Lux Adversaria is a series of informal essays where I delve into different aspects of roleplaying. "Adversaria" refers to "miscellaneous writings" in Latin, representing my personal collections of notes and reflections. The term "lux adversaria" roughly translates to "light of adversity," reflecting my exploration of challenges and difficult topics.

Lightspress believes in keeping roleplaying simple, focusing on useful content rather than flashy presentation. After all, the real magic of roleplaying happens around the table, where creativity and collaboration thrive, not in a book. Visit Lightspress.com to learn more.

Berin Kinsman is a writer and publisher in the roleplaying community, best known for his work at Lightspress. He specializes in creating narrative-driven resources that enhance storytelling and accessibility in roleplaying experiences.

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What inspired you to start the Lux Adversaria series?

The series was inspired by my longtime passion for roleplaying and a desire to share insights and reflections accumulated over decades in the hobby. Long ago and far away, I did this though magazine articles and a blog. Since print magazines are dead, no one allegedly reads blogs, and a large swath of the roleplaying community doesn’t seem to understand what a zine is, this felt like the path to take.

How do you choose the topics you explore in your essays?

I choose topics for my essays based on a combination of personal interest, relevance to the roleplaying community, and the potential for meaningful exploration. A lot of the time, I think there are things that aren’t being said, truths that bear repeating, or topics that I have a strong opinion about. I draw from my own experiences as a player, gamemaster, and designer to inform the content of each essay.

Can you explain the significance of the term "Adversaria" and why you chose it for your series?

"Adversaria" are a collection of miscellaneous writings, reflecting my experiences in roleplaying. Think of it as a sort of commonplace book where you write down thoughts. The fact that it sounds like “adversary”, and I know that some of my analyses, conclusions, and opinions run contrary to the zeitgeist and might garner some opposition is just a cherry on top.

What challenges have you encountered while exploring difficult topics in your essays?

Navigating sensitive subjects, maintaining a balanced perspective, and ensuring that my insights are communicated effectively and respectfully is difficult. I’m an old punk, and my tendency is to just let fly with what I want to say and if you don’t like it, deal with it. I think dressing the work up as informal essays helps me to sort the attitude from the ideas I’m trying to convey.

How do you balance the informal nature of your essays with the deeper exploration of roleplaying?

I keep reading that the average American reads at a 6th-grade level. For my entire career, I’ve been encouraged to dumb things down. That annoys me because it doesn’t address the problem. When I started roleplaying, the words we didn’t know forced us to look things up, to do lateral reading, to learn. While I want to use accessible language, I also don’t think the community is served and the topics are properly analyzed if you cut your vocabulary off at the knees.

What do you hope readers will take away from reading Lux Adversaria essays?

As with all of my work, I hope that people will look at roleplaying, or whatever particular aspect of roleplaying the essay is about, in a different way. There remains so much unexplored potential in the hobby, but the murder hobo paradigm continues to dominate everything.

How has your personal experience with roleplaying influenced the content of your essays?

My experience with what worked and what didn’t is the through-line for the entire series. I have played and run dozens of systems, a broad range of genres and settings, and there are some nearly-universal truths. I’m not going to say that everything will work for everyone, or that there’s a single right or wrong way to do anything, but there are best practices that when followed can make the experience better, and worst practices that tend to consistently end in disaster.

Can you give examples of some of the topics you've explored in Lux Adversaria essays?

The first batch contained foundational essays like how to convert non-roleplaying material into roleplaying content, and assessing elements of Dungeons & Dragons for their story and roleplaying potential. There are some esoteric things coming, like analysis of the roleplaying potential of some classic television shows. Nothing is off-limits if I think there’s value in the discussion.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers who want to delve into similar topics in their own work?

Do it. Write a blog. Make a zine. Start a YouTube channel. I think we need to look at roleplay critically. It needs analysis, just like there are art critics, literary critics, and theater critics. By beginning with the position that this could be art, we can begin to examine why it is, why it isn’t, and how it can continue to evolve and improve as a form.