Learn How to Survive---Play RPGs

When Katrina hit New Orleans a few years back, one of our friends down there was out of touch with us for over a week. Needless to say, we were all rather concerned at the time. When he was finally able to communicate with us, we expressed how worried we were and wanted to know if he was OK.

"Nah," he had said. "We're good. A bunch of us got together and we're fine." One of them had a small fishing boat, so they had gotten into that. Then they inventoried their equipment, confirmed who had what skills (such as first aid training, fishing, etc), and then boated around to various areas to find whatever additional supplies they needed and to offer help where they could.

How, you might wonder, could these guys have been so laid back and casual while the rest of the city panicked around them?

They are gamers, of course.

See, people scoff at roleplaying games. But let me tell you, very few activities develop your cognitive, survival instincts more than facing off against a great wyrm red dragon. People who play roleplaying games have a better understanding of thing like cooperation, teamwork, and planning. Sure, the military can train you for combat readiness. But RPGs teach you how to survive when your commander goes insane and wants to take over the world.

All joking aside, if you are a parent, I would encourage you to get your children involved in roleplaying games. I'm not talking about computer games, but old fashion pen-n-paper sitting around the table games.

Develop reading skills:

The most basic benefit of getting your kids involved in RPGs is that it gives them a reason to read. Most RPGs have extensive rules systems, and understanding those rules systems requiring reading comprehension. These rulebooks are not fluffy. They tend to be substantial books with huge amounts of text. As players become more attached to their characters, they may start writing detailed background and stories about them, which they them share with friends.

Develop math comprehension:

Roleplaying games require math. With computer games, the math mechanics are hidden in the code, and automatically generated to determine success or failure. With tabletop gaming, the players need to understand the math and be able to figure it out quickly if their characters are going to survive. Figuring out success is often similar to the math problems children are given in school...only cooler.

The Troll has an Armor Class of 20. Your base attack score is 10. You get a +2 attack modifier for your strength. Your weapon has a +3 attack modifier. What do you need to roll to hit the troll's Armor class of 20?

Enhance creativity:

Everyone involved in education and child development knows that creative play is vital to the overall cognitive development of young people. Giving a child a chance to "make believe" being an elf that goes out and fights evil monsters lets a child explore their creativity.

Develop a love of learning:

Gamers spend a lot of time independently researching areas that might be of importance to their characters. Players in sci-fi games might end up researching super computers or space travel in order to better prepare for their games. Fantasy gamers read books on Medieval Europe to learn about castle warfare and how people traveled before the automobile. A player with a character that is a samurai researches feudal Japan. Gaming provides a context that encourages people to learn about things they might not otherwise have an interest in.

Develop Social Skills:

Though the old stereotype of the greasy teenager living in mom's basement still persists, the reality is that tabletop RPGs encourage the development of social skills that can be used later. Players have to work together to meet goals. Players learn quickly that not doing their part has negative repercussions for everyone. The very act of having face to face interaction with other people helps children become comfortable talking in groups. Succeeding at objectives also boosts self-confidence, making a child more likely to take initiative.

Develop Problem Solving Skills:

So exactly how ARE you going to defeat that red dragon, anyway? RPGs encourage players to think through problems, consider alternatives, and define objectives. Problem solving becomes proactive, not reactive. Players know they can't wait around for the town guard to track down the vampire. They are going to have to go do it themselves.