Science-loving Dungeons and Dragons streamers have teamed up with The Vagina Museum for a special DnD one shot. TTRPG group Science & Sorcery will stream ‘Clitical Hit’ to their Twitch channel on February 2 at 11am PT (2pm ET / 7pm GMT). Science & Sorcery tells Wargamer that this gynecological game will take place “inside the reproductive system of a very well-preserved Tarrasque”.
Launched in London in 2017, The Vagina Museum is the world’s first physical museum dedicated to education about vaginas and vulvas. “We have a vision of a world where no one is ashamed of their bodies, everyone has bodily autonomy and all of humanity works together to build a society that is free and equal”, states its official website.
The Vagina Museum’s founder Florence Schechter will join Science & Sorcery as a guest player for the Clitical Hit DnD one shot, which will be raising money for the museum. Audience members will be able to ‘buy’ advantage or disadvantage on dice rolls or make story requests when they donate.
Schechter will also be joined by a pharmacologist, a neuroscientist, and a tabletop RPG producer. As well as guests, there’s the Science & Sorcery team themselves – Dungeon Master Dagmar der Weduwen, artist Alex Holt, and producer Sam Langford. Everyone from Science & Sorcery is a science communicator, too.
“The story revolves around a band called ‘Clitical Hit’, who discover that their masters have been stolen by an evil dragon”, Science & Sorcery tells Wargamer. “In order to get them back, the band has to join forces with their greatest fans and infiltrate the dragon’s lair, which is located inside the reproductive system of a very well-preserved Tarrasque.”
“Science & Sorcery combines TTRPGs with science communication in all of our streams”, they add. “Our game masters reward inspiration and other bonuses when the players bring in relevant scientific knowledge.” “We’re hoping, this time around, to get lots of information about gynecological anatomy, but who knows what other topics may come up!”
Apparently, one of Science & Sorcery’s goals for games like this is “science by stealth”. “We find it really interesting to think about how things that happen in fantasy settings, like magic spells, would function using scientific explanations. Additionally, we feel that by experiencing and influencing a TTRPG story (either as a player or as a member of the audience), people can be engaged with science subjects in a fun, novel way where they may not even realize they’re doing so.”
“We hope that we can break down some of the barriers that exist between academia and the rest of the world”, they continue. “It shows that science really is for everyone, and you don’t need a university degree to understand it.”
As well as Clitical Hit, Science & Sorcery will host a live Dungeons and Dragons show at The Vagina Museum. ‘In Her Majesty’s Secret Cervix’ is set for April 26, and tickets for the show apparently go on sale soon.
To build your own 5e character, here are some handy guides to DnD classes and DnD races. Or, for more games from the community, here’s some queer joy from D&D-playing drag artists.