https://www.culliopescauldron.com/the-cauldron daily 0.75 2025-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632174009892-SNPKTR7ZQPA6WKRMH3SB/PXL_20210920_121346063.jpg Jump On Into The Cauldron and See What's Cooking - Who is Culliope? Culliope is Maryanne Cullinan, a middle school teacher, mother of nerds, RPG enthusiast, PhD student at Lesley University and Patron Muse of RPGs in the classroom. She’s currently multiclassing as a Sorcerer-Cleric in game and in real life. She has a Masters Degree in Education from Brandeis University. Maryanne is a member of the Academy for Virtual and Roleplaying Arts at Lesley University and a contributor to Rollforkindness.com. Her research interests include classroom culture and community, RPGs as vehicles for greater engagement with content and prosocial skills in middle schoolers, authentic, project based learning and student leadership development. Photo “Ms. Cullinan’s Brain” by T. Lightfoot and A. Kelley, 6th graders, 2019. https://www.culliopescauldron.com/classroom daily 0.75 2024-07-01 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/heroes-hall daily 0.75 2021-09-22 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/resources daily 0.75 2024-07-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/84744622-42e1-4701-b348-152055a8ad1c/in.png Articles, Resources and More Culliope's Newest Article - Surveying the Perspectives of Middle and High School Educators Who Use Role-playing Games as Pedagogy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/38cd146e-6a48-48e3-baca-08e02466396d/origins.png Articles, Resources and More Coming soon, audio of some panels from Origins 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/401394fb-4a7c-4143-9f91-eb1aa1c0cc19/Simulation_and_Gaming.jpg Articles, Resources and More Culliope's New Article - Getting Inspired! A Qualitative Study on the Use of the Inspirisles Role-Playing Game to Teach Middle Schoolers American Sign Language https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/516b7d39-e161-4fe7-8585-a5be4ea063db/ijrp.png Articles, Resources and More Culliope's First Academic Article is Published! Gaming the Systems: A Component Analysis Framework for the Classroom Use of RPGs with Jennifer Genova https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/ab046f61-e10f-46b0-913e-0f588671e157/sxsw.png Articles, Resources and More This links to the audio from the All School is Roleplay Panel at SXSWEDU 2023! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/30fd0eab-c8c8-40f8-a9ae-6fa3e99ab300/maxresdefault.jpg Articles, Resources and More ILA/Wizards of the Coast Panel on Writing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/8a561da2-98f9-4392-9704-3e9a392f3cb3/upsala.png Articles, Resources and More Gaming the Systems Presentation at the Transformative Play Initiative in Sweden with Jennifer Genova https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/40b718ad-c257-4538-b35a-aa00abafd861/upsala.png Articles, Resources and More Inspirisles talk at TPI at Uppsala University in Visby, Sweden, with Rich Oxenham https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/061a0123-b67c-40f1-aaa1-53b299423533/PXL_20210903_215125067.jpg Articles, Resources and More PAX West 2021: Can We Finally Admit That Games Should Be In Classrooms? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/16ac956d-ea83-4eaa-b9fd-01ab2cf83a50/pax_panel2.jfif Articles, Resources and More PAX West 2021 - TTRPGS: Out of the Fantasy World and Into the Real World https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/2e28f402-d528-4ece-9d2d-394eb8659cf6/1595822299778-ac1b2fb0c2482adc4b98a93d56c05b34.jpeg Articles, Resources and More My Favorite OC Alphonse Gets Time To Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/f6293075-3982-4c5e-9772-fa1c023febfc/tabletalk.jpg Articles, Resources and More A Fun Conversation with Joe About RPGs in Classrooms https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/7c92053a-20e1-45eb-a645-422407d419c1/WGBS+logo.jpg Articles, Resources and More The Bobcat Halftime Show - Our Daily News Broadcast designed and run by my 7th and 8th graders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/03f7c20e-2ccc-447b-b4bf-d99ef0e96b4c/DtCMOqaW0AAdRNg.jpg Articles, Resources and More I won a cool award! