Quit putting your game in a box.
You don’t need races. You don’t need classes. You don’t need miniatures.
If you think that you do need these things then no doubt you are playing a gaming system that requires these mechanics in order for it to work properly. I’m going to tell you though. The system’s wrong.
Think with me for a moment - What is role playing?
It’s pretend.
You: Come on man! I need my miniatures! And how the heck am I going to play my elven rogue without a race or a class?
The RPG Guy: Settle down, friend. Settle down. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s look at this whole role playing game thing in more detail.
Have you ever asked yourself, what is it that I absolutely need to play a role playing game?
If you have or you haven’t, I’m sure you realize now that role playing without its pants on isn’t as glorious as you may have thought it was. Yup – it’s kind of a game.
First let’s ask this: Why is it important to know the necessities of an RPG?
Let me quote musician Alvin Lee.
I think a lot of modern day guitarists start off playing like Eddie van Halen, and they don’t take the time to learn the basics.
If you don’t know the basics, you don’t have a basis to which you can build on.
Now that that’s out of the way, what are the bare-bones absolutely necessary components to play a role playing game (RPG)?
Well, you sure as heck won’t want to miss this next video…
Here are 10 necessities you need for an RPG!
Recap:
- GM – It’s the game master that creates the world, plays all of the characters, creates the story and everything else! Check out this article on what not to do as a GM.
- Players – You can play from 1 - ?. However, for table top gaming, 3-4 players is best.
- Location – You can play anywhere! Check out this video on choosing a good gaming space – coming out next week!
- Story – Without a story, you have no game. Learn to create a story without giving up the free will of your players with this article on 4 Techniques to Railroad Your RPG Like a Ninja.
- Random “Device” – Conflict Resolution (which was pointed out to me) is an even more basic form of this. In regards to randomization; however, check out this video on the random factor and how to use randomness in your rpg.
- Imagination – Your mind’s eye is a powerful adversary. Learn to use it and watch your gaming get that much better.
- Descriptions – Narration is good, but can be a hindrance to being truly descriptive.
- Role Playing – Learning your character and acting like them is one of the key ingredients for immersive gaming. Make sure to check out these 4 role playing tips.
- Setting – World Building can be tedious, but very rewarding. You will need this as a basis for your game.
- Characters – What’s a story without characters? It’s not a story. That’s what. This character building video is quick and easy to implement for character generation.
A Note from The RPG Guy: Do you agree? Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments down below!
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Story? When has story had anything to do with RPGs? At least not story telling. Robin Laws puts it better, in his Hamlet’s Hit Point he describe what we do, player and GM as story making. As we are involved in play, as we are adventuring we are making a story. A story we can later share with others.
Certainly it is all make believe, but in a very real sense it’s more like living. A situation comes up, you handle it. It leads to another situation which you handle. What happens leads to further events which come to an eventual conclusion, at least for that sequence of events.
Set up the core situation, run the party through the events which deal with the situation—along with side trips for variety—and conclude with a solution to the situation. But be sure to let the players have some leeway in how they handle things.
A Falcondonian ship has docked at Loundoun with an Iroukian Shaman and his entourage on board. What is the Vargaardian looking for, and what is his connection with the Loundoun underworld? How do the players get involved? Is the Iroukian a foe or an ally. Who else is interested in the man and what are their aims.
No need for a plot, no need for a story, let the story arise from how things play out, create the story with the aid the players, instead of making them follow your story. That’s my advice and I’m sticking to it.
Hi Alan – Thank you so much for your well thought out comment! You’re right. You don’t need the plot / story to start out… but you do create it as you go.
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