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Welcome to "Dungeons and Collaboration," a player's handbook for working on distributed teams.
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My name is Rolen Le, and you can find me on Twitter at @RolenTV.
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I am from Washington, DC. I'm a dad, a husband, a Rubyist, and sometimes a little late.
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Let's get things kicked off with a session zero, where we can set expectations and get on the same page.
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What's a tabletop role-playing game? You might have heard of popular ones such as Dungeons and Dragons and Call of Cthulhu.
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Is it like a tabletop board game? Sort of. Players take turns making moves, but unlike a board game, there's no winner.
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Is it like an RPG video game? Sort of. You play as characters and tell amazing stories, but you're only limited by your imagination, not what’s in the game.
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I define it as collaborative storytelling governed by a set of rules, where three to six players act as main characters in a story, and one other player acts as the Game Master or Dungeon Master who facilitates the story.
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The Game Master controls the game's supporting characters, its terrains, and all the challenges, such as monsters and traps. They also act as a referee and help adjudicate the rules, creating a story by using the rules to help build narrative tension.
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Now that we know what tabletop role-playing games are, let's get started as I walk you through my journey from 2016 to 2018.
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First, the tip is to find the right game with the right people. These two elements dictate the majority of my experience.
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One decides what I do, and the other is who I do it with. This is essential for finding the right company with the right culture, which can either spell success or disaster for my career.
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Let's take a look at the first half of the equation: the right game. Games are frameworks of rules that help facilitate specific types of play.
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Scrabble lets people showcase their vocabulary, while Risk allows players to demonstrate their military prowess. RPGs are similar.
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Some RPGs focus on simulating the world's physics, like how much armor weighs or how fast a horse can run, while others focus more on storytelling, having rules that set clear boundaries and potential consequences.
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The game I chose was Dungeon World, created in 2012. It's a small indie game that allows players to engage in a high-fantasy setting similar to Dungeons and Dragons but without as many rules.
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One of the creators originally called it "hipster Dungeons and Dragons." Both games have the same genre conventions, such as wizards and elves, but Dungeon World has fewer rules and gives players more discretion.
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Dungeon World is powered by The Apocalypse, which means it's a fork of another game called Apocalypse World. This gives it a signature feature, the 2d6 mechanic.
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First, a player decides what they want to do, for example, "I swing my sword at the goblin." Then the GM prompts the player to make a roll of two six-sided dice.
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If the sum of the dice is between 10 and 12, the player succeeds, and the GM narrates what happens; for instance, "You slice the goblin, and it falls to the ground." If the roll is between 7 and 9, the player gets what they want but with some added costs; for example, "You slash the goblin, but it stabs you back in the shoulder." And if it's between 2 and 6, the player fails, but the game rewards them with experience to help them level up their character; for example, "Your attack completely misses, and your sword flies out of your hand." So the game allows for players either to succeed or learn from their failures.
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Now, let's look at the other half of the equation: the energy process of finding a group to play each role-playing game with. Finding the right people is crucial.
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For example, pre-pandemic, if I wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons in the DC metro area, here are just some of the meetups I could have attended.
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For Dungeon World, however, there was no dedicated meetup in DC. So how did I pursue my passion that wasn’t available locally?
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I went to roll20.net, a platform sort of like Zoom but with a digital playmat, allowing you to roll dice and share documents. It also had a great feature that helped me find a group that wanted to play Dungeon World at a time that worked for me.
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However, just because I found a group didn’t mean they were the right group for me. This starts with setting the right expectations.
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Just like starting a new job or project, noting what I’m getting into will help manage my happiness. Just like we did earlier, we can have a session zero, where we all get on the same page discussing our personal goals and sharing a vision.
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For example, are we playing a game that's like "Lord of the Rings" or "Game of Thrones?" Both are fantasy but vastly different. If I go into a game thinking we're going on an epic journey, and halfway through, my party members go off on me, I'm not going to have a great time.
