On May 14, 2022, a horrific and racially motivated mass shooting was committed at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. In the wake of this tragedy two members of the TTRPG industry, Leona Neelam Maple and Lynne M. Meyer, organized Bundle for Buffalo, a bundle of tabletop games to raise funds in support of the Black community in Buffalo. I was privileged to have a chance to speak with both of them, discussing their love of TTRPGs and the community, and their views on allyship.
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Brent: Leona, Lynne, 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 yourselves?
Lynne: Thanks so much for chatting with us! I’m a bisexual, autistic, genderfluid, chronically ill femme creator living my best life in Chicago as one-third of a long-term throuple. Before becoming a game designer, I worked at a STEM institution overseeing a wide range of Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and honing my skills as a writer, public speaker, and project leader. That work ended when I had to go on a medical leave from my job. I made a midlife career change into games.
Named a 2021 Queer in Games Awardee by Rainbow Game Jam, and a 2019 New Voices in Gaming scholar by Tabletop Network, I’m best known as a writer and editor for the ENnie Award-winning Uncaged anthology. I’m also a member of the BMW Foundation’s Responsible Leaders Network and the Advisory Board of OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership.
Leona: Hi! Thank you so much for having us! I’m a South Asian queer, neurodivergent femme creator and diversity, equity and inclusion expert specialized in helping the gaming industry create amazing, inclusive games and content. I live in Vancouver, Canada. Ever since launching my business, Maple Intersectionality Consulting, I’ve had the honor of working with companies like Paradox Interactive’s World of Darkness and Fantasy Flight Games on projects of all sizes – table top RPGs, board games, books and novels, and more. Prior to stepping into this industry for work, I used to work in public relations and graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in Communications.
B: How did you start playing tabletop games and what drew you into the hobby?
Lynne: My introduction to the world of TTRPGs was with a World of Darkness campaign in 2007, when I was 35 years old. I’d just started dating a long-time friend, North Roberts (who is now my husband). North is a professional actor who specializes in voice work, and has been both playing and running games since he was a kid in the 1980s. A few months into our dating, he invited me to join the new Changeling: The Dreaming campaign he was starting up. I was nervous, but he convinced me to give it a go. Within four sessions, I was hooked. The campaign ran the full gamut, and I loved every minute of it despite the nerves.
North had rightly predicted that I’d love rolegaming because I myself have a theater background; I’d given up on that part of my life in favor of a more traditional academic career, but TTRPGs reminded me of everything that had once made me love to perform. Today, role gaming continues to satisfy that theater itch of mine.
Leona: I started playing TTRPGs online! A friend of mine was participating in a streamed campaign on Twitch and I was very drawn into the idea of playing a game and having an audience to also share in the adventure. I went from being an audience member to a member of their discord community to being on stream playing games. Much like Lynne, my first taste was World of Darkness – I was in a Vampire The Masquerade campaign and that was what got me hooked. I adore the roleplay aspects of TTRPGs and I love how online games can facilitate really cool roleplaying through virtual tools and things like music and how it can impact not just the players but also the audience. I used to do theatre in school and I definitely missed having those improv opportunities and roleplaying brings me a lot of joy.
B: Are you mostly a player or a Game Master/Storyteller?
Lynne: I’ve never been brave enough to sit in the GM seat. Maybe one day I will, but for now I’m content to play.
Leona: I am also mostly a player! I’ve GMed a couple of oneshots but I’m still learning and developing those game master skills.
B: You each work in game design in your own ways. What drew you into game design and can you talk a bit about what you do?
Lynne: I’d been a tabletop gamer for many years, but it was Ashley Warren’s call for contributors to what would become Uncaged that inspired me to start writing. Though it had been decades since I’d written anything creative (during my stint as a film undergrad), Uncaged spoke to me. A Dungeons and Dragons anthology of one-shots, each centered on a feminist reimagining of a traditionally female mythological archetype and its origins? I had to do it. Uncaged—and the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received to it—showed me a new path forward. I realized that I could bring my professional background and my personal identities into my work as a game designer, author, and editor.
Much of my work is in the editing/proofreading part of the creative process. All my life, I’ve had a knack for it; even years ago when I was a film student, editing was the thing I was best at. It’s actually a source of autistic joy for me. Few things feel as wonderful as polishing a text and watching the writer’s ideas (my own or another’s) come through even better than before.