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/ca52f0ab-fe4d-418e-91e9-e2527c7d6b99/HiddenRoles%2B-%2BCulliope.png Articles, Resources and More Hidden Roles - A fun Chat About DMing https://www.culliopescauldron.com/home daily 1.0 2021-09-20 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/table-norms daily 0.75 2021-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632174741847-VKPFXJVA7CKFC5FE56Z2/beholder.jpg What ARE Table Norms, Anyway? - Table Norms Table Norms are the ideals we hold ourselves to when we are playing RPGs together. By starting out with table norms that we all agree to, we have a common language and set of expectations that we can refer back to, helping to guide our conversations and actions. Good Leaders Need Good Followers, and Good Followers Need Good Leaders Realistically, we can’t play together unless everyone allows it. By buying in, and allowing the DMs to lead, we can all have fun. However, it works both ways. The players are trusting the DMs to be prepared, fair, flexible and fun. All Characters Are Main Characters Equity of stage time. No one gets pushed to the background. Support each other so that everyone gets time in the spotlight. We Are All Here To Have Fun This norm is about having a great attitude, keeping perspective that it is just a game and is the way we enter into talking about safety tools at the table. Students are never too young to talk about safety tools and work together. Check out resources for more safety tools info. Actions Have Consequences In Game and In the Real World This norm is about not being a “murder hobo,” or what I like to call a murder jerk. We try hard to make actions have consequences in game. You burn down the orphanage? You go to jail! You flirt with the guard? Now they send you bad poetry, etc. Also, how you treat others and act as a player at the table impacts how others at the table see you. https://www.culliopescauldron.com/starting daily 0.75 2021-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632185458685-OS9O7Y5I4BJTOH74MQK5/7322554338_3b2f5339e1_b.jpg Beginning an RPG Club - So How Do We Begin? To misquote Nike, we begin by just doing it. Although it is helpful to know what you are doing, it is not required. I certainly had no idea how to play RPGs when we started our first club, a girl centric friendship group called the Slay Queens. The greatest lie of running an RPG is the idea that you have to know all the rules. I promise, the D&D police haven’t come for me yet, so you are likely safe. With Stranger Things in the middle school pop culture universe, Dungeons and Dragons is the RPG most kids have heard of. Is it the best RPG? Or easiest to learn? Is it the most fun? Probably not, but it is the one they are most likely to come across in the real world, so you might want to start with it. We have also had a lot of fun with the Mouse Guard RPG, Kids on Bikes, Quest and homebrew rule systems based on the one page RPG Lasers and Feelings. Here are some tips to get you started on your own adventure with a party of middle schoolers… https://www.culliopescauldron.com/logistics daily 0.75 2021-09-21 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/selling-it daily 0.75 2021-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632245965746-D07XKTYTKSX61BVTYUUZ/PXL_20210921_150421709.PORTRAIT.jpg Getting Started - Selling It - Getting Started: Selling It I will likely not wear this demon idol shirt when I am talking to worried parents… https://www.culliopescauldron.com/new-page daily 0.75 2021-09-21 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/longterm daily 0.75 2021-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632351215680-3TMURKYK500SFAJWD37D/PXL_20210922_203123154.PORTRAIT.jpg Longer Term Management Tips - Longer Term Club Management Tips Table Norms - We love them so much that they have their own section. Safety Tools - Really important. Please read and use. Goodness of Table Fit - Players want different things. Different tables have different flavors. Being able to change tables for goodness of fit is a great precedent to set. We’ve had roleplay heavy tables, classic fantasy tables, whimsical tables, tables that just want pets and marriage, you name it! Sometimes a player does better in a new setting. Give it a try! Squash Gatekeeping and Rules Lawyering - There is nothing that kills fun for new players faster than someone who seems more experienced, or at least confident, telling them they are doing it wrong or aren’t good enough. We love the Rule of Cool. You can often find ways to co-opt your rules focused kids into table archivists or assistants. However, respect for the DM and other players is non-negotiable at our table. Frequent Check Ins - We like to do a warm up check in, and a check out where we tell quick moments that other people had in game that were particularly cool. You can also do informal check ins, monthly surveys, check in with the DMs, etc. Whatever you can do to take the pulse of the group and head off any problems, the better! Make Time For Fun - We love fun! Play, ritual, ceremony, and appreciating each other make the community worthwhile. Take the time to have fun, celebrate growth (or even terrible fails!) And we always encourage snacks!! Take Breaks - We find that we can play for about 45 mins to an hour before we get squirrelly. Feel free to take breaks! Use Your Power (Judiciously!)