Have you heard about Tabletop Roleplaying Games? Maybe you’ve seen them in the media (maybe Stranger Things, Community, or The Big Bang Theory) or on one of the numerous live stream options like Critical Role or Dimension 20. You might have heard celebrities like Vin Diesel and Joe Mangianello talk about how they love to play D&D. Or perhaps you heard about them from friends or colleagues.
However you got here, you’re curious. What are these games and why should you play them?
What is a Tabletop RPG?
Tabletop RPG (or TTRPG) is the collective term for pen and paper roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulu. They are, at their core, a collaborative game experience where players work together to tell a story. So unlike a lot of tabletop board games like Monopoly, you (mostly!) work as a group for a mutual objective. They take a lot of different forms, too many to describe here. Whether fantasy, sci-fi, noir, grimdark, comedy, whatever is your thing, you can find it in TTRPGs – or make it yourself when you learn more about it!
Generally how they work is that one person will act as the arbitrator referred to as things like Dungeon Master, Game Master, or Keeper of Arcane Lore. They will run the scenario and make decisions to keep the game moving forward. The rest of the players are the “heroes” within that scenario (although they might not be particularly heroic!).
Why you should start playing TTRPGs?
It’s not a question, TTRPGs are amazing! These games give you something that no other type of games can: the ability to tell your own story. The video below illustrates this really well.
Unlike open-world RPG video games like The Elder Scrolls or Diablo, there is no overarching plot or objective that you are forced to go towards aside from what you make. Everything exists in the imagination of those playing the game. This means that the only thing limiting your choices is your own imagination. Whether you want to slay the evil dragon or befriend it, you can certainly try! (This is a phrase you will get used to in these games!) In fact, a lot of the fun in these games comes from when the players come up with an idea that the Game Master hadn’t thought of, and improvising a solution is often hilarious, cool, and unforgettable.
TTRPGs are, by their very nature, social. They’re best enjoyed with a group between four and eight people, and the very best way is with everyone gathered around a table playing together. It’s a great social activity and a good excuse to meet up with friends. However, that’s not the only way to play – there are solo and dual RPGs, you can play online, there are professionally run games, and places where you can find other players. More on that later.
When you play these games, you will often play on the hero archetype to defeat some evil. But as with real people, your characters will have their strengths and their flaws, and part of the fun can be the interactions with your fellow players and the non-player characters (NPCs) played by the Game Master. How this plays out varies – emotional, serious, silly, hilarious – all depending on what kind of game you choose to play. If you buy into this and play the type of game that you want to play, this can be incredibly fun and rewarding.
So if unlimited possibilities, complete character agency, and a fun social activity sound good then you have got to start playing! If you’re still with me, that means you want to start so shut up and tell me how already. Read more here to find out where to start.