The Mental Stealth Podcast Ep. 4: ADHd20 | Matthew Bivins & Alison Kendrick

What happens when a joke about ADHD and d20s turns into five seasons? In Episode 4 of The Mental Stealth Podcast, Matthew Bivins and Alison Kendrick (AK) of ADHd20 join me to talk about ADHD, masking, and what it takes to make tabletop more welcoming for neurodivergent players. We start with the joke that became a podcast and a community, then head into DIY accessibility, an ADHD-friendly one-shot in the works, and a look back at a Project Rollplay campaign I ran for them. Together, we explore: 🎲 The joke that became ADHd20, five seasons, and The Pocket Dimension community 📖 The book on a roommate's shelf that made Matt realize he had ADHD 🎭 Masking, and what it feels like to play a character who never has to ♿ Captioning live theatre and building DIY accessibility for tabletop conventions 🧩 Designing an ADHD-friendly Daggerheart one-shot, and why a GM workbook could help 🌀 Tabletopsyturvy and widening the conversation to all neurodivergent brains ⚔️ One-shots or campaigns? The all-important question 🐉 Looking back at The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: the Fey Wild, homebrew, and character goals And, of course, we find the true Big Bad of any campaign: scheduling. Whether you are a player, Game Master, designer, educator, or someone who has wondered whether tabletop games are built for brains like yours, this conversation is a warm, funny look at what happens when we make room at the table. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Meet Matt and AK from ADHd20 01:48 How The Pocket Dimension began 05:40 Discovering ADHD and getting diagnosed 11:55 What an ADHD diagnosis changed 16:56 Where ADHD and tabletop gaming meet 19:23 Honest conversations and safer gaming tables 21:43 Exploring other neurodivergent experiences 24:20 Making gaming more accessible 28:07 Designing an ADHD-friendly Daggerheart adventure 34:31 A gothic masquerade one-shot 38:55 One-shots or campaigns? 42:21 Our Project Rollplay campaign: highlights and challenges 49:34 Playing the Fey through an ADHD lens 51:43 Stepping outside your comfort zone through roleplay 53:29 Finding consistency and playing without a mask 58:17 Closing thoughts 59:47 What’s next for Matt and AK Guest Matt Bivins & Alison Kendrick (AK) | ADHd20 💬 The Pocket Dimension Discord: https://bit.ly/thepocketdimensiondiscord About The Mental Stealth Podcast The Mental Stealth Podcast explores the many ways tabletop roleplaying games intersect with play, creativity, personal growth, learning, community, and mental well-being. Through conversations with creators, educators, healthcare professionals, game designers, and players, we examine how games can shape our lives both at and away from the table. New episodes release on the first Tuesday of every month. Music Theme Music: "Big Dreams To Take Over The World" by Tim McMorris #MentalStealthPodcast #TTRPG #PLAY #ADHD #Neurodivergent #Accessibility #Daggerheart #ADHd20 #DungeonsAndDragons #MentalHealth