Game master's quest: D&D fundraiser shows RPGs heal

When Kevin Douangmany ran a sold-out Dungeons & Dragons fundraiser for Centre for Autism Services Alberta on May 30, something shifted in how he thinks about his work.

The game master, who owns and operates The Resplendent Cave, has spent years hosting tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) for enthusiasts, corporate teams, large events like Edmonton Expo, day camps, and event producers. But a fundraiser for a charity working with autistic people felt different. The event brought in $2,147 for the centre — more than expected — and left Douangmany thinking about the why beneath the numbers.

"The experience was magical," he told Taproot Edmonton. "Seeing people feel comfortable bringing their family members who are living with autism, who are living with autism themselves, knowing that they had the support staff and the support of all the players and the volunteers and game masters — that opened something."

Before founding The Resplendent Cave, Douangmany learned his craft in public game-running at Table Top Cafe, where he hosted sessions for mixed crowds: new players, veterans, kids, adults. That work built his confidence in a customer service role. "Through that, it just kind of built my confidence in running sessions in a public setting for different types of players," he said. "That just made me more comfortable in a customer service role in that kind of environment."

But the autism fundraiser revealed something else. TTRPGs aren't just entertainment. They're a tool for social and mental health support.

"Tabletop role-playing games also have a place in delivering social and mental health services," Douangmany explained. "They allow people to role-play a situation with lessened consequences. You can try things in a safe space."

He and his team underwent training with the centre ahead of the fundraiser, learning how to create an environment where autistic participants felt seen and supported. The entire experience made him want to do more such events — to find other non-profits and community organizations that could benefit from what TTRPGs offer beyond entertainment.

Now Douangmany is bringing that energy to Game Con Canada, the nation's largest gaming expo, on June 20 at Edmonton EXPO Centre. He'll serve as game master for the Cosmere Roleplaying Game, based on Brandon Sanderson's sprawling fantasy intellectual property — proof that his day job still matters, even as his mission expands.

"With tabletop role-playing games, you really do have a lot of engagement," he said. "But aside from selling people entertainment, me and the non-profits have seen that it's a viable way of combining games and doing good."

That's not just a business pivot. That's a recognition that play itself — the act of gathering, imagining together, taking risks in a safe space — has power. And Edmonton's game master community is starting to see it too.