About RPG (Role-Playing Game) Research


 We are a 100% volunteer-run non-profit 501(c)3 charitable research and human services organization based in Spokane, Washington, USA.  Our roots begin with our founder, Hawke Robinson, our co-founders John Welker and Danielle Whitworth, and our wonderful highly trained volunteer staff, who have been directly involved with providing tabletop role-playing game (RPG) community programs since the 1970s.


After decades of informal and semi-formal operations as the RPG Research Project, we incorporated as RPG Research as a Washington State non-profit public charity in September 2017 and received our IRS 501(c)3 tax-exempt status verification letter January 16th, 2018 which is retroactively in effect since 2017.


Our non-profit Tax ID Employer Identification Number (EIN): 82-3521274.

IRS Public Charity Status: 170 (b) (1) (A) (vi) * with an effective date of September 26th, 2017.

Donors may deduct contributions they make to us.

We are also eligible to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522.


This means your donations to RPG Research may be tax deductible!


Our new headquarters are are located at the new RPG Center:


RPG Research

101 North Stone Street

Spokane, WA 99202, USA


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Company History

1974

World's first role-playing game is officially published.

1977

RPG Research founders and staff begin role-playing game community programs.

1979

RPG Research founders and staff begin researching optimizing the RPG experience, including tabletop RPGs, electronic role-playing game development, live-action role-play, hybrid RPGS, online remote text-based and over the phone remote tabletop and electronic RPGs.

1982

RPG Research founders and staff begin receiving payment as paid, professional, game master, providing commercial RPG game services.

1983

RPG Research's founder writes first 8 page research paper on the effects of role-playing games.

1985

RPG Research founder and staff begin providing role-playing games as a daily class, 5 days a week during classroom time.

1989

RPG Research founder and staff begin using role-playing games with high-risk and incarcerated populations.

1996

RPG Research founder and staff providing web live-streaming and video-conference-based tabletop RPG sessions via CuSeeMe, java applets, and other methods.

2004

RPG Research founder and staff move research repository archives from multiple locations to single free and public resource at the rpgresearch.com website.

2017

RPG Research incorporates as C-Corp non-profit charity and 501(c)3 status.

2022

RPG Research acquires real estate and opens the RPG Center, Role-Playing Game Community Center

2023

RPG Research opens RPG Museum providing historical interactive experiential learning role-plying game museum for all RPG formats and games leading up to the creation of RPGs, as far back as ~3,500 BCE.

RPG Research's Volunteer Staff

RPG Research's Volunteer Staff. This section includes RPG Research volunteers past and present.

Hawke Robinson

Founder, CEO, an Chair. Washington State Department of Health Registered Recreational Therapist with a background in neuroscience, computer science, research psychology, music, play therapy, habilitation therapy, nursing, and more. Involved with role-playing games since 1977. GM Instructor, Level 19 GM.

John Welker

Co-founder, Vice President. Washington State Department of Health Registered Recreational Therapist. US Army 21 year veteran, Retired LPN. Involved with RPGs since 1979. GM Trainee Level 5

Danielle Whitworth

Co-founder, Corporate Staff Secretary. Washington State Department of Health Registered Recreational Therapist with an additional background in Sports Medicine. GM Trainee Level 4

Brooke Lively

Vice-chair, Board of Directors

Emily Messina, PhD., CTRS

RPG Research Board of Directors. Director, Therapeutic Recreation Department, Eastern Washington University.

Kate Hyatt

Treasurer

Niklas Anderson

IT Director, Board of Directors.

Aaron Birdwell

GM Trainee

Alexis Rounsville

Role-Playing Game Master level 1 Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Aaron Stoyack

Archivist

Adam Kantz

TRPG Player 1 & Show Performer

Adina Rubin-Budick

Researcher

Ahmed Khalaf

Transcriptionist

Aislynn Kenney

GM Trainee

Alex Belovich

Grant Writer

Alia Chenikov

Researcher

Alliah Spottedblanket

GM Trainee

Allison Coon

Community Center Receptionist

Allison Dawson

Archivist

Alyssa Marylee Heflin

Archivist

Amber DeWitt

GM Trainee Level 1, Archivist

Anna Ryburn

GM Trainee

Andrew Messersmith

TRPG Player 1 & Show Performer

Angela Kraker

Researcher

Anthony Hinyub

Researcher

Anthony Hirt

Game Software Developer

Anthony Ruffin

Webmaster

Anushka Joshi

Grant Writer

Aubry Birkland

GM Trainee

Autumn Asay

GM Trainee

Bakhtawar Daud

Game Software Developer

Bill Rounsville

GM Trainee Level 1

Blake Rose

GM Trainee

Brad Kane

EMT

Brandon Allen

Game Software Developer

Brandon Roan

RPG Advocate 1

Brennan Robinson

Software Developer

Brian Connolly

GM Trainee

Brian Huseland

GM Trainee Level 1, Tolkien specialist

Brittany Eide

Community Outreach Development, Marketing, & Fundraising [Volunteer]

Brittany Stallworth

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Caitlin Merikallio

Museum and Research Archives Archivist I [Volunteer]

Carl Michael McDonald

Grant Writer Volunteer

Charles (Charlie) Loyd

GM Trainee Level 1

Chelsea Swigert-Lenarz

Researcher

Chris Hare

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Cody Evans

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Dakota Brown

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Damean Galloway

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Daniel Ivey

GM Trainee Level 3

Daniela Steierer

Researcher

Daniel Zanatta de Aguiar

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Brazil)

Dario Gerussi

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Dauda Kareem

Volunteer Coordinator Assistant Team Member and/or Manage/Director, Volunteer Services [Volunteer] (Germany)

David Griffith

GM Trainee Level 2

David Jeffs

Researcher

David Perlman

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Dawit Belai

Webmaster

Dennis Grankin

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Derick DeCamp

RPG Museum and Research Archives Archivist I [Volunteer]

Dillon King

TRPG Actual Play Streaming Show Player

Doug McCord

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Drake Robinson

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Dinah Lankerovich

Visual Artist

Ed Hammerbeck

.

