THE CITY OF EMBERFALL
Welcome to the City of Emberfall
What it is: The City of Emberfall is a high-fantasy adventure set within a glowing metropolis powered by massive magical crystals that respond to human emotion. The city’s stability depends on the collective calm of its citizens; when emotions surge or tangle, the very light of the city flickers and pulses unevenly. The hero must journey through flickering gates, a sensory-rich storm market, and a shattered core to face a "Tempest of Overwhelm," restoring balance not through physical force, but through emotional strength and regulation.
Tone & Feel: Radiant · pulsing · heavy · turbulent · mending.
Think glowing magical crystals, silver mountains, air thick with emotional energy, crackling marketplaces, and swirling storms of shadow and light.
Therapeutic Lens: This module is specifically designed for Occupational Therapists to use as a single-client intervention for emotional regulation. Each scene is intentionally structured to embed:
Emotional awareness: Recognizing how environmental shifts reflect internal states.
Emotional labeling: Identifying and naming mixed or confusing feelings.
Somatic awareness: Noticing physical sensations like muscle tension or shallow breathing.
Distress tolerance: Maintaining focus and regulation within highly stimulating environments.
Grounding techniques: Practicing 5-4-3-2-1 scans, slow breathing, and pressure grounding as heroic actions.
Cognitive reframing: Viewing failures as learning moments and reshaping negative thoughts.
All therapy tasks are woven into the narrative of the Rehab Arcade TTRPG system, where dice rolls provide tension while progress is driven by the client's ability to identify, process, and regulate intense emotional states
THE CITY OF EMBERFALL: GM SCRIPT
Who this is for:
Occupational Therapists running a TTRPG‑style mental health and emotional regulation session for a single client.
HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
● You may read all READ ALOUD sections verbatim.
● Follow GM DO THIS instructions to structure each task.
● Dice rolls add narrative tension but do not replace the therapy task.
● The suggested rolls support the story; allow the client to guide the narrative and attempt creative solutions, even if that means using a different stat than suggested.
OPTIONAL MECHANICS FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION (FOR GM)
Use these tools throughout the session to reinforce emotional regulation skills.
Calm Check
When emotions spike in‑game or in real life, pause and roll Heart.
● 10+ → Full regulation: calm, clarity, control
● 7-9 → Partial grounding: still unsettled, but functional
● 6- → Overwhelmed: pause story, guide grounding
Grounding Pause (No Roll)
At any time: “Let’s pause the story and take three slow breaths together.”
Or use:
● 5‑4‑3‑2‑1 senses scan
● Muscle relaxation
● Temperature or pressure grounding
Emotional Reframe Token (Once per session)
The player may: Re‑describe a failure as a learning moment and reroll.
Safety Reset
If emotions escalate: “Let’s step out of the story for a moment and ground.”
BEFORE YOU START
GM DO THIS:
● Place dice, blank paper, a character sheet, and a pencil in front of the client.
● Keep all worksheets face‑down until instructed.
READ ALOUD:
“Today we’re going to play a short tabletop role‑playing game. I’ll describe the world, you’ll tell me what you want to do, and sometimes
CHARACTER SETUP (5 MINUTES)
GM DO THIS:
● Help the client choose a hero archetype, you can provide them with the full list of archetypes, or suggest they select one of the following: Sage, Courtier, or Healer
● Have them describe what their hero looks like and one personal strength.
● Have them fill out the fillable character sheet
READ ALOUD:
“Choose a hero. This character represents your strengths and how you approach challenges.”
GM DO THIS:
● Let the client choose one grounding item: breathing charm, calming stone, focus ring, comfort cloak.
READ ALOUD:
“This item helps your hero regulate big emotions. You can use it anytime.”
SCENE 1: THE FLICKERING GATE (Emotional Awareness)
PURPOSE OF THIS SCENE
This scene introduces the emotional theme of the story and helps the client practice:
● Emotional awareness
● Emotional labeling
● Recognizing mixed or confusing emotions
● Identifying regulation strategies
Think of this as a warm‑up for emotional insight, not a test or challenge.
