Jared is joining us at Rumble Art Studio as our teens and childrens games master (GM). Jared has been teaching and organizing role playing games (RPGs) for years and has experience in a wide range of RPG genres from adventure fantasy to zombie apocalypse! In 2015 Jared founded the Dungeons and Dragons Kids League program at Guardian Games to help younger players learn RPGs in a fun, safe, and accessible environment. He loves recommending new RPGs for people to try and enjoys helping new GMs run their first game

How did you get started as a GM?

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons at an early age and started creating and running games for my friends in the early 90s. In the early 2000s I got involved in organized play and volunteering. In 2014 I joined Wizards of the Coast's” D&D Adventurers League Local Coordinator Program” and helped connect dozens of local game stores and conventions with DMs and players; as well as starting a kids-only outreach so that players 17 and under could find safe places to enjoy RPGs. This remains important to me to this day.

What was the kids’ role playing program at Guardian Games?

In 2014, my partner and I were deeply involved in Wizards of the Coast's D and D Adventurers League Local Coordinators, which was a volunteer organized play and outreach program. The program focused on Local Coordinators, building community and connecting stores and DMs with resources for running organized play events for the public. One thing I soon noticed during that time was that there were very few spaces that were fun and safe for younger players. While many events were technically open to 'all ages', tables of primarily adults turn into adult-only spaces very quickly. Additionally, these spaces did not foster a good learning environment for these new players.

In 2015, I started the Dungeons and Dragons Kids League at Guardian Games. This was a weekly event with the goal of creating tables where players under the age of seventeen could learn, play, have fun, and become great future RPG players! We especially focused on teaching good table etiquette, teamwork, and critical thinking. 

Initially the tables were run by adult Dungeon Masters, but once the program was well-established, we mentored any player that expressed interest in GMing, and soon we had kids running their own games for kids.  Even after the official Local Coordinators program was discontinued, we continued to run both the D and D Kids League and the all-ages Adventurers League for Guardian Games. The program was strictly volunteer organized and entirely funded by donations from the players and parents.

COVID naturally put a pause on our various D and D programs in 2020. Guardian Games also finalized a change of management. The new management did not want to continue the original volunteer-led program and asked us to turn over the program leadership to the store management. Out of goodwill for our relationship with the store, we agreed to let the store run the Kids League, while the all-ages Adventurers League continued to be volunteer-led (primarily by my partner). I continued to run games for the Kids League until it was discontinued in late 2023.

Is your approach to GMing and designing a game for children different from running games for adults? How? 

Honestly, there's not a lot of difference between my kids games vs other games. My limitations and safety tools are the same for both groups, and the challenges my games present are generally universal - they can be navigated by players of all ages. 

I take the same approach mainly because kids don't want to be pandered to; and most kids are smart enough to know when they're being held to a different standard.  Holding them to the same standards I hold my adult players to means there are never any mismatched expectations when they leave my table and go into public spaces to play RPGs with new people.

What are the educational and developmental benefits you see for kids in playing Dungeons and Dragons?

I have no formal training in this regard but I believe playing RPGs has fantastic benefits for kids. RPGs are cooperative storytelling games and most of them include rules for tactical strategy play of some sort. This requires the players to engage communication skills for teamwork and problem-solving, as well as critical thinking, creativity, and practicing empathy through role playing social scenarios. Children can safely take risks in imaginary environments that teach them cause and effect; that actions have consequences. It's also great that most RPGs require kids to practice their reading comprehension and basic math skills!

What is the most important thing you think a child can gain from playing an RPG?

Community and communication! Kids learn how to listen and communicate with each other, and be part of a community, especially in a face-to-face environment. It's more important than ever now for kids in an increasingly digital world to practice their social skills in a safe and encouraging environment.

How can playing RPGs benefit diverse populations of young players? 

Playing RPG provides the opportunity for diverse kids to practice all the skills mentioned above in a safe and accessible way. 

There are also lots of tools that facilitate making the game accessible for all kinds of challenges kids may face. Additionally, Dungeons and Dragons allows for players to truly see themselves represented in a game - in ways video games and movies literally cannot match. 

POC, LGBTQA+, neurodiverse, and people with disabilities are all able to be fully represented in a myriad of ways with tabletop roleplaying games. For kids, this can be extremely empowering and validating!

What do you hope to accomplish with a D&D program at Rumble?

I think I would really enjoy continuing my D&D outreach through Rumble. I would like to see kids coming into Rumble's creative space and having access to a hobby like D&D in the same space where they can explore other outlets for their energy and self-expression. I think it's a really unique opportunity that pairs well with D&D's versatility.

Anything else you would like prospective players or their parents to know?

I encourage them to come talk to me and ask me questions. I'm always open to discussing any questions, concerns, or thoughts they may have. I also like to teach parents to play, so they know what their children are playing and can communicate with them about it and even play themselves.

Sign up for 'Heroes Guild' here: Heroes Guild