Here’s a list of questions I’m commonly asked by visitors to this site.
they’re a social activity where a group of people sit around the table and assume the parts of characters in a story. The events takes place within your imagination, with the success governed by the roll of a dice. It’s a social activity, so you’ll need a few friends, some odd-shaped dice, and a good imagination. You’ll also need a couple of rulebooks – like the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook, in order to play. Here’s the full definition from Wikipedia.org:
A role-playing game (RPG; often roleplaying game) is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game. Most role-playing games are conducted like radio drama: only the spoken component is acted. In most games, one specially designated player, the game master (GM), creates a setting in which each player plays the role of a single character. The GM describes the game world and its inhabitants; the other players describe the intended actions of their characters, and the GM describes the outcomes. Some outcomes are determined by the game system, and some are chosen by the GM.
OK – it’s also fun.
The d20 system from Wizards of the Coast is an attempt to create a open source rules system/licence, similar to the GNU public licence in many respects – with several provisos. Players must purchase the core rulebooks in order to play. This shouldn’t be confused with the 2d20 System from Modiphius which uses a number of different mechanics.
Not really. RPGs have been around for over 30 years. The concept of interactive fiction pre-dates written history. And games like World of Warcraft have their roots in RPGs.
See this page which lists various gaming groups, shops, and other resources: Gaming In Edinburgh.
I’m often asked by visitors to these pages how they can go about getting their game published, submit their artwork, would I be interested in their game, etc. This section will hopefully clarify things – it’s by no means definitive and shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for common sense!
Uff. I don’t really want any sales, licensing, or similar emails. If you have a game idea or something similar, there are companies out there that may buy your game idea but it is extremely rare. It is an exceptionally tough industry to get into (and make money from!) and you will need an extremely innovative idea or pitch. Good luck. I am happy to collaborate/participate upon such projects, although my time is limited right now – either for writing credits or cold hard cash. For those interested in such things I blogged about Kickstarter campaigns and how I think they should run.
Possibly, if you’ve a working prototype and are prepared for some constructive criticism. Playtests are a significant investment of time for any GM and they need to market it to their players.
If you’ve got any other questions that aren’t listed above, feel free to contact me.