That said, I love writing and designing. Whether it’s a game I’m designing alone or something I’m creating in collaboration with others, what I’m most interested in are games that are inclusive, offer some degree of positivity, and preferably take a (mostly) non-violent approach. Life is already hard and stressful for so many people; I enjoy working on content that provides some respite from that, and which leaves people feeling a bit better for having played it. I want people to have fun, but also feel seen and inspired, be accurately and positively represented in the worlds I create, and know that people of all identities can be heroes.
Leona: Honestly what inspired me to start being a cultural consultant was seeing yet another well meaning but ignorant TTRPG supplement being published. I was tired of seeing South Asian culture being misrepresented in TTRPGs and I felt like I could make a big difference through promoting the idea of cultural consultation and sensitivity reading as a part of the game design process. I’ve been consulting in the industry for a little over 2 and a half years now and every project that I complete inspires me to keep going because it brings me so much joy.
B: In the wake of the horrific racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, you organized the “Bundle for Buffalo: Games for Racial Justice” bundle on Itch. Could you talk a bit about the response from the creator community and how you found the whole process? Why was it so important to organize this support?
Lynne: Honestly, the response has been mixed. On the one hand, we had over 150 games submitted to the bundle, which is fantastic; many of the people who submitted games told us just how much it means to them that the bundle is happening. We’ve heard that feedback from donors, too. Some of it was powerful to the point of moving me to tears.
But on the other hand, the amount of funds raised so far is notably low compared to other charity bundles. Whether that’s because people wrongly think of this as addressing a localized issue and not a national one, or as something doesn’t affect them (wrong again; gun violence and White supremacy are two major problems affecting all of us)—or if it’s a matter of people just not caring as much about Black lives—the fact is that the Bundle for Buffalo has simply not attracted as much support as it deserves.
To me, that’s all the more reason why it’s important that this bundle is happening. We need to keep talking about it and reminding people that this matters, but more importantly, it’s about making a material difference. The shooting in Buffalo may not be front page news for most folks anymore, but the reality is that the community is still grappling with profound trauma and grief. As I say on the bundle page, “ally” is a verb. Words are easy. What matters is what we do.
Leona: Lynne’s already summed it all up but it’s definitely been a mixed bag. The response we got when we called for submissions really blew us away. At the same time, it’s been interesting to see who has and has not been amplifying this bundle ever since it went live on Itch and/or the overall conversation on Black lives, white supremacy, and gun violence. I’ve had multiple people from the Black community tell me just how much they were glad that, in their words, “someone cared” – and that breaks my heart that multiple people felt that no one cares anymore. That’s absolutely not okay. Ever since the May 14th shooting, there’s been countless other shootings across America and maybe that’s contributed to some desensitization and the focus shifting away slightly, but the money from this bundle directly helps the people of Buffalo heal, but also keep doing incredibly important work that will ensure that there are fewer tragedies like the one that happened that day and ever since.
While our focus is on Buffalo, I hope this reminds people that we cannot sit idly by or tune out what is happening. The Bundle for Buffalo condemns all forms of gun violence and stands in solidarity with all of the victims of May 14th and every tragedy moving forward.
B: Proceeds from the bundle go to support Black Love Resists in the Rust, a Buffalo-based organization. Can you tell us a bit about this organization and why you chose it?
Lynne: Leona and I looked at a variety of organizations. While they’re all doing important work in their own ways, we wanted funds to go to an organization that would most directly benefit the affected Buffalo community. We selected Black Love Resists in the Rust for myriad reasons. First and foremost, this is a member-led, abolitionist organization of Black folk and POC, with a long history of grassroots racial justice work in Buffalo. Their approach is multi-faceted—they focus on “Transformative Organizing, Healing Justice, Embodied Leadership and Political Education.”
We especially wanted to support the work they’re doing specifically in response to this tragedy. Because the shooting took place at the sole supermarket accessible to many in the community, BLRR immediately began working with other organizations to provide food for residents who otherwise would be without access. In addition, BLRR has been working to provide mental health services for the community.
Leona: I want to add that BLRR immediately offered all of those mental health services for free to help the community heal and that spoke volumes to us. Black Love Resists in The Rust works to build safe and flourishing communities that fight against white supremacy, cis-heteropatriarchy, capitalism, police violence and more. These are the values that matter most to us and this bundle helps plant the seeds for the kind of systemic change we want to see moving forward.
B: I think we can all agree it’s important that allies be active without overshadowing the work already being done by BIMPOC communities. What advice would you give to folks who want to organize similar support for their local groups?
