Developing a TTRPG for Group Therapy
Last year, I attended a presentation on the utilization of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGS) for therapy. I spent time researching on my own, reading a number of books (some of which you will see in later posting) and deciding on a curriculum and game system that would serve as the groundwork for running therapeutic groups at my place of primary employment.
Initially, I settled on the Simple Game System 2e by Chris Gonnerman, and used that for the first 6 months. I chose this system over others (including the classically known D&D), due to the ease of which the system could be picked up, and the lightness in the rules that would allow for quick impactful gameplay during the small amount of time that group therapy can run.
Group therapy sessions tend to have one billing code that is used for the entire session. So whether a group runs for 45 minutes or 2 hours, it is the same code and the same price, and I settled on 1 hour to have enough time to meet client needs while not going too long. A simple rules system supported this by leaving little down time for calculations and long winded planning. This year, however, I embarked on the journey of creating my own TTRPG system, as the experiences I had running those groups left me feeling that details were missing, game mechanics were not fleshed out in a way I liked, and I needed to find ways to address more therapeutic needs that had not been met previously. As well, I have been considering and preparing to offer group therapy through Golden Bear Counseling, and wanted to make sure I have all my tools together prior to doing so.
Enter the Brief Engagement in Active Role-play System, or BEAR System (forgive me the acronym). The initial goals of this system are the following: 1: Improve role-play mechanics through the game system, to help players develop characters and focus on treatment goals using the game. 2: Refine movement and interaction mechanics to increase the number of meaningful actions players can take per turn. 3: Add and refine a magic system that allows player freedoms while meshing with movement and interaction mechanics
I started by maintaining the d6 dice system described by Gonnerman, and the abilities/skills components that comprise the classless system. Abilities work like Attributes or SPECIAL stats, and skills comprise more specific training or proclivities (similar to Triggers in the LANCER system). Abilities denote the number of d6 used to begin a skill check, and skills allow further specialization, adding dice to checks they are appropriate for.
To address character development, I have taken inspiration from the Mouseguard RPG, with its focus on Beliefs and Instincts. With these statements, we may influence how players play the game, as well as create scenarios in which the way the character and player want to play come to conflict, leading to self reflection and constructive discussion. Players are incentivised to follow chosen or given Beliefs and Instincts through experience gain.
Movement systems in tabletop games tend towards a few different perspectives. One is the grid system, either squares or hexes, that comprise many games including D&D. Another is a more loose, direct measurement system, utilized frequently in wargaming (Warhammer 40k as an example). I have experimented with both options and found them lacking for my purposes, as direct measurement systems are less intuitive and can be more difficult when working with younger clients, and the grid spaces tend to be frustrating when players must waste their turns moving to positions that they cannot take action in.
As an update from 2026, I have recently started re-integrating measurement-systems into play with even young groups successfully
For this, we will introduce a scaled-up system that BEARS calls Zones. These are more similar to spaces in other table games, and comprise of a location (usually 3 inches wide at least) and all objects or characters in it. Player movement is now focused on the Zones they can move into, and as long as a Zone can be reached, anything in the Zone is considered interactible. This is intended to give players as many opportunities to take meaningful actions on their turn as possible, which also allows for all players to experience meaningful results every session.
Lastly, I've introduced a magic system inspired by the Vagabond TTRPG, tweaked to work alongside the new Zone mechanic and with spells created of my own design. This system allows players to have a number of spells, and choose how they wish to implement them based on the targets and locations they wish to impact. If played appropriately, spells can have a huge impact in a variety of ways!
If you're interested in exploring the system further, I have uploaded the pdf to itch.io, where it can be downloaded for free or a small donation. If it works for you, or you have feedback, please reach out to me.