Mather he/him | Teen Librarian | [email protected] |
Rae MacCarthy they/them | Northwestern Tabletop Club Co-President | [email protected] |
Kabeer Kishore he/him | Northwestern Tabletop Club Co-President | [email protected] |