Using TTRPGs to Strengthen Communication Skills
I once had a student that we’ll call “Leo.” Leo was tall, Leo was compliant, and Leo was largely nonverbal.
This provided difficulty in the classroom, because it was his senior year at the autism center where I taught, and I wanted to do everything I could to prepare him for adulthood. All Leo wanted to do, though, was watch a specific portion of “Blue’s Clues” in which Ray Charles guest starred as a cartoon piano, and he wanted to listen to Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E.”
Well, Black History Month rolled around for my largely-African-American class, so I thought, “What a great opportunity to talk about key historical figures who may’ve influenced what they liked.” And that’s when I remembered Nat King Cole.
Searching for One’s Voice
Leo tended to be respectfully in his own world during group discussions, but what if I gave a mini-lecture on Nat King Cole? What if I ended it with that same YouTube video of the song Leo had been listening to over and over? Would he recognize the familiarity and tune in?
I did start that mini-lecture, though very few of my students showed enthusiasm. When I got to the first note of that familiar song, though, Leo snatched up his number-two pencil, strode to the front of the classroom and belted out in his pencil-mic, “L is for the way you look at me…” with precision and confidence. He continued to sing every lyric, turned his pencil into a trumpet during the instrumental solo and then sat down afterward to a classroom that was just as speechless as he was on most every other day.
That day revealed something huge to me: When a student resonates with the medium, communication can become unstoppable.
Resonance as the Gateway to Expression
Leo’s performance wasn’t a miracle, though it certainly felt that way. In reality, it was the alignment of lesson and passion that made all the difference. There was nothing in my lesson plans that day that said that I needed to teach the students music. Nevertheless, music was the vehicle through which I effectively communicated to Leo. As I’ve seen with Leo and countless students beyond, the right format for education can bypass fear, anxiety or shutdown. Despite all odds, it can and does unlock authentic expression.
TTRPGs can do this too.
Like the first few notes of “L-O-V-E” for Leo, a roleplaying game can become a stage for quiet students to find their voice. What makes TTRPGs so powerful is that they’re invited to find their voice on their own terms.
Tim’s Journey: From Silence to Hero
Last year, on the last full school day before Christmas break, I had “Tim” in my classroom, alongside a handful of others whose parents hadn’t picked them up early on finals day. Tim was another student who was largely nonverbal. In most classes, he quietly did his work to the best of his ability, and he avoided public interactions.
Since I was to have this small group of students for the remainder of the day, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to dig deeper into Elizabethan England–where my British Literature students had spent a lot of class time learning about Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The perfect vehicle for such a deep dive? Why, Ealdsmyth, of course!
I had had Tim in two classes prior, so I knew he was much more capable than he revealed on the surface. I made a point to work with him one-on-one to ensure he got a clear understanding of his character. As the game progressed, I gave Tim opportunities to give one-word answers to choices his character could make. At first, he was hesitant. Once he realized that his words would affect the story being told, his voice became more and more confident.
In this playful setting, his character gained more responsibility, emotional presence and, eventually, leadership. I had planned to have Anne Boleyn’s headless ghost silently communicate that she had a secret son, but the narrative worked out perfectly to have Tim’s character actually be that secret son and rightful heir to the British throne. Through a series of choices, Tim chose not to fight the horrific ghost but instead to hug her upon realizing that she was his mother. His act of love released the ghost from her invisible tether to the Tower of London, and then the intercom called for him to check out of school.
The other players erupted in applause at Tim’s heroism, he strode out of my room with more confidence than I’ve ever seen in him, and an Ealdsmyth legend was born.
When the stakes are emotional but not personal to the players themselves, students like Tim can practice speaking bravely through the lens of their character.
What TTRPGs Teach About Communication
TTRPGs naturally support three communication competencies: Active listening, negotiation & collaboration, and expressing needs & emotions.
Active Listening
When playing TTRPGs, all parties listen for tone, story beats and emotional subtext to really glean the meaning of the story as it unravels. Players adapt to take turns talking–giving each other space and attention–because every detail matters in the story.
Negotiation & Collaboration
Every plan and every encounter involves making choices together as a team. Players expect each other to voice their opinions, to compromise at times and to ask questions before acting rashly. These are all SEL-rich moments of real-time social growth.
Expressing Needs & Emotions
TTRPGs prompt players to express both their needs and emotions in an organic fashion. Whether declaring a character’s fear or setting a real-life boundary (“I don’t like horror themes”), players practice naming their feelings, asking for help or sharing perspectives. Each one of these is a vital SEL skill.
How Ealdsmyth Supports Respectful, Courageous Dialogue
After each Ealdsmyth session, there are built-in prompts to gently pull characters toward internal reflection and shared expression. These can be from the End-Game List found on the Steward Session Guide. They can also be organic prompts that are delivered more conversationally as the players recount their adventure. “What is your character afraid others will discover about them?” or “Tell the story your village tells about their name,” serve as great improv fodder, but they also invite reflection. Such reflection unlocks emotional vocabulary in subtle and supportive ways.
For most of my Ealdsmyth sessions, I incorporate the X-Card, which can be as simple as a hand-drawn X on an index card. Whenever the story goes into territory that makes a player feel uncomfortable, they can raise the X-Card and the narrative takes a different direction, no questions asked. By incorporating this one simple addition, we normalize expressing discomfort or emotional needs. The X-Card empowers players to have a safe language for setting boundaries. It also provides a structure for reflecting on emotional tone or group dynamics.
Ealdsmyth’s narrative structure invites players to co-author scenes, offering opportunities for self-expression, mutual decision-making and support. Because every player’s ideas shape the world, even quiet voices become valuable echoes in the myth. Tim’s story reminds us of that.
From Fantasy to Real Growth
Just like Leo’s song wasn’t just music, and Tim’s voice wasn’t just in-character, these expressions carry over. After intentional TTRPG sessions, you see things that weren’t apparent before. Students begin to speak up in class. They start checking in with each other. They notice emotional tone. They practice empathy. TTRPGs give them rehearsal space for the kind of communication real life demands.
Let Them Speak in Their Own Language
Not every kid will thrive through lectures, worksheets or oral presentations. If you’re an educator, you may’ve found that out the hard way. If you give those same students a story to shape, however, you’ll be surprised at what they’ll contribute. Give life-hardened teens a character to care about and you’ll be surprised by the ways they open up. Give them a group to belong to, and the quietest amongst them just might find their voice. Sometimes it simply requires dice and a space for collaboration.
A heartfelt “Thank You”
This post was brought to life by the support of my Patreon patrons! Your generosity fuels stories like Tim’s and Leo’s, helping me share tools that bring empathy and connection to classrooms and game tables alike. Thank you for believing in this work!
