Meet Steph from TTRPGkids

Hello!  

I am Steph Campbell, and I am the person behind the TTRPGkids site! I manage the site, write articles and reviews, make games, run socials, attend talks, and more.

I am a parent to an awesome kid, and I am a former engineer and engineering professor who loves teaching project-based classes. I also love tabletop RPGs as the games they are, as a teaching tool, and in how they are an art form in and of themselves.

You can find my full portfolio here if you’re looking for more of my resume.

How I started playing TTRPGs: My first TTRPG was a D&D 1-shot (a one-session game) with a family friend! Years later, I picked it up again, but as the GM, after listening to Critical Role.

Favorite TTRPG Classes/Archetypes: Artificer, Bard, Cleric (so… ABC). I bounce between these or find a class that combines them in whatever weird non-D&D system I’m playing that week.

Favorite Fandoms: STAR TREK (this is a big one), Xena Warrior Princess, K-Pop Demon Hunters, The Owl House, Critical Role, and Pokemon.

Other Games I Love: Nancy Drew computer games, Escape Rooms (in-person and virtual), Pokemon, Sequence, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Expedition 33.

When I’m Not Playing D&D: I’m a former engineering professor, but now roleplaying games are my full-time gig! You can find me playing other tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGS), writing and publishing my own games, speaking at conventions, and writing for my website. I also love reading, hiking, and hanging out with my kid.

Why I started TTRPGkids: I started TTRPGkids because as I got more into tabletop RPGs with my kid: 

1. I saw a mix of parents and teachers either asking questions and seeming confused or giving advice and touting the benefits about starting TTRPG’s with kids, but not really finding each other
2. I found a lot of creators making cool games for kids while, and I found a lot of parents saying they had a hard time finding tabletop RPGs for their kids
3. I am an engineer who LOVES research projects, and there’s enough data and games out there that I will never have a lack of new things to check out or learn about in the realm of tabletop RPGs

TTRPGkids was created as a one-stop shop for me to put my research to use by sharing my knowledge, games, and resources with families, educators, and other creators so they could more easily introduce their kids to these awesome games or make games that were more accessible to kids. 

I’m also dedicated to helping creators have a space where they can be heard and see their projects highlighted and shared, and I’m creating a space for people to connect with others in the gaming industry!

To me, this is another creative outlet (just like when playing a TTRPG) that I hope to share with all of you as we learn to introduce this awesome hobby to our kids.