The Intersection of Creativity, Comedy, Compassion and Perseverance
The Cast, the Setting, the Plot
I’ve gamed with the same group of players, aged 14-18, on Zoom most weeks since the COVID lockdown began. Two players started in-person gaming with me in 2018 when they were just 9 and 10, while our newest member joined this Wednesday group in 2021. This group is nearly 18 months into The Curse of Strahd, a retooled Gothic D&D campaign from the 1970s, our second big campaign together.
I’m privileged to have watched these kids grow tremendously as both players and human beings over these past years.
A Monty “Haul” Moment
When Liam’s character, Thurkk, found a 6th-level spell scroll, I impulsively invented the name “Conjure Inferno” without considering its implications. Together, the players and I collaborated on creating a spell of startling power and breathtaking scope. A tactically brilliant player, Liam immediately recognized its potential. He tucked it away, where it remained unused and seemingly forgotten for months.
The Werewolf Attack
Recently, during a side quest with just three 4th-7th level player characters (PCs), a random encounter roll led to a werewolf ambush. Werewolves are a particularly challenging foe for lower-level PCs. Under D&D 5e rules, they are immune to damage from nonmagical weapons.
The situation was dire—the party had no magical weapons nor magical ammunition, no spellcasters, and the threat of lycanthropy loomed over anyone bitten by one of the three aggressive werewolves, in a hybrid human-wolf form, acting as highway robbers.
The game has progressed long enough that the PCs have acquired plenty of valuables. They would keenly feel it if they were to lose their hard-won loot.
Conjure Inferno and Komzin
When diplomacy failed, the Conjure Inferno scroll is passed to Archer’s PC, Krelldutt, who has the highest chance of casting it successfully. He deploys the spell in the middle of the menacing pack of werewolves, carefully targeting it to exclude Komzin, the nearest PC to the action. Despite impressive damage, two injured werewolves escaped the flames. Theo’s character, Komzin, attempted to grapple one of the creatures, hoping to hurl it back into the inferno, thereby killing it.
And rolled a critical failure—a 1 on a d20 die.
I offered Theo a choice: describe what happens to Komzin or draw from the Critical Failure deck, a set of cards that I sometimes offer my players. These carry random suggestions of what particular flavor of disaster befalls the unfortunate, blundering PC. They are sometimes amusing and occasionally calamitous. With his companions suggesting Komzin might fall into the flames, Theo wisely chose the deck’s uncertain fate over the guaranteed disaster of the still-blazing inferno.
Luck of the Draw
From the deck came the perfect card for this situation: “BLASTOFF: You are thrown 1d6×10 feet in the air in a random direction.” Laughter followed, then silence as Theo rolled the direction in which Komzin would fly. Unfortunately for Theo, this is straight into the inferno.
The Growth Mindset of Gaming
“I’ll probably be fine,” came Theo’s matter-of-fact response. No anger, no upset, no combativeness—just a realistic assessment of his character’s lousy luck.
This moment represents the culmination of years of personal growth for Theo. Role Playing Games (RPGs) provide a unique laboratory for developing grit—the perseverance to face setbacks without becoming discouraged. For young players especially, losing a beloved character or watching plans collapse can feel genuinely devastating.
What makes tabletop RPGs particularly valuable for building resilience is their blend of structured consequences with creative problem-solving. Unlike video games where failure often means restarting, RPGs teach players to adapt to unexpected outcomes and find new paths to move forward. Theo didn’t rage against his bad luck; he just accepted it, assessed what he had left and began calculating his next move.
This growth mindset extends beyond the gaming table. Players learn that failure isn’t necessarily permanent but informative—each setback contains lessons for future encounters. Players develop emotional regulation by practicing disappointment in a safe-to-fail environment where the stakes feel high but remain ultimately fictional.
The collaborative storytelling aspect also reinforces that success isn’t solely individual. Sometimes your character falls into magical fire, but your companions might still save the day—teaching that resilience isn’t just personal grit but that you can also rely upon the support of your community .
In Conclusion…
I can’t claim that D&D is anything other than one of the many things that has contributed to Theo’s emotional growth, but it has played a role. For Theo and countless other players, RPGs offer not just entertainment but a training ground for life’s unpredictable challenges, fostering patience, adaptability, and the courage to roll the dice again despite past failures. This transformation from frustration to acceptance to growth represents the true magic that happens around the gaming table.
Your Next Quest
Your next quest is quite simple. Subscribe to join our party. We’d LOVE to have you with us! Please share this newsletter with others who may find value in the unique intersection of gaming and child development. Comment down below on what we’ve written, if you feel so moved.
Up Next: Stealth Learning: Educational Content Disguised as Adventures Hooks
Related Posts