Lynne: I’m going to defer to Leona’s wisdom on this one. What I will say is this: Allies, remember that it’s not about you. Listen to and center the community you’re interested in supporting.
Leona: This is part of why we selected BLRR – donating to and supporting BIMPOC communities directly through amplifying their work is key. We’re putting money in the hands of those who were directly impacted, and that’s the best way to help. Listen to the community you’re trying to support – really listen – and help them in the ways they ask.
B: Coming back to TTRPGs, what games are currently catching your eye? What do you plan to play soon that has you excited?
Lynne: I’m incredibly excited about Thirsty Sword Lesbians and Coyote & Crow, and would absolutely love an opportunity to play them. They’re brilliant.
Leona: I’ve been checking out Tidebreaker, Avatar Legends, and Good Society.
B: Any upcoming projects you can talk about? What will we see next?
Lynne: There’s so much in the works! One of the things I’m really excited about is the adventure I wrote for Golden Mart, a single player RPG about working retail during the apocalypse. I joke that it’s a bit like what you’d get if you mashed up Clerks and Good Omens. The base game is free on itchio; with the successful Kickstarter last year, there’s now going to be a physical, print version with lots of upgrades making the game bigger, better, and easier to play. Golden Mart is currently undergoing final edits and sensitivity reads, and should be available later this year.
On the editing side, you can look for my work on a bunch of upcoming Cubicle 7 titles, including some incredibly fun ones from their new Doctor Who line. I can’t say more about those yet, so keep checking back for updates.
And although I don’t play on stream often, I make an exception for good causes. I have two appearances coming up:
On June 24, you can find me on http://twitch.tv/playcanceraway raising money for the National LGBT Cancer Network, the only national cancer program founded and directed by members of the LGBT community. GM @TheNoirEnigma will be running us in a Masks: A New Generation game that I know is going to be a lot of fun.
Then on July 8, I’ll be playing D&D 5e on https://www.twitch.tv/gamermomluna as part of Luna’s Extra Life Charity Stream Weekend Extravaganza!
Leona: I want to shout out Hunter The Reckoning 5th edition, which just got released – I had an incredible opportunity to consult on that book and I highly recommend checking it out. If you want to catch me in podcast form, you can listen to the current campaign on the Misfits of Space where we’re playing Scum and Villainy. If you want to catch me on Twitch, you’ll find me on a Vampire The Masquerade stream with Neon Lights Roleplay every second Monday at 8:30PM eastern and soon on the second season of a Pathfinder campaign called Into The Stormlands on Weave The Tale. There’s so many exciting things that I can’t talk about and I can’t wait to tell the world about them when I can!
B: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me! Where can folks find you and your work?
Lynne: Thank you so much for chatting with us! Folks can find me posting on Twitter most days, but folks can also go to my website, support me on Ko-fi or Patreon, or check out my indie games on itchio.
Leona: Thank you so much! The best place to keep up with me is my Twitter, there’s links to everywhere else you can find me in my bio and I always announce what I’m currently on or projects that have just been released on my Twitter as well. You can learn more about my consulting work on my website!
B: When this interview goes up the “Bundle for Buffalo: Games for Racial Justice” bundle will go for another week. Do you want to guess at a final number?
Lynne: I’m hopeful that we’ll pass our goal by a wide margin.
Leona: I hope we not only hit our goal of $10,000 but exceed it!
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Thanks again to Leona and Lynne for talking with me.
At this point, I have done four interviews with charity bundle creators. I think it’s important that the community get to know the folks behind these bundles. Partially because I think they deserve a bit of spotlight for organizing support for the causes they believe in. But also to show that these organizers are you or me. They aren’t celebrities, they are gamers and GMs just like you and me. Any one of us can do this if we find a cause dear to us in need of support.
What sadly sets this bundle apart from the others I’ve covered is that it has not yet fully funded. Lynne and Leona speculated a bit about why that might be above. I’d like to believe that our community can still rally behind this and get it to its goal. I would hate for the people of Buffalo, forced to continue on in the wake of this tragedy, to miss out on any support we can give them. Especially since similar gun-fueled tragedies have occurred in the month since the Buffalo shooting.
If you haven’t yet purchased the Bundle for Buffalo, or if you have but have friends you know might enjoy it, I hope you will go there now and donate. Let’s give the people of Buffalo the same support we’ve shown other causes.
