Tabletop role-playing game
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A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a classification for a role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech, and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization,[1] and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines, usually containing Dice-Rolling. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.[2]
The terms pen-and-paper and tabletop are generally only used to distinguish this format of RPG from other formats, since neither pen and paper nor a table are strictly necessary, though are usually used.[2]
Some common examples of tabletop role-playing games include Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Pathfinder, and Vampire: The Masquerade.
Gameplay
Overview
In most games, a specially designated player typically called the
Detail
Games are of indefinite length, from a single brief session (sometimes completed in a few hours) to a series of repeated sessions that may continue for years with an evolving cast of players and characters. Play is often episodic and mission-centric, with a series of challenges culminating in a final puzzle or enemy that must be overcome. Multiple missions played with the same characters may be related to each other in a plot arc of escalating challenges. The exact tone, structure, pace and end (if any) vary from game to game depending on the needs and preferences of the players.
During the first session, players typically create characters whose roles they will play in the game. As well as fleshing out the character's personal history and background, they assign numerical statistics to the character; these will be used later to determine the outcome of events in the game. Together, these notes tell the player about their character and said character's place in the game world.[2] In many game systems, characters can increase their statistics during the course of the game (or over multiple games).
The GM then begins the game by introducing and describing the setting and the characters. Specific tabletop
The players describe their characters' actions, and the GM responds by describing the outcome of those actions. Usually, these outcomes are determined by the setting and the GM's common sense; most actions are straightforward and immediately successful.[2] For example, if a player has their character look around a room, the GM will describe the room; if they have their character leave, the GM will describe whatever they encounter outside the room.
The outcomes of some actions are determined by the rules of the game. For example, while looking around the room, a character may or may not notice an important object or secret doorway, depending on the character's powers of perception. Determining the outcome usually involves rolling dice and adjusting the result for the character's statistics and environmental factors to see whether the action was successful. Typically, the higher the character's score in a particular attribute, the higher their probability of success. There are alternate game systems which are diceless, or use alternate forms of randomization, such as a deck of cards or a Jenga tower.[6]
Tabletop RPG settings includes challenges for the player characters to overcome through play, such as traps to be avoided, rulers to be courted, or adversaries to be fought. Many game sessions contain moments of puzzle solving, negotiation, chases, and combat. Frequently, this involves interacting with non-player characters, other denizens of the game world, which are played by the GM. In most games, the full details of the setting are kept secret, but some broad details of the game world are usually given to the players.
Tabletop RPGs are often conducted like radio drama: only the spoken component of a role is acted. Acting in tabletop RPGs is not always literal, and players do not always speak exclusively in-character. Instead, players act out their role by deciding and describing what actions their characters will take within the rules of the game.[7]
History
Early role-playing
Tabletop role-playing games have origins in
According to RPG designer John Wick, chess can be turned into a role-playing game if chess pieces such as the king, queen, rooks, knights or pawns are given names, and decisions are made based on their motivations. According to Wick, Dungeons & Dragons was a "sophisticated, intricate and complicated combat simulation board game that people were turning into a roleplaying game" just "like giving your rook a motive" in Chess.[11]
The assumption of roles was a central theme in some early 20th century activities such as the game Jury Box, mock trials, model legislatures, and "Theatre Games". In the 1960s, historical reenactment groups such as The Sealed Knot and the Society for Creative Anachronism began to perform "creative history" reenactments introducing fantasy elements, and in the 1970s fantasy wargames were developed, inspired by sword and sorcery fiction, in which each player controlled only a single unit, or "character". The earlier role-playing tradition was combined with the wargames' rule-based character representation to form the first role-playing games.[12][13]
One of the first original role-playing games was
Another early game was
Mid-1980s to early 90s: diversification of settings and systems
Up to this stage, each game had tied itself to a particular setting; If a player wanted to play in a science-fiction game and a fantasy game, they had to learn two game systems. Attempts were made in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to allow cross-genre games using Gamma World (1978) and Boot Hill (1975) rules, but the obscure rules went largely unused. Meanwhile, Call of Cthulhu and Paranoia offered different role-playing experiences, in which the story arc of a group's investigation would lead to death and/or madness, or where comical infighting within a group would be expected and reinforced within the genre conventions of "a darkly humorous future". The Hero System, first introduced in Champions (1981), was also used in Justice, Inc. (1984), Fantasy Hero (1985) and other games. Steve Jackson Games followed with GURPS (the Generic Universal Roleplaying System) in 1986. At the same time, games using the fictional worlds of Star Trek, DC Heroes, the Marvel Universe or The Lord of the Rings expanded the range of possibilities for Table-top gaming. Games such as GURPS and Champions introduced character creation via point-buy systems; later, Vampire: The Masquerade and similar games emphasized storytelling, plot and character development over rules and combat.
