Resources & Links
External resources for TTRPG-based education.
Organizations
TabletopEDU
501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing TTRPGs in education. Co-directed by Garrett Munro and Maryanne Cullinan, PhD. Excellent resources, community, and their book Adventures in Learning & Teaching is essential reading.
Game to Grow
Nonprofit using TTRPGs for social-emotional learning, particularly with neurodiverse youth. Different focus from Narrative Crossroads but valuable allied work.
Conventions & Professional Development
ChaosiumCon
Annual convention hosted by Chaosium (publishers of Call of Cthulhu, Basic Roleplaying). Education-friendly programming. I’ve presented here on TTRPG pedagogy.
Gen Con Trade Day
Annual Trade Day programming includes educator sessions. Major networking opportunity for TTRPG education community.
Game Systems
For Classroom Use
| System | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No Thank You, Evil! | Monte Cook Games | Designed for kids; excellent for intro/scaffolding |
| Basic Roleplaying | Chaosium | Flexible, percentile-based; adaptable to any setting |
| Fate Accelerated | Evil Hat | Narrative-focused; emphasizes character aspects |
| Fiasco | Bully Pulpit Games | GM-less; structured dramatic scenes; good for ELA |
Educational Adaptations
- Classcraft — Gamification platform with RPG elements (not a TTRPG but related)
- Mythic — GM emulator useful for solo or small group play
Books & Publications
Practitioner Guides
- Munro, G., & Cullinan, M. (2025). Adventures in Learning & Teaching. TabletopEDU Inc.
- Peterson, J. (2012). Playing at the World. (History of D&D and wargaming)
Academic
- Bowman, S. L. (2010). The Functions of Role-Playing Games. McFarland.
- Cover, J. G. (2010). The Creation of Narrative in Tabletop Role-Playing Games. McFarland.
Online Communities
Discord Servers
- TabletopEDU Discord (see their website for invite)
- Various game-specific education channels
Social Media
- #TTRPGEducation on Twitter/X
- Facebook groups for TTRPG educators
Tools
Virtual Tabletops
- Roll20 — Free tier available; widely used
- Foundry VTT — One-time purchase; highly customizable
- Owlbear Rodeo — Simple, free, no account required
Character Sheet Tools
- D&D Beyond — Digital character sheets (D&D-specific)
- Google Sheets templates (various creators)
Mapping
- Dungeondraft — Map creation
- Inkarnate — Fantasy maps
Narrative Crossroads
- Website: narrativecrossroads.org
- Repository: github.com/geoffreysperl/narrative-crossroads
- Creator: teaching.geoffreysperl.com
Have a resource to suggest? Contact geoffrey@geoffreysperl.com