Elizabeth Geller

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Erik Mitchell

Research Assistant 1

Evgenia Diakonenko

RPG Museum and Research Archives Archivist 1

Frank Decapio

RPG Advocate 1

Genesis A. Laboy Rodriguez

Researcher

Grant Murray

Researcher

Greg Derrick

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Heather Allison

TRPG Player 1 and General Volunteer

Hunter Savoy

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer

Ian Hunton

Researcher

Irvin Reynolds

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Jacob (Jake) Jones

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Katy Koenen

GM Trainee Level 1

Karla McCallum

GM Trainee Level 1

Kip Austill

Director, Volunteer Coordinator Department

James Wolfe

Grant Writer Volunteer

Janine Winfree

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Jay Semmons

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Jay Steven Evans

Researcher

Jennifer Genova

Researcher

Jennifer Ravasia

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Jennifer Siegel

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Jinju Hurley

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Joe Koenen

GM Trainee Level 1

Joey Lanza

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

John Brandon

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

John H Degler

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Northern California)

John Pyro

Chatroom Moderator [Volunteer]

Jonathan Hook

Researcher

Jordan Klomp

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Jonathan Mendoza

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Natalia Weizenbach-Marc

GM Trainee Level 1

Rin Ragudo

Marketing Manager

Shane Dean

GM Trainee Level 1

Syrus DeWitt

GM Trainee Level 1

Terrance MacMullan, PhD.

GM Trainee Level 1

Valerie Krepel

Development Team Manager

Joseph Kreindler

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1

Josh Dawes

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Josh Keum

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Kankeo Keopha

Systems Administrator I [Volunteer]

Karla McCallum

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)(Greater Spokane Area)

Katy Koenen

TRPG Player 1 & General Volunteer

Keith (Kim) Alcorn

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Kimberlee Cook

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Kristin Ziska Strange

Researcher

Kyle Schanz

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Lelia Woods

Visual Artist

Luke Gebbink

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Mackenzie Renshaw

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Mark Gallicchio

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Mark Poshepny

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Marques Carr

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Maryanne Cullinan

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist [Volunteer]

Matt Kimmel

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Matthias Payne

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Max Lerner

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Megan Frey

Researcher

Michael Berquam

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Michael Shoemaker

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Mike Darga

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Minako Polat

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Mona Matsuda

Administrative Assistant [Volunteer] for Charitable Non-profit Organization

Mátyás Hartyándi (Matyas)

Researcher

Nathan Harris

Visual Artist

Nicholas Limbaugh

Game Facilitator 1

Nicole Black

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Nicole Hudson

Researcher

Njingamndap Ousmanou Mohamed

Webmaster

Noah Bacon

Ad Hoc Volunteer Advocate and More

Omar Edrees

Researcher

Patrick Laffey

Systems Administrator I [Volunteer]

Philip Michelbook

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Phillip M Lewis

ASL GM I - Game Master: American Sign Language, Volunteer, Trainee

Polo Salonga

Technical Support Specialist 1 (remote)

Rachael DeBoer

Social Media, Marketing Staff / Manager / Director

Rachael Kerrigan

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Rachel Brubaker

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Rafe Taylor

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Ramon Guel

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Rebecca Xe

Researcher

Renee Bako

Researcher

Ryan Allison

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Ryan Grau

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Ryley Ourada

Player Archetype Specialist 1 [Volunteer]

Samone Pittman

Administrative Assistant [Volunteer] for Charitable Non-profit Organization

Samuel Barrett

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Sarah Pollock

Researcher

Sudarsini Tekkam

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Sydney Dempsey

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Talman Fortune

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Tamra Koopsen

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Tashina Robinson

TRPG Actual Player Live Streaming Player 1

Tianyu Zhu

Systems Administrator I [Volunteer]

Tim Noye

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Timothy Chism

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Tonie Clemons

Player Archetype Specialist 1 [Volunteer]

Trent Dean

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Trevor Fogle

Systems Administrator I [Volunteer]

Trevor Troxel

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

Veenavi Warnakulasooriya Fernando

Researcher

Veronica Maria Felipe

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Victoria Jesswein

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Victoria Sherratt

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Wade Camarillo

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Wesley Brown

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]

William (Bill) Barton

Internet Broadcast Studio Crew / Webcast Streaming Production Technician

Woody Harris

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1) (Greater Spokane Area)

Yostina Soliman

Video Transcriptionist and Closed Caption Writer

Yostina Soliman

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Yu Wu

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Zacchery Hendrickson

Research Archives and RPG Museum Archivist I [Volunteer]

Zach Shallbetter

Role-Playing Game Master Level I Trainee Volunteer (GM1)

Zak Barba

Game Developer - Electronic Role-Playing Game (eRPG) Software Developer [Opensource] [Volunteer]