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We also need to be adaptable. Let's say a player says, "I want to be a pirate." If the GM responds with, "You can’t be a pirate because I want to set my game in the desert," that shuts down the conversation immediately.
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Starting with a hard no shuts down people's creativity, making them less likely to present ideas in the future. One way to approach this is to never start with no and always ask why, getting to the root of what people want and helping solve their problems instead of just saying no to misaligned tactics.
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The GM could say, "I was thinking of setting the game in the desert; why do you want to be a pirate?" The player replies, "I want a boat!" The GM could respond, "What if a boat traveled on sand instead of water?" I recommend using this tip when developing features to ensure we know what is being built is done correctly.
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We also need to make sure we're creating a safe environment for our fellow players, which we can accomplish by using safety tools. One tool is to have a conversation during the session zero, establishing lines and veils. Lines are things that players don’t want to engage with at all.
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For instance, I personally don't want anything to do with childhood trauma, especially now as a parent.
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Others are veils; these are topics that might be part of the story but can be glossed over or faded to black. An example would be physical intimacy. It’s okay to mention that characters are romantically involved, but I don’t want to listen to a detailed roleplay of a makeout session.
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Sometimes things are brought up in play that we didn’t realize bothered us. For that reason, there's the X-card, which originally came from in-person play, where an index card marked with an X would sit in the middle of the table.
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Any player could pick it up or point to it, signaling they wanted something to be changed that made them uncomfortable. As people have migrated to online play, players can verbally call for an X-card or type an X in chat.
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I recently read a story online where someone was in the middle of play and realized they were uncomfortable with spiders being in the game. They put an X in chat, and the game quickly noticed, asking for a break, swapping out the spiders for frogs, making the player more comfortable without changing the game drastically.
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Now that I've talked about role-playing games, let’s walk through an example of a party I found and the adventure we embarked on.
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Let’s meet the party. We had our game master, Jonathan, and our healer, Hawthorne, played by Lux from Australia. Kaibo, our thief, was played by Josh from Texas.
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Wisteria, our druid who could turn into any animal, was played by Wussy from California. I played Ury, the wizard, from Washington, DC.
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We were five people spread across four time zones and two continents, so the least we could do was respect each other's schedules.
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We played from 5 to 9 PM on Sunday nights, meaning we started at 7 AM Monday morning for Hawthorne, so she needed a bit of extra time to get going.
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As for me, I normall had to stop at 9 PM to go to sleep and prepare for work the next day.
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We were also three men and two women of diverse backgrounds, and our ages ranged from our 20s to 40s, necessitating cultural awareness. In my old group, we were all twenty-something guys who shared similar experiences, but playing online opened my mind.
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I became more mindful about references and things that not everyone at the table might understand. For instance, if I compared a dragon to Charizard, not everyone might recognize that reference, so I should clarify it by describing the dragon's features.
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Now, let’s flip the perspective a bit. I'll solo role-play while occasionally rolling a six-sided die to keep things interesting.
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The party has just fought a big dragon, and now I’ve come to town to celebrate our hard-won victory. Where and how should we celebrate in town?
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1) Drinking in a tavern, 2) Having a barbecue in a park, 3) Attending a wedding reception at a castle, 4) Participating in a parade, 5) Throwing a gala on a rooftop, or 6) Having a dance party at a wizard's tower.
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What did the dice say? Five! A gala on a rooftop!
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The entire party is at this event in their most regal outfits. Kaibo is at the bar doing shots with the staff behind the counter.
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Hawthorne is being a great diplomat, greeting all the new guests. Ury has someone cornered, boasting about how he single-handedly slayed the dragon, and no one else helped.
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Meanwhile, Wisteria is transformed into a beautiful eagle, flying around and taking in the surrounding view from the rooftop.
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A dwarf can be heard climbing up the stairs. He appears before the adventurers breathlessly.
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"Greetings, adventurers! I'm Max Overflow, head of the town guard.