READ ALOUD:
“Beyond the silver mountains lies Emberfall, a glowing city powered by magical crystals that respond to emotion. When people feel calm, the city shines. When emotions surge, the city flickers. As you approach the gates, the air feels heavy. The light around you pulses unevenly, bright one moment, dim the next. The great crystal gates shimmer wildly, reacting to tangled emotions flowing through the city. The guards nearby look uneasy. One whispers, ‘Something’s wrong… I can’t tell what I’m feeling anymore.’”
GM DO THIS:
1. Set the Emotional Frame
Explain briefly: “The city reacts to emotion, so the way the gates behave tells us something important about how people inside are feeling.”
2. Prompt Emotional Identification
Ask: “What emotions do you sense coming from the city?”
If needed, offer choices: “Fear, sadness, anger, stress, confusion, shame…or maybe a mix?”
Reinforce as needed: “It’s okay for more than one emotion to show up at once.”
3. Validate and Expand
Reflect their answer: “So it feels like there’s a lot of ___ and ___. That makes sense when emotions pile up.”
ROLL: Mind or Heart
● 10+: The emotional patterns make sense and you are able to talk the guard through their emotions
Have the client describe to the guard how to do a grounding exercise of their choosing. As the GM, act out the guard following along.
● 7-9: Some emotions are clear, while others still feel a bit tangled. Complete one of your grounding exercises before you are able to move on.
● 6-: You feel an emotional overload as you start to crumble behind the weight of it. Take 1 hit and complete a grounding exercise before moving on.
REGULATION PROMPT
“When emotions feel tangled or overwhelming, what helps you, as [use hero’s name] sort them out?”
READ ALOUD:
As your hero steadies their breathing and focuses their mind, the crystal gates begin to glow more evenly. The flickering light settles into a slow, steady rhythm. With a deep, resonant hum, the massive gates slide open, welcoming you into the city. The tension in the air softens, as if Emberfall itself has taken a calm breath along with you.
SCENE 2: THE STORM MARKET (Distress Tolerance)
PURPOSE OF THIS SCENE
To practice:
● Distress tolerance
● Sensory/emotional grounding
● Maintaining regulation in stimulating environments
READ ALOUD:
“The main marketplace of Emberfall bursts with noise and movement. Voices overlap. Lights flicker. The crowd surges unpredictably. Emotional energy crackles in the air, buzzing against your skin.”
GM DO THIS:
1. Prompt Body Awareness
Ask: “What do you notice in your body right now?”
If needed, offer: “Tight muscles? Fast breathing? Restlessness? Heavy feelings?”
2. Introduce Grounding: “Your hero can slow things down using different grounding skills.”
Guide client through a grounding exercise they did not use in scene 1:
● Examples
○ Slow breathing
○ Naming five things they see
○ Pressing feet into the ground
ROLL: Heart
● 10+: The market noises soften. You feel a deep sense of relaxation emanate from you and into the street.
● 7-9: Noise fades but tension lingers. Try another grounding exercise.
● 6-: Your first attempt doesn’t quite settle things, which happens sometimes when emotions are intense. You take 1 hit, but are able to try another grounding exercise, more slowly this time and it works. Take a deep breath as you continue through the town.
SCENE 3: THE SHATTERED CORE AND THE EMOTIONAL STORM (Emotional Processing)
PURPOSE OF THIS SCENE
To support:
● Emotional expression
● Self‑compassion
● Cognitive reframing
To practice active emotional regulation under pressure using coping skills as heroic actions.
READ ALOUD (STORM EMERGENCE)
“The crystal fractures suddenly surge with energy. Light and shadow twist together, forming a massive swirling storm‑creature, the Tempest of Overwhelm. Waves of emotion crash through the chamber: fear, doubt, panic, frustration, shame. The air vibrates with intensity, and the ground trembles beneath your feet. The storm roars: ‘YOU CANNOT HOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER FOREVER.’ The chamber darkens as emotional pressure builds. To save Emberfall, you must face the storm, not with force, but with emotional strength.”