Due to the game's success, the term Dungeons & Dragons has sometimes been used as a
Mid- to late-1990s: decline in popularity
Competition from role-playing video games and collectible card games led to a decline in the tabletop role-playing game industry. The financially troubled market leader TSR, Inc., which had suffered financial setbacks from overproduction, was eventually purchased by Wizards of the Coast.[30] To better cope with the economics of role-playing games, they introduced a new regime of open gaming, allowing other companies to publish D&D-compatible supplements. Meanwhile, self-defined "Indie role-playing" communities arose on the internet, studying role-playing and developing several forms of role-playing game theory such as GNS theory. More recently, rules innovations have combined with literary techniques to develop games such as Dogs in the Vineyard and Polaris that rely on the contributions of players to enhance moral agency in a process of emergent storytelling.
2000s-present
In 2000, Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons
In January 2012, Wizards of the Coast announced that a new edition of the game, at the time referred to as D&D Next, was under development. In direct contrast to the previous editions of the game, D&D Next was developed partly via a public open playtest.[31] An early build of the new edition debuted at the 2012 Dungeons & Dragons Experience event to about 500 fans.[32] Public playtesting began on 24 May 2012,[33] with the final playtest packet released on 20 September 2013.[34] The 5th edition's Basic Rules, a free PDF containing complete rules for play and a subset of the player and DM content from the core rulebooks, was released on 3 July 2014.[35] In forty years the genre grew from a few hobbyists and boutique publishers to an economically significant part of the games industry. Grass-roots and small business involvement remains substantial while larger projects have attracted several million players worldwide. Toys industry leader Hasbro purchased Wizards of the Coast in 1999 for an estimated $325 million.[36]
D&D has seen many shows and podcasts in recent times. These include podcasts such as Dimension 20, Critical Role, and The Adventure Zone.
In 2023, Wizards of the Coast attempted to alter the Open Game License. When the community protested, they walked the decision back, and placed 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons into the Creative Commons as a show of trust. Later that year, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was released.
Game systems
The set of rules of a role-playing game is known as its game system; the rules themselves are known as
Game rules determine the success or failure of a character's actions, or adjudicate changes in the setting or the characters themselves. Many game systems use weighted statistics and dice rolls or other random elements.
Some systems are tied to the setting of the game they feature in, or to a broad genre such as science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Examples include Dungeons & Dragons itself (fantasy),
Statistics
Characters in role-playing games are usually represented by a number of statistics. Statistics are an abstract measure of how successful a character is likely to be at a class of tasks. Many game systems make distinctions between two key types of statistic:
Attributes are statistics all characters possess: strength, agility, and intelligence are common examples. These are ranked, often on a numeric scale, so that a player can gauge the character's capabilities. For example, a character's strength rating could be used to determine the likelihood that the character can lift a certain weight.
Skills are abilities that only some characters possess, such as negotiation, horseback riding, and marksmanship. Game systems often define skills that are genre-appropriate. For example, fantasy settings generally include
Character motivations are things in which the character believes strongly.
Character creation
Before play begins, players build or select a character. This can take one of several forms:
- Selecting from a number of pre-set templates, created by the game's developer or by the Game Master. Feng Shui and several Powered by the Apocalypse games use this method.
- Building a character using a set of broad options, such as (fantasy) race. This approach is particularly common in fantasy games, such as Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder.
- Point-buy systems, often used in universal RPGs such as Champions, and GURPS, assigns the player a certain number of points with which to purchase statistics for the character. The cost of each statistic varies depending on its presumed effectiveness.
- Free-form character creation, in which the player assigns statistics to the character as the player sees fit.
- Not creating a character at all, in games where the character's nature is intended to be uncovered through play.
Campaign settings
Each game has a
Campaign settings exist for almost all
The size of a setting can vary. Campaign settings such as the
A number of campaign settings have fused multiple genres into a single game. Shadowrun combined fantasy with cyberpunk, Castle Falkenstein drew on fantasy and Steampunk elements, and Torg mashed up fantasy, science fiction, pulp and horror elements. Meanwhile, Feng Shui combined Chinese historical fantasy with Kung Fu action tropes and dystopian science fiction.
Publishers
The largest publisher of role-playing games is Wizards of the Coast, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hasbro and publisher of Dungeons & Dragons. Other major companies in 2020-2021 included Onyx Path Publishing (Vampire: The Requiem, Exalted, and others), R. Talsorian Games (Cyberpunk), Paizo (Pathfinder), Evil Hat Productions (Fate), and Modiphius Entertainment (numerous licensed games), as tracked on ICv2's Top 5 Roleplaying Games articles[38] and the Bestselling Titles list[39] on DriveThruRPG.
Most role-playing game publishers are privately held companies and do not release sales figures, making precise estimates difficult. There has been no publicly available, systematic examination of point of sale data, limiting further estimates to a rough consensus between industry analysts.
In 2006, non-Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPGs in the upper echelons of sales typically generated between five and ten thousand unit sales. Most commercially published RPGs are small press products, having less than a thousand units sold.[40] The technology of print on demand is strongly used in RPGs, since it reduces run costs for the typical small print runs.
