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It then offers actionable recommendations for collection development, budgeting, core rulebook needs, and ways to engage partners such as local TTRPG groups and FLGS.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/","Literature",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/roll-for-initiative-a-librarians-primer-for-collecting-tabletop-roleplaying-games/515018/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/roll-for-initiative-a-librarians-primer-for-collecting-tabletop-roleplaying-games/515018.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"OmBimo","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-10-06",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"Why should libraries consider collecting tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs)?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"TTRPGs and board games provide patrons with rich, safe learning environments that develop critical thinking, empathy, self-awareness, teamwork, and spatial visualization. The text also notes that only a small portion of libraries currently carry these materials, leaving room for growth.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What are the two main categories of TTRPGs discussed in the guide?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"The guide distinguishes rule-intensive TTRPGs from rules-light TTRPGs. It contrasts complexity, the learning curve, emphasis on statistics and combat versus storytelling, and how improv and group storytelling are handled.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"How do static die systems and dice pool systems differ?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Static die systems use the same die for rolls with flat bonuses and penalties, such as the d20 approach in Dungeons & Dragons. Dice pool systems involve rolling multiple dice determined by character statistics, with outcomes resolved via additive-based or success-based methods.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},515018,1791841272,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,90,94,99,104,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":88,"slug":89},80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":26,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},962090893581,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","For the Field  \nRoll for Initiative: A Librarian’s Primer for Collecting Tabletop RolePlaying Games  \nWhen I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons a few years ago, I found myself immediately enamoured with the game. I enjoyed role-playing my character, strategizing with my fellow adventurers, and imaging a world that we, as players, were creating. I am now a Game Master (GM) and in charge of creating worlds for our characters to explore. In my role as a reference specialist in an academic library, I have also built aboard game collection and associated programming from the ground up. As a result of these endeavours (and extensive research), I have learned the value of gaming, particularly in education and library settings.  \nTabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and board games are effective tools for providing patrons with rich and safe learning environments for developing a variety of social and technical skills, including critical thinking, empathy, self-awareness, teamwork, and spatial visualization. Despite the many positive attributes of TTRPGs, only one in ten libraries seem to carry these materials in their circulating collections (Schneider & Hutchinson, 2015) . Libraries can capitalize on the benefits of TTRPGs and facilitate patron engagement by educating themselves on how to collect TTRPG materials for their libraries. This paper has been formulated as a toolkit that introduces TTRPG characteristics, suggests recommendations and best practices for libraries interested in collecting TTRPGs, and lists additional resources to further assist libraries in developing these collections.  \nKey Characteristics of Tabletop Role-Playing Games  \nPrior to curating a TTRPG collection, library staff should understand a few game basics, such as the categories and characteristics of TTRPGs (Table 1) and commonly used dice mechanics, as these affect library collection management efforts.  \nTable 1: Two most common types of TTRPGs  \n\n| Rule-Intensive TTRPGs |  | Rules-Light TTRPGs |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| 􀂃 | Expensive, requires multiple rulebooks | 􀂃 Accessible and inexpensive (Sich, 2012); |\n|  | and/or supplements; | 􀂃 Emphasis on storytelling and role-playing |\n| 􀂃 | Rules are complex and numerous; | over an extensive number of rules and |\n| 􀂃 | Steep but rewarding learning curve for players and GMs (Sich, 2012; Snow, 2009); | statistics (Sich, 2012; Snow, 2008; Snow, 2009);\u003Cbr>􀂃 Fewer complex game mechanics; more |\n| 􀂃 | Preference for statistics and combat over | room for improvisation (Sich, 2012, p. 64); |\n|  | storytelling and role-playing (Sich, 2012; Snow, 2009); | 􀂃 Emphasizes group storytelling, cooperation, and trust among players |\n| 􀂃 | Rich settings and numerous rules provide | (Snow, 2008); |\n|  | great depth; | 􀂃 Great for younger players and groups of |\n| 􀂃 | Best suited for players and library staff | varying sizes (Sich, 2012) . |\n|  | who have more experience with TTRPGs (Sich, 2012) . |  |\n\nThe purpose of dice is to add unpredictability to the game. There are two main categories of dice mechanics: static die and dice pools.  \nStatic Die Systems  \n􀂃 Use the same die for rolls while adding flat bonuses and penalties to die results, which are usually located on a player’s character sheet.  \n􀂃 The d20 (twenty-sided die) system used in Dungeons & Dragons is the most common static die system, which relies on rolling a d20 and adding modifiers to perform ability checks. Another common system is d100 or d%(percentile), which is used in Basic Roleplaying and Call of Cthulhu.  \nDice Pool Systems  \n􀂃 Involves rolling a number of dice as determined by a character’s statistics, called a “pool.” Two types of dice pools exist: additive-based and success-based.  \n􀂃 Additive-based dice pool systems allow players to roll a pool of dice and add the results together, which are compared to a target to determine success. This system allows for greater control of character abilities but is more difficult to calculate, particularly at h","cbCaiujs1zA0r3tF","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiujs1zA0r3tF","pdf",542754,12,"English","# Key Characteristics of Tabletop Role-Playing Games\n## Table 1: Two most common types of TTRPGs\n# Dice Mechanics\n## Static Die Systems\n## Dice Pool Systems\n# Recommendations & Best Practices\n## Initial Considerations\n## Table 2: Collection Budgets","[{\"question\":\"Why should libraries consider collecting tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs)?\",\"answer\":\"TTRPGs and board games provide patrons with rich, safe learning environments that develop critical thinking, empathy, self-awareness, teamwork, and spatial visualization. The text also notes that only a small portion of libraries currently carry these materials, leaving room for growth.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the two main categories of TTRPGs discussed in the guide?\",\"answer\":\"The guide distinguishes rule-intensive TTRPGs from rules-light TTRPGs. It contrasts complexity, the learning curve, emphasis on statistics and combat versus storytelling, and how improv and group storytelling are handled.\"},{\"question\":\"How do static die systems and dice pool systems differ?\",\"answer\":\"Static die systems use the same die for rolls with flat bonuses and penalties, such as the d20 approach in Dungeons \\u0026 Dragons. Dice pool systems involve rolling multiple dice determined by character statistics, with outcomes resolved via additive-based or success-based methods.\"}]","Roll for Initiative: A Librarian’s Primer for Collecting Tabletop RolePlaying Games | PDF",1791305335,18]