Let's Roll: A Guide to Setting up Tabletop Role-Playing Games in your School or Public Library

by Lucas Maxwell

Master all the skills you need to deliver a tabletop role-playing game program in the library!

For librarians or teachers who aren't players themselves, the scope of role-playing games can seem overwhelming. Starting from the basics, Let's Roll is a practical guide to delivering a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) in a school or public library, all within the time constraints imposed on library sessions. Coverage includes:


a step-by-step guide to setting up a TTRPG program in your school or public library, including an example of a TTRPG proposal;
advice on bringing senior management on board to a TTRPG program;
how to attract players, basic table rules, and preparing as a game master;
the health and learning benefits of TTRPGs including creativity, teamwork, cooperation, boosting confidence, and encouraging reading; and
a comprehensive list of TTRPG games and how to implement them.
Featuring case studies from librarians around the world focusing on their experiences setting up TTRPGs, Let's Roll will help librarians, teachers, and other educators deliver an engaging program that delivers significant benefits on a budget – and is a huge amount of fun!

Genres: Nonfiction, Role Playing Games

82 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2023

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a useful guide for teachers and librarians have heard of role-playing games and would like to set up a game or a group at their libraries or schools, but who haven't had much experience with running games. There's advice on how to pitch role-playing to administrators and how to set up a group. There is a resources section at the end of the book that gives a lot of good recommendations for easier-to-play systems and online sources for learning to play and run games. Having said that, if you have a lot of experience playing or running games, there's probably not much new here for you. So, I would say that this is a great book for some and less useful for others.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!

So, I've played D&D a few times, but the work that goes into set-up, initiation and ongoing questions about any RPG are never-ending.
Lucas Maxwell gives library employees (public and academic) all of the tools, reassurance, suggestions and a step-by-step how-to-guide to create and carry on RPG programming in your library.

Every librarian, whether a D&D, Magic the Gathering or other RPG enthusiast, or a first-time explorer, needs this book.
Maxwell does a great job of making it super easy to follow, answering any "but what if" questions you have along the way, and how to even make it a self-led program. Overall, a very helpful resource!

[Cathy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found over the years that a lot of professional materials like this are overly long in places and strangely short in others and have sort of accepted this. I think in this case a little more of this was because I went in fairly knowledgeable on the topic.

Nice thorough chapter on benefits of TTRPGs / making a case for a program to managers

Lots of emphasis on embracing the chaos / not sticking too strictly to the planned scenario, going with the players / not worrying overly about the rules. My personal impediment with TTRPGs is the creative improvisational aspect (love a rule, I never worry about not knowing what to do ruleswise), but this may be helpful for folks with the opposite problem

My biggest "but why is this not here" was in the chapter on session zero. There was no mention of X cards or lines and veils, which are the first things that come to mind for me when I hear "session zero".

[LyndenTree63 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, super practical and helpful read. Does exactly what the title says. The book is aimed at setting up TTRPGs with kids and teens, it doesn't go into setting up public TTRPG groups for adults. It's also aimed at librarians or school staff who don't have a ton of familiarity with TTRPGs, and gives them the tools to launch groups. I'm volunteering to set up a DnD group for teens at my local public library, and found this very helpful.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book & am obligated to give it 5 stars otherwise a black pudding (from the world of Dungeons and Dragons, not the weird British food) will visit my home and curse my D&D dice, ensuring they always roll 1’s!

I’ve been told this will happen to anyone who gives this less than 5 stars as well! Don’t blame me, I’m just passing this info on!

So please, for the sake of your future D&D rolls, pre order the book from the link below and whatever you do, leave a 5 star review!

https://facetpublishing.co.uk/page/de...

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 78 pages, Maxwell has written a very succinct work about what it takes to set up TTRPGs in a public place (library/classroom). His work is both engaging and informative, relying on professional sources rather than an entirely anecdotal account.
Why 4 and not 5 stars? I wish it were longer!
I also do wish the account re: Autism and D&D were a bit lengthier, as much of my research this term has been on the subject.

Cheers, Lucas! Job well done.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that helps to not only introduces librarians to tabletop role-playing, but offers sound advice for running games that, as a long-time GM myself, have taught me new tricks that I ought to be using in my own private games! Worth getting!

[Rowan]

there are some good things in here for library folk new to TTRPGs that want to get games started, but the author really wants to make sure we all know that games can be (and are for him) therapy, over-explains some things while completely ignoring others that a complete newbie would need (really, you have tank and meat shield in your glossary but not healer or DPS? include all three if you're mixing video game with tabletop language). there's a section titled 'case studies' that frustrates me because it's not, it's interviews with other libraries on their work, and that's not his fault; i've seen this usage in several library publications and it frustrates me. so while Let's Roll can be helpful, i have feeling it will still leave many library workers lost and confused on where and how to start, what they need to know or do in order to get a game going.

[sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great starting resource for anyone who feels a bit out of their depth getting a TTRPG group or program established at your local school or public library. A great blend of scholarly information, program examples, and beginner guides to setting up a TTRPG program.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful read when wanting to try out ttrpgs in the library. Not made to read from cover to cover (which I did anyway) because there's a lot of repetition and referring to other parts of the book. Will keep it close in my quest to start a ttrpg club with the kids at work.

[Jaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a believer of Roleplaying in Libraries for years. Great book to use as an introduction to establish role playing clubs in libraries.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful introduction for libraries running table top role playing games. It includes reading suggestions as well.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enthusiastic and lovely!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a lot of good tips and I took a lot of notes from it, but ultimately, my program just kind of sputtered and failed. Sigh......