When bad things happen, the TTRPG community bands together to do what it can to offer support. I’ve said it before but it is one of the things I love about this community. Whatever the issue we try to help as much as possible.
When the reversal of Roe vs. Wade by the US Supreme Court was leaked, it sounded an attack on reproductive rights, not just in the US but everywhere. Bodily autonomy is an unalienable human right and until everyone has it, all of us must do what we can to fight for it.
The TTRPG community has stepped up to the fight. Directed by Emily from Roll for Romance, the TTRPG Bundle for Reproductive Rights seeks to bring much needed resources to the fight. I was lucky enough to get some time to talk with Emily, about her love for TTRPGs, Roll for Romance, and her thoughts on community action.
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Brent: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me! For those not familiar with you and your work, could you tell the folks a bit about yourself?
Emily: Thank you so much for your interest! I’m Emily and I’m the DM for the spicy D&D podcast, Roll for Romance. I’ve also designed a couple of TTRPGs and am generally a TTRPG enthusiast.
B: How did you start playing tabletop games and what drew you into the hobby?
E: I grew up with parents who played AD&D and because of that, I’ve been fascinated by D&D and TTRPGs since I was a kid. I would spend hours reading through their Monstrous Manual and just dream of being part of an epic adventure and encountering those creatures. I played a few TTRPG-type games as a kid, but most kids I knew thought they were super weird so I gave up on them. It wasn’t until after college that I fully embraced my true geekiness and dove into TTRPGs full-force.
B: How long were you a player before you started GMing? What prompted the switch?
E: I played a few short campaigns of VtM and 4e D&D. When 5e came out I was desperate to play it but no one was running a game, so I decided to DM a campaign even though I had zero experience. Now here we are, many years later and I am still the perpetual GM. At the time, I coerced members of my dance troupe to play with me and now they are all just as obsessed with TTRPGs as I am. My dream is to be a player in a regular campaign some day. The only games that I’ve been in that have lasted more than a few sessions were ones I ran–I think it’s because I’m very stubborn and persistent about making things work.
B: What led you into recording an actual play podcast? Is it something you had wanted to do for a while?
E: I wanted to do an AP podcast or stream ever since I started watching Critical Role back at the beginning of campaign one. It was just such a magical and inspiring thing they were creating. Unfortunately, no one else I knew wanted to do it with me so I let the idea go. When the pandemic hit, my friends and dance troupe members lost our outlet for creativity and performing. So I asked them if they wanted to make a podcast together as a way to stay connected and keep the creative spark alive. Shockingly, they agreed and so here we are!
B: What’s something about producing a podcast you wish you had known when you started? Any advice for folks looking to record their own podcast?
E: Make a few test episodes and then commit to not publishing them, even if you think they’re entertaining! Those first few episodes aren’t going to be a good representation of what you have to offer and you’ll be so thankful in the future that you don’t have them out there as what new listeners hear. So make those first few episodes and then throw them in the trash (or at least hide them away for future bonus content), no matter how painful it feels to not use those many hours of work. My biggest regret from launching Roll for Romance is that I didn’t stick with my gut and follow this advice. Now we’re having to find ways to get new listeners past those rougher quality episodes, when we could have had a super solid start.
B: Roll for Romance is very much an AP focused on the more, let’s say “social” aspects of D&D. Was that focus important to you? You all sound like you’re having the best time when you play.
E: My favorite part of DMing has always been social interactions and creating meaningful character relationships, so when we were thinking about what kind of show we wanted to make it was a no-brainer to do something that focuses on romance. Plus, we all love fantasy romance novels and getting to explore those themes and tropes through our game is a ton of fun!
B: What can listeners expect when they tune in to Roll for Romance? What’s a moment that stands out for you?
E: If you listen to Roll for Romance, expect a lot of comedy, roleplay and romance-infused storytelling, and spicy moments (like any good romance novel has). We have so much fun recording and have a lot of previous experience performing together, and I think that really shines through when you listen to the show. One of my favorite moments was from our most recent episode. There was a dramatic moment where an NPC named Luc was finding out his true identity and my players immediately were like “Oh my god, is the Baron his father??” and that was (spoiler-alert) vaguely correct so then they made me do the line from Star Wars in the Baron’s ridiculously over-the-top vampire voice about being kind of Luc’s father. It was so unexpected and funny and we all found out that apparently I steal my plot (unintentionally) from Star Wars.
B: You’ve also designed a few games of your own, Kissmas Spirit and Shot Through the Heart. What drew you into game design?
E: I never imagined I’d design any of my own games, but after I shared an idea about doing a holiday rom-com game with some friends in the TTRPG community, they were so encouraging that I had to try! I really enjoyed the process of making Kissmas Spirit so when the first Caltrop Core Jam happened, I had to make something and that was when I created Shot Through the Heart. Hopefully some day I’ll have time to make another game, because it really is such a fun and rewarding process.