Business models
Role-playing games are produced under a variety of
The standard business model for successful RPGs relies on multiple sales avenues:
- The so-called collectible card games
- Direct sales via the internet, through an online retailer or through the company's own electric storefront.
- Electronic sales and distribution, either without any physical product at all (e-books) or through a POD service. Once limited to small companies, this sales venue is now employed by publishers of all sizes.
Typically, RPG publishers have a very long life cycle once they manage to generate an initial successful game. TSR, the initial publisher of
Indie publishers
Independent or "indie" games are produced by a self-identified independent games community, or individuals who may or may not identify with that community. Generally they are self-published or published by a collective group of small publishers. The indie role-playing game community often produces games with signature and idiosyncratic character. Some indie publishers often eschew the three-tier distribution model and sell directly online and at conventions, or directly to stores, but many do use distribution services. The line between "indie" publishers and "mainstream" publishers is hazy at best. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate environment, or be distributed without dependence on the industry's three-tier retail structure.
See also
References
- ^ Kim, John. "What is a Role-Playing Game?". Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Kim, John. ""Narrative" or "Tabletop" RPGs". Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
- ^ Frum, Larry; Kohan, Topher (8 June 2010). "Dungeons & Dragons tries to lure back players". CNN.
- ^ "The great 1980s Dungeons & Dragons panic". BBC. 11 April 2014.
- ^ Gilbert, Zora (11 May 2020). "5 Low-Prep, GMless Games to Play from Far Away". Sidequest. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Review of Dread". rpgnet.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-4451-9.
As suggested by the name, TRPGs are played face-to-face (around a table, most likely), and involve players 'acting out' a role. This acting is not always literal. Players do not arrive in costume or speak exclusively in-character – something that differentiates TRPGs from live-action role-playing games (LARPs). Instead, players develop characters based on certain rules and are responsible for deciding what those characters do over the course of the game.
- ISBN 9780307828293.
- ISBN 978-0-615-64204-8.
- ^ "Brief History of Wargaming". University of Virginia. Archived from the original on 14 May 2003.
- ^ Wick, John (1 October 2014). "Chess is not an RPG: The Illusion of Game Balance". John Wick Presents.
- ^ Rilstone, Andrew (1994). "Role-Playing Games: An Overview". RPGnet. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
- ^ "Where we've been and where we're going".: "Generation 1" games
- ^ ISBN 978-0520960565.
- ^ Sacco, Ciro Alessandro (4 March 2004). "The Ultimate Interview with Gary Gygax". Atlas of Adventure. Archived from the original on 30 May 2004.
- ^ "What Is a 'Role-Playing Game' Anyway?". Wired. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ a b Gilsdorf, Ethan (20 March 2012). "Gamers Mourn "Lost Tolkien" M.A.R. Barker". Wired. Retrieved 15 June 2020 – via www.wired.com.
- ^ Slack, Andy (4 April 2012). "Review: Empire of the Petal Throne". Halfway Station. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ Barker, M.A.R. Empire of the Petal Throne. p. 34.
- ^ "The History of TSR". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2005.
- ISBN 978-1-61317-075-5.
Metaplots generally advanced the plotline of an RPG setting through new publications. Uniquely, GDW explored both of these avenues in the late '70s.
- ^ "TSR vs Mayfair Games". www.darkshire.net. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Paul Cardwell, Jr.: The Attacks on Role-Playing Games". www.rpgstudies.net. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Kestrel, Gwendolyn F.M. "Working Hard at Play". New Horizons for Learning. Archived from the original on 29 September 2006. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Christian Gamers Guild". Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Chick.com: Dark Dungeons". www.chick.com. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Games: Fantasy or Reality?", The Watchman Expositor, vol. 15, no. 6, Watchman Fellowship ministry, 1998 - article denouncing role-playing games as cult activity
- ^ "missing". ww1.holylands.net. Retrieved 29 December 2022.[dead link]
- ^ "Confessions of a Dungeons & Dragons Addict". www.mjyoung.net. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Wizards of the Coast to acquire TSR". www.gamecabinet.com. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Gilsdorf, Ethan (9 January 2012). "Players Roll the Dice for Dungeons & Dragons Remake". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
- ^ Ohannessian, Kevin (3 February 2012). ""Dungeons & Dragons Next" Creators Look To Simplicity, Open Development To Regain Lost Gamers". Co.Create. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ^ Mearls, Mike (25 April 2012). "Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (News on D&D Next)". Wizards.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014.
- ^ "Final Playtest Packet". Wizards.com. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014.
- ^ "5E Basic Rules". Wizards.com. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "Popular Board Games". The Spruce Crafts. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Top 5 Roleplaying Games--Fall 2020". ICv2. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "TOP 5 ROLEPLAYING GAMES - SPRING 2021". ICv2. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Products". DriveThruRPG. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Sullivan, Kate (9 November 2017). "Complete Guide to Small Press Publishing: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Small Presses for Writers". TCK Publishing. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
External links
- Tabletop role-playing game at Curlie
- RPG.Net – RPG community and database