- As adults, we have Adult Power. We want to use it for good. I always try to air on the side of reminding students of our norms and agreements, and then working it out. Obviously, safety comes first and that cannot always be the case. However, letting the students manage themselves as much as is productive makes it very powerful when you do have to step in. Cupcake Critters by Amiyah https://www.culliopescauldron.com/studentdms daily 0.75 2021-09-22 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/fun daily 0.75 2021-09-22 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/story daily 0.75 2021-09-23 https://www.culliopescauldron.com/teaching-rpgs daily 0.75 2021-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632776058775-EOKX1J9ARG7751NDLR8M/dnd-tomato.jpg Teaching RPGs - A totally average person would have +0 to all traits. But real people, and interesting characters, have some things that they are really good at and other things they are weak at. In DnD, your character will have advantages and disadvantages in these areas based on the stats that make up who they are. I’ll then give everyone a d20 to play with and roll. I’ll explain that they’ll be doing skill checks with the d20. The DM will have a minimum they will need to roll to meet to skill check, and the advantages or disadvantages will impact that. I’ll draw a big puddle on the board and ask them to imagine that we are playing a character who needs to jump over the puddle with their dexterity to land safely on the other side. It will take us a roll of 12 to get to the other side. If we have a lot of dexterity, we might be able to add +3 to our role, and if we are wearing boots of bouncing, we might get another +2. Then I’ll have students roll, and play out the different outcomes with them. We will repeat this with a character who has a -1 to dexterity and heavy armor that gives a -1. Doing this, and answering clarifying questions along the way usually provides the foundation people need to start to understand how to play. We do this before we look at other dice, races, classes, anything else! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632777670705-A5538Y8I2MCPPOXO86B2/fastcharacterelfexample.png Teaching RPGs - Choose a character - I love fastcharacter.com. In seconds you can make all sorts of pregen characters. You have the ability to chose all sorts of features, or none at all. I like to create a variety of different races and classes for students to choose from. They like to choose, even if they have no idea what they are choosing. I will lay them all out, with about 5 extras, and let everyone pick. Try out some skills checks - Then we go back to the idea of the puddle. Everyone rolls and adds or subtracts their dexterity. We try it again with things like imagining we were handling a horse, intimidating a shop keeper, being sneaky, finding forage in the woods, etc. The point is to practice finding different skills quickly, and seeing what their character especially good or bad at. Get past the guard - We generate a list of all the ways you could get past a guard: sneak, bluff, scare, bribe, flirt, knock unconscious, do a dance, trick, etc. Then I ask everyone to look at their character sheets and choose a method that has a better chance of working, based on their skills. We take turns rolling and seeing how it went. It is important that the teacher/DM makes the failures as fun as the successes. We want players to get used to the idea that you would not succeed all the time, and that it can be even more fun! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/1632779655439-DPQ6OTGQUZTML9O88PAW/dcmrtd1-6ca5017d-9772-475a-922e-ad1e50323add.png Teaching RPGs This helpful image to the left is by AutumnArchFey at DeviantArt. Click on it to see it in its orginal setting. The third step is introducing the players to the different races in DnD. Races is not my favorite term, which I am sure you’ll be able to read about at RollforKindness.com someday, but it is what it is atm. DnD Beyond Races DnD5e Fandom Races Page I find it useful for students to see visual images of the different humanoids of DnD. They can then use their pregen character’s equipment and weapon list to draw a picture of them. While they are doing that, I usually start to talk to them a little bit about the different classes, and what they mean. Taking the time to draw out the characters and chat about them, even if they are stick figures, causes the players to look more carefully at what items they have. Sometimes we reconsider how we might have gotten past the guard using an item we didn’t notice we had before Here is a great image with pop culture references to different classes. This youtube channel here has some great videos about dnd, classes, how to play, etc. https://www.culliopescauldron.com/for-you daily 0.75 2024-07-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61465568b622f85a407d984c/9adc0c17-5265-45d8-8a03-a83eb08e07fe/PXL_20230713_162254799.jpg