Wednesday 30 March 2011

What is a roleplaying game?

A roleplaying game is structured group storytelling, where the story is progressed by the participants through improvised acting and randomisers such as dice. This is roleplaying at its core, but as experienced gamers know there is more to the hobby than this.

Roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, allow the players to act out rich and vivid scenarios that, for a few sweet hours, remove them from the real world and take them to a place of evil creatures and valiant knights, where magic is everywhere and the world is in peril. A roleplaying game is a chance for friends to bond over snacks and soda whilst saving the universe.

The most famous roleplaying game, Dungeons and Dragons, is still the most successful game of its kind. It's likely that most people have heard of this fantasy game but wouldn't have a clue how it's played. Perhaps they have seen the game depicted on TV where the Dungeon Master - the referee in a roleplaying game - dons a cloak and speaks in funny voices. These depictions are usually far from the relaity of the game and often serve to make participants look a bit silly.

But while fantasy is a popular roleplaying genre, there are as many different types of roleplaying game as you can think of and more. From zombies to space adventures, there's a game to suit anyone.

Where can you get a roleplaying game? Well, unfortunately these specialist items won't usually be found in the local department store, but hobby and comic book stores usually stock a wide array of books. The internet is a great place to get your hands on roleplaying games on the cheap and you can even download games to your computer.

There's a world of fun to be had with tabletop roleplaying. These games open up doors in the imagination you never knew existed as well as being a great way to improve math and literacy by having a fantastic time.

Relevant links:
5 reasons you should play Tunnels and Trolls
Why Tunnels and Trolls is a good 'gateway RPG'
Heroes in Dungeons and Dragons

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