B: In the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to abandon previous law supporting reproductive rights, you organized the “TTRPGs for Reproductive Rights” bundle on Itch. For those not familiar with how that works, could you touch briefly on the process and talk about the support you got from the creator community?
E: When I heard the news of the Supreme Court’s draft overturning Roe v. Wade, I was shocked and enraged. I felt helpless but knew I had to try to do something. The thought of organizing a bundle to raise money popped into my head but I was nervous to do it because I’d never coordinated something like that before. A few hours later, I saw a tweet from Rue, the organizer of the Trans Rights bundle, saying that they’d assist someone if they wanted to do a bundle. I took it as a sign and messaged them immediately. Their help was invaluable for setting up the bundle!
As far as the process of making the bundle goes, I created a form for submissions to the bundle and put out a call the next morning on Twitter. Thanks to all the amazing people who shared that call for submissions, less than 24 hours later, I had over a hundred creations submitted to the bundle. I also had Anna from 6 String Games reach out as she had thought to create a similar bundle, so we decided to join efforts and she and the 6 String Games team helped spread the word about the bundle. Once submissions closed, I looked through all of the submitted games and added them to a co-op bundle on itch.io. Then, I waited for all 200 creators to approve their content for the bundle (apologies to the people I bugged a few times to approve, I just really wanted to make sure the bundle went live haha). Once everything was approved, the bundle was ready to go and I published it. Throughout the whole process, I was amazed and touched by how supportive the TTRPG community was. There is no way I could have ever made this bundle without them contributing their content and spreading the word.
B: Your initial goal was $1000USD. Currently the goal has been increased to $40,000 and the amount raised is $43,723. Congratulations! Were you surprised by the response? How does it feel that so many folks support this effort?
E: It feels wild for me to even say this, but at the time of me saying this, we’ve raised over $70,000. [Editor’s Note: At the time this article is going up, the amount raised is actually $107,164.88 USD -dc] I had no idea the bundle would get this kind of response and it’s incredibly moving to see. I’ve cried multiple times the past few days because I’m just so thankful for everyone who has purchased the bundle and everyone who contributed their creations to the bundle. It lightens the weight of the anger and fear I’ve felt over the past few weeks due to the Supreme Court’s draft and I hope that it has the same effect for others.
B: You’re splitting the proceeds from the bundle between Planned Parenthood and NNAF (National Network of Abortion Funds). Can you tell us a bit about these two organizations and why you chose them?
E: We decided to go with Planned Parenthood and NNAF because they are both massive contributors to the efforts to protect reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood provides crucial services on a national level and NNAF covers areas of the US that are most in-need and at-risk if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The goal with choosing these two organizations was to ensure that much-needed funds would be distributed on both national and local levels and across race, gender, and economic status.
B: Coming back to TTRPGs, what games are currently catching your eye? What do you plan to play soon that has you excited?
E: Oh my gosh, there are so many cool games in the bundle that I’m dying to play! Pearl & Provenance and Royal Blood are two that I’m already trying to set up to play soon. If I can figure out the logistics, my hope is to facilitate a stream to highlight some of the stellar games included in the bundle.
B: Are you mostly a player or a GM? What’s it like at the table with you in the GM seat?
E: Almost entirely a GM, thought not for lack of trying to be a player. As for what being at my table is like, it really varies from game-to-game and what my players want (some campaigns are serious and elaborate and others are just pure chaos). One thing I consistently strive for across all my games is that players feel safe to ask questions, explore their characters and the setting, and make meaningful choices that shape the game. In particular, I love running sessions for new players and doing my best to make sure their introduction to TTRPGs is one that feels supportive, fun, and encourages them to play again.
B: If you had a chance to play any TTRPG, what would you choose and why?
E: I have the books for the Chuck Tingle TTRPG and would love to play that at some point! I just love him so much and think he’s a national treasure, so it would be a delight to run a game based on something from his unique and hilarious mind.
B: Besides the bundle and podcast, any upcoming projects you can talk about? What will we see next?
E: I have a lot of things in the works, but have put them on the backburner while working on the bundle. I feel kind of weird trying to promote things I had previously planned to launch for the podcast while the bundle is live, so nothing firm to announce at the moment other than our regular biweekly episodes.
B: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me! Where can folks find you and your work?
E: Thanks, Brent! I really appreciate you taking the time to help spread the word about the bundle. I’m @rollforromance on Twitter. Additionally, all of my links for TTRPG content and the podcast can be found here: https://linktr.ee/rollforromance
B: When this interview goes up the “TTRPGs for Reproductive Rights” bundle will go for another three weeks. Do you want to guess at a final number?
E: Oh gosh, I honestly have no clue because this whole thing has wildly surpassed any expectations. If we can get to $100k, that would be mind-blowing, so let’s hope for that!
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The TTRPG Bundle for Reproductive Rights runs for another three weeks! Don’t miss the opportunity to help a fantastic cause and get yourself some excellent games and TTRPG resources. And check out Roll for Romance for some excellent actual play.
