Theo Dudek, Ultimate Game Master

The other day I was reading up on the various New Deal programs that were created then to get through the Great Depression. ^_^ Among them was a great deal of arts programs, the ancestor of modern government programs which sponsor artists, writers, playwrights, etc. (Of course, my high school had its arts program cut in my senior year, but…)

This got me thinking: could RPGs ever be deemed worthy of federal money? They could definitely be considered an art form — in addition to the writing and live-action performance elements, there is a strong connection to oral storytelling, which has its own guilds and subculture, like the Masons, that not many outsiders know about. Of course, there are risks that could come with accepting this money, such as the possibility that DMs might be forced to produce pro-government work (so no games of Dark Conspiracy, KULT, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, CthulhuTech…). But if the government was willing to stay hands-off, it could produce a great blossoming of roleplaying games. I know many DMs who would appreciate the opportunity to develop their campaigns without having to worry about financial pressures. It is similar to the Italian Renaissance when artists such as Michaelangelo worked under the patron system — but they didn’t do RPGs about how the evil Medicis were plotting to destroy Rome.

Of course, perhaps now is not the best economic or political time for this to be brought up. It is questionable whether a bill specifically setting aside money for Dungeon Masters (and players in the form of books, dice, pencils, etc.) could get through the Senate or Congress at the present time. RPGs might have to hide under the coattails of a more general ‘arts’ fund, with each game defended on a case-by-case basis, bean-counted down to every last hit point.

Personally, I think there are better ways to approach RPGing. My proposal is starting a petition to grant RPG publishers tax-exempt status. Of course, in return for this exemption, the publishers would have to make their sourcebooks and rules set open to the public — if they REALLY want people to play their games, if they are a sincere publisher, then exposure will be more important to them than money. Eventually, when the system has proven to be a success, “roleplay-based organizations” could even become eligible for federal funding and have an office devoted to them, perhaps along with neighborhood and community organizations, since most gaming groups are only 4-8 people. Perhaps this could be a second-term project for Obama?