Introduction to Role-Playing Games

So, I hear you're possibly-maybe-potentially interested in playing D&D? Well, don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. Basically, it's a time to be social, laugh, and make stuff up as a group. Any rules are just there to help tell the story—your story—and to add a sense of unpredictability and danger.

Here's how it will work: we'll all be sitting around a table. The Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or DM -- in this case, me) will tell everybody where he/she is, and a bit about their environment:

Dave: You're in a tavern, on the outskirts of a small woodland town. The smell of cheap grog and fresh venison is overpowering. A pretty barmaid is flitting back and forth, serving drinks to loud, ungrateful slobs. The front wall, by the door, is covered in flyers and graffiti. The floor is sticky.

Note, of course, that the setting doesn't have to be medieval fantasy; many games are sci-fi, or historical fiction, or superheroes, or pulp fiction. For D&D, though, we're talking swords, dragons, dwarves, elves, magic fireballs, the whole shebang. A good place to start.

Everyone at the table has a single character that they're in charge of (plus maybe a horse or other mount, or servants/minions when you get a little more powerful). We call these "Player Characters", or PCs for short. We then go around, and people say what they want their character to be doing. Let's say that George is playing a dwarven bounty hunter. He might jump in after my description, leading to the following exchange:

George: I walk up to the board of postings. What kinds of flyers do I see?

Dave: Well, it's mostly the usual - lost cats, rooms for rent, etc. There are a couple of shady ones, though. One just says "Want to find treasure? Meet me by the fountain at midnight." Another says "Help wanted. Experienced combatants only, please. Inquire at town hall before Saturday."

And so on. Another player - let's call her Katie - is playing an elven sorceress, on a quest to prove her worth to her home community. She says:

Katie: I walk up to the bar and order a drink. Wine.

Dave: The bartender says, "That'll be 5 coppers. Funny, we don't get many of your type around here."

Katie: I say, "I can see that," with a sneer at the filthy humans around me.

Dave: Ok.... [rolls some dice]. The patron next to you turns around. He's an oafish, greasy man, but he's got a mean glint in his one remaining eye. He says "You got a problem with us?"

Katie: "Yeah, as a matter of fact I do..."

Here, a fight might break out. There are rules for how this sort of thing might play out, and we could choose to use them or not, depending on what sort of game we want to play. Hell, I've seen exchanges like this end with the bar a pile of cinders on the ground, and the players chased by the authorities for weeks. Of course, Katie could also just decide to drop it, or try and backpedal, or ignore the guy and hope he doesn't press the issue, or try to quietly cast a spell on the guy while he's not looking. It's all up to the player at the table, and the possibilities are wide open.

So, you probably get the idea. If not, that's ok, and we'll try a few things out when we meet up the first time. For now, take a look at the Player's Handbook for ideas about what kinds of characters you can make. Dont' worry about the specifics of how to make the character, we'll all go over that together, because I have some house rules I like, and it's good to know what other people are doing so you can see how you might fit into the group.

That's it for now, and we'll figure out a time to meet up soon. Until then, have fun coming up with ideas, and feel free to email me with any questions.

Feb 17, 2010