Bob Slaughter's Role-Playing Gaming Page

Role-Playing Games

Role-playing games are an interesting, literate, and imaginative form of gaming. The relationship between role-playing games and reading is approximately the same as the relationship between performing music and listening to CDs. Not a computer game, role-playing games (RPGs for short) are primarily pencil-and-paper games, and playing them combines elements of creative writing with improvisational theatre, such as socializing, storytelling, literature, and acting, all into an interesting, cohesive combination. They often de-emphasize competition and 'winning', in favor of cooperation and group enjoyment. They are my single favorite category of gaming. (Contrary to what a few people believe, they do not lead anyone into evil or cult behavior. RPGs are engaging to the mind, and encourage the creative use of the imagination, which can lead to behavior bordering on the addictive or obsessive in a few individuals. But then any hobby can become obsessive to the point of self-injury to some participants. Such people should seek counseling).

RPGs have two main parts: the rules system and the genre or game world. Many experienced gamers readily throw out the mechanics of a game and replace it with another, if they feel the mechanics don't work correectly for their playing style or interpretation. The most important consideration in getting a game is the world setting. The way the world is set up and the details are what characterise a game; the mechanics are merely the tools by which people interact with that world, taking the scenes of the imagination and creating action out of them, bringing them into 'reality'.

Some game systems are "rules-heavy" with lots of mechanical, detailed ways on handling a wide variety of problems. Others are "rules-light", relying on improvisation and the creativity of the people involved in the game to resolve items not directly explicitly covered in the rules. I'm finding myself leaning more towards the "rules-light" category myself. It's just a personal preference; some gamers still like like the "rules-heavy" approach. It's just a matter of personal taste.

• Paper about D&D, Cults and Christianity Not mine, but found as a post on rec.games.frp.misc
• GAMA (Game Manufacturers' Association) Info Brochure on RPGs
• A Web Page about RPGs and Crime

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• Woodelf's RPG Index Page Links to most of the Internet RPG resources
• RPG Internet Resouce Guide Another source for Internet RPG links.
• Caravan of Dreams On-line reviews of Role-Playing Games. Looking for more reviews.

Everway

Everway is an interesting variation of a role-playing game. While most games are played using dice, Everway doens't, but uses a set of cards called a Fortune Deck. Instead of rolling dice to generate numbers, characters are created by choosing 5 fantasy art cards from a Vision Deck, then using those cards to describe and define aspects of their character. Characters have four statistics: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. They may have access to special Powers and Magic, or not, at the players' discretion. They also have the power to walk between parallel worlds, through gates that connect the Spheres. As they journey to different realms, they discover problems and attempt to solve them using their talents. The Storyguide interprets the players' actions based on Drama (the needs of the story), Karma (the ratings of the players), and Fortune (draws from the Fortune Deck).

• Everweb Everway support page

Pendragon

This game is set in legendary Arthurian Britain. Pendragon covers the entire period from the death of Arthur's father Uther until Arthur's own death 70 years later, in an accelerated historical style. At Uther's death the game is fairly historical, but by Arthur's crowning is modelled on the 1100's, and is 'advanced' to the 1500's by Arthur's death. This affects dress, weapons, armor, building styles and other setting elements. Characters age and die in this game, but have the opportunity to have children and other relatives to carry on their activities. Character personality is more important than strength or speed in this game, having more to do with Honor and Glory than the simple ability to deal damage.

• Green Knight's Homepage (home of the Pendragon RPG)

FUDGE

FUDGE is a net-published set of mechanics for custom-creating a role-playing game. It isn't a ready-to-play set of rules, but a set of mechanics for creating a custom game system for any given game world. Simple rules for skill resolution allow for concentration on role-playing over roll-playing. Commerically printed versions of the rules, dice, and new supplements are available through Grey Ghost Games.

• The Author's, Stephen O'Sullivan, own FUDGE page You can download the net-based text version from here.
• Grey Ghost Games' FUDGE page

Heavy Gear

Heavy Gear is a futuristic blend of miniature gaming and role-playing, focused around Japanese-animation styled large manned robots. Unlike similar games, like BattleTech and Mekton Zeta, the authors' are primarily fans of Japanese anime, formerly publishing a newsletter called Mecha Press. The robots, called gear, aren't the elegant technology Meks of Mekton Zeta or the walking super-tanks of BattleTech. They are smaller, and use standard internal cumbustion engines rather than cold-fusion generators. Lots of background information is becoming available, as well as an over-arcing storyline showing development of their game world.

• Heavy Gear Official Homepage lots of game info, advance information on new products, answers to questions about the rules, artwork, and photos of assembled and painted miniatures for the Heavy Gear world.