As necessary/appropriate, remind the client: “Remember, we can pause or slow things down anytime.”
THE TEMPEST OF OVERWHELM
Life: 4 Hits
Each hit removed represents successfully applying an emotional regulation skill under pressure.
GM DO THIS: COMBAT STRUCTURE
Each round follows this structure:
Narrate the storm’s emotional pressure.
Ask the client what emotional skill they use.
Have them describe how it looks in the story.
Roll the appropriate stat.
Narrate the emotional and environmental impact.
STORM ATTACK NARRATION (USE VARIETY)
Use one per round to increase emotional tension:
● “A surge of doubt floods your thoughts, whispering that you aren’t strong enough.”
● “A wave of panic tightens your chest and makes your breathing shallow.”
● “The storm howls, stirring memories of past failures.”
● “Emotional noise crashes in all directions, making it hard to focus.”
Then ask: “What do you do to respond?”
PLAYER ACTION PROMPTS
Encourage emotion-based actions such as:
● Slow breathing
● Grounding through senses
● Positive self-talk
● Thought reframing
● Body-based regulation
● Seeking inner calm
SUGGESTED ROLLS
Emotional Skill Used
Suggested Stat
Calm breathing, grounding: Heart
Reframing thoughts: Mind
Focused movement: Agility
Courageous self-talk: Heart
SUCCESS NARRATION: Have client make appropriate roll
10+ Strong Regulation (Remove 1 Hit from storm): “Your calm spreads outward like a steady light. The storm stutters, its swirling form weakening as your emotional control pushes back the chaos.”
7-9 Partial Regulation (Remove 1 Hit, but add pressure) “Your strategy works, but the storm still presses hard. You hold your ground, even as emotional tension continues to swirl around you.”
Add minor emotional strain:
● lingering fear
● racing thoughts
● muscle tension
Prompt regulation before the next round.
6- Emotional Overload (No hit removed) “The emotional pressure surges. For a moment, everything feels overwhelming.” Occasionally, narrate the hero losing a hit (not on every failure). Immediately guide grounding.
“Let’s pause, take a breath, and reset.”
MID-BATTLE REFLECTIVE PROMPTS
Between rounds, as appropriate, gently ask:
● “What helps you most when stress spikes?”
● “Which skill feels strongest right now?”
● “What is your hero learning about themselves?”
FINAL ROUND: STORM DISSOLUTION
When the last hit is removed:
READ ALOUD:
“With a final steady breath, your calm radiates through the chamber. The roaring winds soften. The storm begins to unravel, its chaotic energy dissolving into gentle streams of light. The Tempest of Overwhelm lets out a long sigh and fades, leaving behind quiet stillness. The fractured crystals slowly mend, glowing with a warm, steady light.”
GM DO THIS: SOMATIC RESET
Before moving on, guide:
● One slow breath cycle
● Shoulder drop
● Gentle body scan
SCENE 4: RESTORATION & REFLECTION
PURPOSE OF THIS SCENE
To integrate emotional insight and reinforce real‑world transfer.
READ ALOUD:
“With one final steady breath, the storm dissolves. Light flows through the city. Emberfall glows steadily once more. Peace settles, not because emotions vanished, but because they are understood and managed.”
GM DO THIS:
Guide reflection:
● What helped your hero most?
● What skills did they use that you use in real life?
● What strategy do you want to practice this week?
SESSION CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
GM DO THIS:
Have the client name:
● One strength they showed
● One coping skill they used
● One emotional goal for the week
Evidence:
Mental health is one of the best studied areas when it comes to combining TTRPGs and therapy, however there is still little published at this time. The current available evidence suggests a positive impact. Check out the Rehab Arcade’s TTRPG page for more information about this.
Below is evidence in support of the specific interventions used throughout this one-shot, as well as some papers that look at mental health and TTRPGs specifically: