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The Transformative Power of Collaborative Storytelling in TTRPGs
Kay Purcell's journey through the gaming landscape reveals powerful insights about resilience, creativity, and inclusivity in tabletop role-playing games. As co-founder of Chaotic Wholesome Presents and an accomplished games master, Kay embodies the spirit of collaborative storytelling that makes TTRPGs such a transformative medium.
The gaming industry has experienced tremendous upheaval in recent years, with widespread layoffs and studio closures becoming an unfortunate norm. Kay's personal experience with this volatility—being laid off after three years working on "Contraband," a co-op smuggling game set in 1970s Southeast Asia—highlights the precarious nature of creative industries. This painful ending, symbolized by the Ten of Swords in our tarot reading, ultimately opened new doors for Kay to focus on TTRPG projects like the charity series "Magnificent Pride" that raised funds while showcasing inclusive gaming spaces.
What makes Kay's approach to TTRPGs particularly noteworthy is their emphasis on accessibility and safety. Despite growing up in an environment where fantasy role-playing games were viewed with suspicion during the "Satanic Panic," Kay eventually discovered the joy of tabletop gaming relatively late in life. This late introduction gave them a fresh perspective on the barriers that prevent many potential players from engaging with TTRPGs. Rather than viewing the extensive lore and rule systems as sacred texts that must be mastered, Kay embraced the freedom to create their own worlds and stories, adapting elements that resonated while discarding those that didn't serve the experience they wanted to create.
This philosophy manifested in "Godplane," a campaign where players are pulled from different worlds into a god's dream to stop a nightmare. The brilliance of this approach is that it allowed Kay to build a framework flexible enough to incorporate diverse elements while maintaining consistency. By creating misty hallways connecting different planes, Kay designed a structure where randomness (rolling to determine where players would go next) could coexist with narrative cohesion. This balance between structure and improvisation demonstrates the unique storytelling potential of TTRPGs.
Perhaps most importantly, Kay champions safety tools that make gaming more inclusive. From session zeros where players discuss boundaries to line-and-veil documents that clearly communicate comfort levels, these practices ensure everyone at the table can fully engage with the game. As Kay eloquently puts it, "Roller coasters are only fun because you really feel like you're safe. You can be safe in a scary thing." This philosophy extends to advocating for greater diversity and representation in gaming spaces traditionally dominated by straight white men.
The Justice card that appeared in our reading perfectly encapsulates Kay's commitment to fairness and accountability in gaming. By challenging the notion that certain people "aren't built to play D&D" and addressing problematic racial coding in classic games, Kay works to create spaces where everyone's story matters. Their implementation of tools like the "rewind feature" for children's games shows how TTRPGs can become vehicles for developing empathy and social skills.
Kay's journey reminds us that tabletop role-playing games are more than just entertainment—they're powerful frameworks for collaborative storytelling that can foster community, build empathy, and create spaces where diverse voices can thrive. By embracing both chaos and wholesomeness, Kay demonstrates how gaming can become a transformative experience that honors each participant's boundaries while encouraging creative exploration.