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Our herbalist, Bergeron Johnson, has been kidnapped by a group of baddies. Our town guard isn’t prepared for this kind of trouble, so you’re our only hope! Our intel suggests that the kidnappers are in a cabin in the woods, so go to the shopkeeper Ada, and she'll outfit you with anything you need before making your way to rescue him."
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The party accepts the mission. Remember to use descriptive language when conveying a situation. The more detailed something is, the easier it becomes for us to establish a shared vision.
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Similar to software development, providing a stack trace is far better than saying, "It just doesn't work," and a detailed user story is much more effective than saying, "Make it pop." Let’s fast forward to the shop.
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The party enters a fairly small shop with a counter directly across from them and shelves containing basic goods, clothes, adventuring gear, and mundane equipment.
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However, there is one item on the shelf that stands out. What weapon would that be? One: The Sword of Truth, Two: The Prestidigitation Bow, Three: The Non-fungible Throwing Axe, Four: The Free Britney Spear, Five: The Flail Whale, or Six: Chekhov's Gun?
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The answer is Chekhov's Gun! Let’s write that down. Behind the counter stands an older looking woman with yellowish skin. She jumps out of her chair and says, "Well hello there! You must be the adventurers Axle mentioned. Anything unique is on the house!"
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As she turns around to reach for the top shelf, the party notices she is missing part of her ring finger on her left hand. If she has her hands, they bear visible scarring; however, she quickly checks to see if there's anything else they need. "Those woods are very dangerous," she warns.
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It's crucial to reiterate key details. Audio may cut out, or the listener may misunderstand something the first time. Even if the listener hears everything, restating it reinforces the point and distinguishes it from minor details.
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"Nope, I'm fine," the party responds. Hawthorne approaches the counter and offers to help lessen the scarring on her hand, acknowledging that while she can’t bring back her finger, healing it would lessen the pain.
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"Thank you for your offer, but I'm fine as I am. This serves as a nice reminder of all the fun I've had. I mentioned you're an adventurer; do you know anything about the woods?" The shopkeeper responds, "Indeed, I've seen many dangerous things in those woods. Some hide in the trees, others in the bushes. Always be on the lookout!"
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Thank you; I’ll keep an eye out for anything lurking in the trees and bushes. Active listening is a technique where the listener focuses on what and how the speaker says something, then paraphrases it in their own words.
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I found this especially useful in both software development and role-playing because it acts as a checksum to ensure everyone is on the same page.
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Kaibo notices Chekhov's Gun on the wall; it's a simple, smooth pistol that feels familiar. “Ah, you like the look of that?" the shopkeeper says. "I acquired it in my last adventure; it’s yours if you want it."
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"Is there anything I can do to help get our herbalist back?" she offers. "Thank you!" The party continues walking. They leave the shop and start to make their way to the cabin, but now need to set up camp.
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The party gently discusses what to do next, and Ury, expressing confidence after fighting a dragon, declares, "I can handle a simple rescue mission. I'll sneak off and save Bergeron Johnson all by myself!" The onion-bod visceral can be heard laughing.
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As they approach to observe, they spot two baddies on patrol. What do you do, Ury?" I blast both of them with a fireball," he declares confidently. "Awesome, make a roll!" "Eleven; success! If they turn to ash!"
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"What do you do now?" They continue to move closer to the herbalist. Ury arrives at the entrance where Bergeron is being held, observing two enemies guarding the entrance. "What do you do?" "I cast Magic Missile on one of them," he responds.
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"Partial success." You manage to take one down, but the other knocks the wand from your hand. "Well, I take out the other one!" "Success! They are both taken out! What do you do?" "I burst into the room and scream, "Relief! Ury is here to save you!"
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Now, while this series of events may seem thrilling for Ury, the other three players could very well be disengaged, likely checking Twitter or being on their phones.
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It becomes difficult to pull them back in. Similar to the tech world, don’t be a rock star in RPGs; don’t hug the spotlight.
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Everyone contributes and adds to the excitement of the experience. Back in the cabin, Ury sees and smells dark gas filling the air and starts to feel lightheaded.
