Homebrewing medievalisms

Abstract

This thesis argues that Battleflower and tabletop role-playing games like it can facilitate discussions on historical authenticity, race, othering, and historical contingency. Battleflower is a homebrew supplementary material for the fifth edition of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Utilizing Fiore dei Liberi’s Florius de Arte Luctandi as a primary source, this thesis uses Battleflower to explore the relationship between concepts like historical contingency, authenticity, race, and othering. My duty as a historian is to translate and discuss the historical record with not just other academics and students, but also the general public, teaching and engaging through entertainment. If my homebrew creates a conversation about history and historical education, I have done my job as a historian.