We’re so happy to be returning to PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia! We presented last year, and we’ll be heading back again for PAX Unplugged 2018. This will be our busiest convention yet, as we’re appearing on a total of SIX Panels!
Here’s the breakdown:
Friday, November 30th
Play Well With Others: Conflict Resolution at the Game Table
11:30 am in the Crab God Theatre
Panel Description:
We have all seen them or had them at our table. The player who goes against the grain, does not follow the house rules, or is just mean. Time and time again you see the advice of “talk to them like an adult” but how? Our panel of experienced Game Masters is here to help! We will talk about how to go about having difficult conversations with problematic players and how to set up your game to prevent problems from happening.
Panelists:
Megan Connell PsyD ABPP [Co-Founder / Host of Psychology at the Table, Geeks Like Us], Adam Davis MEd [Co-Executive Director, Game to Grow], Jack Berkenstock MHS [Executive Director, The Bodhana Group], Grant Ellis [Vice President of Operations/Producer at WebDM Show, RVH Solutions Industry], Satine Phoenix [Co-Creator / Community Manager, Maze Arcana/Wizards of the Coast], Raffael Boccamazzo PhD [Clinical Director, Take This]
Roll for Healing: Therapeutic Game Master Roundtable
4:30pm in the Leviathan Theatre
Panel Description:
The therapeutic use of role-playing games has all but hit the mainstream. Join us for a discussion between the top minds in the field of therapeutic role-playing about what makes their approaches similar, what defines them, and how you can make your own game better for you and your players.
Panelists:
Adam Davis [Executive Director / Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow], Adam Johns [Executive Director / Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow], Raffael Boccamazzo [Clinical Director, Take This], Megan Connell [Therapist, Southeast Psych], Jack Berkenstock [Executive Director, Bodhana Group], Hawke Robinson [Founder, RPG Research]
Inclusivity in Gaming: ASD at Your FLGS
7:00 PM in the Crab God Theater
Panel Description:
This short presentation is designed for proprietors and patrons of Friendly Local Game Stores. The training explains Autism Spectrum Disorders and gives some helpful insight into how people with this diagnosis experience Autism and how we can be more understanding and inclusive in the gaming environment. Understanding how to set boundaries and be inclusive helps make sure that Everybody Plays!
Panelists:
James Kirk [Volunteer Game Master, The Bodhana Group], Jarred Ebert [Founder / Board Member, The Bodhana Group], Jack Berkenstock Jr. [Executive Director / Founder, The Bodhana Group], Jennifer Wertz [Operations Manager/Founder, The Bodhana Group], Adam Davis [Executive Director / Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow], Adam Johns [Executive Director / Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow]
Saturday, December 1st
Bringing Others to the Table
10:30am in the Leviathan Theatre
Panel Description:
RPGs are for everyone. Why wouldn’t they be? We want as many friends around the table as we can get! However, there are sometimes barriers – both obvious and subtle, physical and cultural – to people joining in on the fun. Join Take This and our panel of inclusivity activists as they discuss their barriers to play, as well as their practical tips on how to include diverse groups of people at your table.
Panelists:
Megan A. Connell, PsyD, ABPP [Co-Founder, G33ks Like Us], Adam Davis [Co-Founder, Game To Grow], Tanya DePass [Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Hawke Robinson [Founder, RPG Therapeutics], Doctor B [Clinical Director, Take This]
Collaborative Homebrew 101: Cure for the Common Murder Hobo
1:30pm in the Leviathan Theatre
Panel Description:
We’ve all been there: After hours of meticulously planning an epic campaign, our players kill the quest NPC and run off after the first shiny thing they see. The cure for this problem may be easier than you think. With your help we’ll create a world from scratch, then crowdsource some story hooks with the audience to create a whole campaign of our own. You can steal this adventure and use it in your own game, or steal the techniques and keep your players chomping at the bit.
Panelists:
Adam Davis [Executive Director, Game to Grow], Adam Johns [Executive Director, Game to Grow], Cory Casoni [Creator, Table Titans], Scott Kurtz [Creator, Table Titans]
Sunday, December 2nd
Release the Minions! Introducing RPGs to Youth
12:00pm in the Leviathan Theatre
Panel Description:
We love RPGs and we love sharing our passion with others, but what do we do when we want to share RPGs with the next generation? Join our panelists who specialize in playing RPGs with youth and learn how they introduce the game, modify it, and make it an experience that welcome young people into a hobby they’ll have for a lifetime.
Panelists:
Adam Davis [Executive Director/ Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow], Adam Johns [Executive Director/ Therapeutic Game Master, Game to Grow], Ethan Schoonover [Tech Director/ Teacher/ Dungeon Master, Lake Washington Middle School for Girls]
Will you be at PAX Unplugged this year? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter!