THE DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE TO ROLE PLAYING GAMES AT THE LIBRARY
Section 1 :
RPGS : A HISTORY RPGs , or “ Role-Playing Games ,” are collaborative storytelling games where the participants take on the role of characters within a setting . The origin of RPGs is often traced back to the wargames played by Prussian soldiers in the 1800 ’ s ( popularized in writing by Baron Reiswitz in 1812 and his son in 1824 , who both wrote treatises on the subject ).
In these wargames the pieces and rules would represent possible actual situations and terrain for the represented troops , unlike games such as chess where situations are highly abstract . Eventually such games reached the civilian market , and creators began to expand from reality-based modern wartime scenarios to explore new time periods and genres . One of these endeavors was Chainmail , the predecessor of Dungeons & Dragons . As other genres began to be explored , focuses on types of expression aside from combat and tactical decision-making emerged . The movements of hundreds of troops instead became the journeys of specific characters with names , personalities , and goals . The interaction between these specific characters and the worlds they inhabit forms the basic identity of the modern RPG .
INTRODUCING THE ROLES In most role-playing games one participant takes on the role of “ Game Master ” ( GM ) or “ Dungeon Master ” ( DM ) while the rest take on the role of “ players .” The players control a “ Player Character ” or PC — essentially one of the main characters in the shared story . The Game Master handles the “ non player characters ” or NPCs , as well as adjudicating the rules of the game system , and describing the results of a player ’ s decisions . If what the PC wants to accomplish has a chance of meaningful failure , dice , or some other system of determining uncertain outcomes are used . Here ’ s an example of how this would play out in a game session :
GM : The tavern door chimes as you enter . You see a poorly lit interior with raucous customers laughing and drinking the day ’ s earnings away . The tavern keeper at the bar , a tall elf , seems to be comforting a gnome in fine clothes – the one you have been searching for . In the corner you spy a shadowy figure watching your target with keen interest . What do you do ?
Player : My character is pretty reckless , so I ’ ll try and grab the gnome at the bar !
GM : All right , there ’ s a chance of this failing , so roll some dice .
Player : Ack ! I got a three . That ’ s so bad !
GM : You lunge for the gnome who sees you coming and slips away . He begins to cry for help ! Things just got a lot more complicated .
WAYS TO PLAY :
• The first major way of playing RPGs is to start and finish the entirety of the planned content in a single session — these are popularly referred to as one-shots .
• The second is to keep returning to the same characters and setting , picking up where the action left off at the end of the previous gathering . These are referred to as campaigns . Campaigns can be as short or as long as you want — from two or three meetups to epic journeys spanning real-life years !
Section 2 :
PREPARING FOR PLAY Starting an RPG group is a very exciting endeavor ! However , there are some things to consider before posting recruitment signs .
DETERMINE THE LENGTH OF GAME YOU
WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO THE PARTICIPANTS . This usually boils down to whether you want to have a long-running campaign with a closed group ( where you play with the same players each time ) or have an open group focused on oneshots ( where the members can switch around and drop in and out without disrupting the game ).
There are benefits to both approaches — the open group can reach more people with a somewhat less in-depth experience ( and less commitment from the participants ), while a full campaign works best with the same members each time and creates a deeper experience with more time commitment and consistency required .
Also make sure to determine how frequently the group should meet — some people can only play sessions once per month , while others are raring to go every week ! Most games work best with between four to six people , so keep that in mind as you plan . This isn ’ t a hard and fast rule — depending on the amount of time and attention your branch can commit , more or fewer participants might be applicable . Just make sure you ’ ve got enough time to make sure everyone can participate .
PLAN FOR THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC Are you looking more for middle to high schoolers , or will your game be for adults ? If you ’ re aiming younger , then account for that in the genre of game you ’ re aiming for , as well as the game system you choose .
A classic game of Pathfinder Second Edition or Dungeons & Dragons may work well for a group of adults or high school-
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