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"What do you do?" Ury says, "I hold my breath and cover my mouth with my jacket." "Failure; you pass out!" Let’s check back in with the rest of the group.
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The party wakes up to the sound of an explosion and a flash of light from the farm, as if someone just cast a fireball. Kaibo whispers under his breath, "What the heck just happened?"
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Hawthorne speaks up, saying, "The shopkeeper mentioned that the baddies could be hiding anywhere! Wisteria, can you scout ahead and see what's going on?" That's a fantastic idea!
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"I'll turn into a bird and keep a low profile." Wisteria flies around and spies two baddies hiding in the bushes.
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What’s up with that wizard rushing in? What an idiot! Doesn’t he know anyone can hide in trees and bushes?" Wisteria returns to the group and tells them what's going on.
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"Coco, what do you do?" I sneak over and pull out Chekhov's Gun and take out one scout before quietly taking out the other!
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Success! You take out both. Hawthorne, what do you do?" "I go to one of the corpses and cast Speak with the Dead. This allows me to ask a corpse three questions they must answer truthfully.
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The first question is, "Where is Jerry?" The corpse answers, "The boss probably has him."
The second question is, "Who’s your boss?" His answer is, "He's a Mind Flayer."
The last question is, "How do we defeat him?" The answer is, "He's afraid of spiders."
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With this information, the party quickly approaches the cabin. What do you all do next?" Ury turns into a spider and sneaks into the cabin.
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Inside the cabin, you see Ury struggle with Pascal’s contest, which has turned into a mind control scenario. The Mind Flayer is scheming about how to control the herbalist, convincing everyone that medicine is bad.
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Wisteria, what do you do?" "I jump on him and scream, 'You hippie!'" Kaibo, what do you do?" "I sneak into the room with my Chekhov's Gun drawn.
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Hawthorne, what do you do?" I follow closely behind Kaibo. Remember to play off each other’s actions, just like in software development. Everyone contributes with different skills, so it’s best to work together.
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As the encounter unfolds, the Mind Flayer is caught off guard and ultimately defeated. Afterward, everyone reflects on the adventure.
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The moderator mentions they were researching in the woods when the Mind Flayer and his goons captured him. Before that, he found Stones of Far Speech which allow him to communicate with all of you.
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The players thank him for the gift. At the end of the session, we usually ask three questions, and for each yes, we gain a point of experience.
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Did we uncover treasure? Yes! The gifts we received! Did we overcome a notable enemy or monster? Yes, we defeated the Mind Flayer. Did we learn something new about the world? Yes, we learned a ton of valuable lessons.
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For example, we discovered the importance of finding the right group of people, being empathetic, and playing off each other's skills to enhance our remote collaboration.
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When I originally gave this talk four years ago, our party was in the middle of our campaign, experiencing a high point of fun.
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However, our campaign has been over for three years. I wanted to do a tabletop version of a retro called "Roses and Thorns," where we discussed things that worked for us and things that didn’t.
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Let's start with Roses. We completed the campaign, the first time I've ever accomplished that. Even groups with great chemistry don’t always finish because life can get in the way.
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The satisfaction of wrapping up our story with an epic in-game battle felt great. Also, I turned random people from the internet into friends—people I still keep in touch with. I even send them Christmas cards every year.
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What didn’t go well? We started a new campaign, but it wasn’t the same as before. We were the same people plus one new addition, but different roles. The quirky player became the brooding one, the jokester became the straight man, and the gloomy person became a silent loner.
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We struggled to click and didn’t have as much fun. We also experienced burnout after playing non-stop for two years; we began running out of creative juices.
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We tried to keep things fresh by taking breaks and playing other games. However, it became difficult to continue after Lux got a new job, and I was expecting my daughter.
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This whole experience has been one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done. I am proud to have been part of this party. I want to thank Josh, Jonathan, Lux, and especially Wussy, who created all the art for this.
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Thank you for your time, and have fun gaming!