#45: How Playing RPGs Can Help

RPGs (Role Playing Games) have been around for a long time. The number one RPG board game that comes to mind is always (D&D) Dungeons and Dragons, designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and was released in 1974. What a lot of people do not realize are the benefits of playing RPGs.

Masking

A top issue within the Neurodiversity community is masking. It is essentially people hiding who they really are in order to fit in. RPGs can help a Neurodivergent person in many ways.

First, playing an RPG can help a Neurodivergent person to take off the mask. Because when you mask long enough, one often forgets who they really are. One can lose their identity at work and sometimes even at home. Playing an RPG can help us to remember who we are. For example, when your character is facing a bad guy, you are often presented with multiple ways to succeed: Fight, talk, deceive, run, etc. Choices reveal a lot.

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

-Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Second, playing an RPG can also help people to try to imagine being someone else on purpose. For example, some people may feel weak and powerless. How about experiencing what it’s like being a barbarian who is strong, wielding a sword and charging into battle? Maybe by doing so in an RPG, a person can discover that maybe they were strong all along…

Social Skills

Scientific studies have shown the benefits of playing games for those who are Neurodivergent since they often have poor social skills.

First, playing a tabletop RPG with friends can help to build friendships and social skills because many games often benefit from working together. It also builds teamwork by helping each other out. At the same time, everyone can fun.

Second, when playing an RPG video game, it is a good way to practice social skills in a safe environment. For example, when interacting with other characters, it can show what happens when you are mean or cold vs nice then seeing the consequences of those choices.

Third, RPG video games can help Neurodivergents to build empathy and to better understand people. For example, many video games such as the Mass Effect games go very deep into a character’s backstory and history. One can then understand why a person do what they do. It can also teach the importance and need to understand people.

Finally, some games demonstrate the benefits of getting to know people and developing relationships. For example, in Marvel’s Midnight Suns that came out in late 2022, you get scored positively and negatively based on your interactions with the other characters. Just by engaging them in conversations, one can view and understand a rich story behind a character. This in turn unlocks more powers and abilities, so your team gets stronger and can win fights more easily.

Exploring Different Paths

For me growing up, Asian parents often expect their kids to pursue careers that have high levels of pay and prestige such as doctors or lawyers. Even in many traditional families, one’s career path can often be fixed or out of our control due to gender stereotypes, culture, history, or the norms of specific countries and cultures. RPGs can help by giving people the chance to be someone different or try to experiment doing things differently. For example, a person who is nice and non-confrontational might want to try being a sneaky Rogue. One might even like doing things differently instead of their normal everyday selves.

Playing an RPG can also help you figure out which job is right for you. Cybersecurity in particular is very challenging with so many different jobs and functions. For example, based on D&D classes, if you like playing a Cleric, which is a support character, you might like being a Cybersecurity manager. Or if you like playing a Rogue, a character that focuses on stealth and sneak attacks, you might like being a penetration tester or hacker. Here is my rough guide mapping D&D classes to Cybersecurity jobs.

Barbarian --> Penetration Tester / Hacker

Bard --> Cybersecurity Manager

Cleric --> Cybersecurity Manager

Druid --> SOC Analyst

Fighter --> SOC Analyst

Monk --> SOC Analyst

Paladin --> Cybersecurity Manager

Ranger --> Penetration Tester / Hacker

Rogue --> Penetration Tester / Hacker

Sorcerer --> Security Architect

Warlock --> Security Engineer

Wizard --> Security Architect

Renaissance

Playing an RPG as a video game makes things easier without having to worry about little pieces or remembering rules. My first video game RPG was Autoduel that was released in 1985 and played on the Apple IIe, it was fun.

It is now a great time to dive into RPGs. There has been many incredible video games in the past few years including: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Dragon Age: Origins, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Pillars of Eternity, and more. Now it feels like a Renaissance, with this year alone seeing the release of many new RPG video games with advanced graphics including: Diablo IV, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Starfield. Games like Diablo IV has also pushed the envelope for accessibility, having around 50 options and settings. Ultimately playing an RPG can free one’s mind to explore possibilities, see their world differently, and have some fun along the way. Happy gaming!

“This is the new world. And in the new world you can be whoever the f*** you want.”

– Maeve, Westworld

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.

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