“History Panic” refers to the feeling of “what if I get this historical detail wrong!?” when playing a tabletop RPG. It probably means more things, too. I might prefer if it were called “lore panic”, because I feel that it doesn’t uniquely apply to history, but many people do feel it does, or that history somehow carries higher stakes. I think that it would be great if more people could get more relaxed about this, though. I love historical gaming, and I love history being accessible to people, not intimidating. There are two important points I want to make regarding history panic. The first is that [Bernadette Banner](https://www.youtube.com/@bernadettebanner) has phrased it very well when she says that “historical accuracy” is a terrible term. As a term, it doesn’t allow any room for historical fiction, historical reimagination, or the very real uncertainties involved in studying history. Rather, she prefers the term “historical plausibility”. So do I. It allows for “this is within the range defined by what we know.” The second is a brief anecdote concerning my experience playing [Sagas of the Icelanders](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254224/Sagas-of-the-Icelanders?manufacturers_id=11487) with a friend who (current at the time of the game) taught the Sagas to undergrads. She gave me a great object lesson in how to bring historical detail, or lore generally, to a game, without slowing it down or turning it scary for anyone. What she did was this: when a detail didn’t matter, she let it be, no comment. When a detail mattered, she wouldn’t just bring it in as a correction, as a stop, but rather she would bring it in with an attached “here’s how this can enrich and complicate this moment”. Basically, an improv-style yes-and, but with a view to how that principle behaves in the face of canon, lore, and external facts. Examples of details that mattered included gender roles (encoded in the game in a fashion anyway), the lack of trees to speak of in Iceland, and the aggressively flat social system compared to the systems of nobility that dominated the continent. All of these came up as ways to enrich a moment, and with clear offerings provided to the player she was, well, _correcting_. They were none of them dead ends. History is great. And fun to play with!