What you will need

Before I launch into how to start a TTRPG in your library, I will first provide some information on what you need to have at the ready in order to play a TTRPG. In reality, the items you need to run a TTRPG can be as complex or as simple as you like. You will need to adapt it to the needs of your players and the budget you have access to.

In my opinion all you need to get started are tables, enough to sit six people around comfortably (Figure 3.1); scrap paper; pencils (not pens); and of course dice (Figure 3.2 on the next page). In Chapter 5 there is a list of 20 TTRPGs other than D&D that you can play in your library, with short reviews and a synopsis of each game.

Most, if not all, TTRPGs require some sort of dice system to play; however, many require only standard six-sided dice which can be easily sourced. The other kind of dice, which range from four-sided up to 20- sided, can be purchased in sets for approximately £7.00 (USD 8.00).

All in all, dice should not cost you a lot. Once students become interested in TTRPGs, they will often come with their own dice. In my library I have found that students have a personal connection with their dice and, like many adults who play TTRPGs, consider some dice lucky or unlucky. One student in our school who plays in the library regularly builds his own dice jail where other players like to place their own unlucky dice that appear to be rolling consistently low numbers!

I also suggest getting a binder with clear plastic sheets. This will be a lifesaver when it comes to storing information like campaign storylines and copies of players’ character sheets. I also use binders to hold upcoming fights, so if I know players will most likely be encountering a monster, I print off all of its statistics, mannerisms and abilities and have it ready to go in the binder. The same goes for magical or important items that I think the students might come across, as well as NPCs. I discuss player backstories and more in Chapter 4.