What is a Role Playing Game?
by Guy W. McLimore
Okay, I have always looked at Role Playing as an extension of my acting and writing talents. I can't begin to explain how much fun it is to create the background and history of a person that only exists in a fictional world. Then, in LARP, to be able to, with costume and make-up, become that person. It's better than chocolate, some might say better than sex.
Now, I prefer, I think mostly because it was my first experience in role rlpaying, Live Action Role Playing or LARP. I explain it as "street theater," a form of improvisational acting. I was introduced to it about five or six years ago by a friend. One night he came to rehearsals dressed as a Tremere, or so I found out the next Saturday. After that first game I was hooked.
I'm still gaming and as almost every player does, I'm creating my own chronicle. Yes, what I really want to do is storytell.
Well, as for the different kinds of role playing games...
The most well known are Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). There has been alot of contreversy over the years surrounding these two games. This coming from someone who has played both games, the contreversy has been extremely blown out of proportion. Just like everything else in life, the actions of a few "crazy" people make the rest of us suffer.
Though D&D and AD&D are not my favorite games, I do enjoy a game best described as Live Action D&D. It's the New England Role Playing Association (NERO). I've been NPCing for about six months now and I have loved every minute of it. I can't wait until I PC at the first major event in November.
COMING SOON!
Dungeons & Dragons Links
NERO Links |
The next most well know games, in my opinion, are Cyberpunk and White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade. Both are in the Gothic Punk genre, believe it or not. For those of you who don't believe me... Cyberpunk is set in a futuristic-post- apocalyptic world and Vampire is set in the modern day. Something to think about that the next time you sit down to create a Cyberpunk character, huh?
Along the same lines, basically in the same genre or setting are the other White Wolf Storyteller systems:
I know that there are more, but I can't remember them all right now. Another Storytelling system that is also set in this genre, or any genre for that matter, is GURPS. It's an acronym for General Universal Role Playing System. Steve Jackson Games puts out these books and there is one for just about every game. They also have a few games all their own.
Another White Wolf game that is even closer to Cyberpunk is Æon Trinity. It's their newest game and after perusing through the book, I need to play it. It's all about playing a person with psyonic abillities. The game mechanics are as simple as can be and the genre is outstanding! Check out the official Æon Trinity Website. You can even order the book.
Along the lines of Cyberpunk and Æon Trinity is Rifts. Now the setting is an alternate Earth or something like that, but it's alot like Cyberpunk. You get to also play characters with psychic ability, so it's also like Æon Trinity. I have only played it two or three times, but I did have fun. It is preaty hard to find the books though. The best you may do is a used copy you might find at Gamescape or your local gaming store. Of the Rifts books the best known, at least in my gaming circles, is Nightspawn.
COMING SOON!
Æon Trinity Links
Rifts Links |
Now on a completely different note, there is Champions. Have you ever wanted to play a super hero... then this game is for you. GURPS has a version called Super Heros. I've played Champions and Super Heros. Both are good games. My favorite character I created was named Flame Boy. He had the ability to channel his inner flame and create fire and light at will. Cheesy, but fun when your band of merry characters includes Super Hero Dude, Batboy (who swung around a huge baseball bat with magical powers), and Flying Chick (who could only fly, but she did it REALLY GOOD!).
COMING SOON!
Champions Links |
Other games include Ars Magica, Jyhad (or Vampire: The Eternal Struggle), Magic the Gathering, Shadow Run and many more.
Design & Content ©1998 Anthony Michael Sramek
This page was created on 10/06/98 and was last updated on 10/31/98. All copyrights or trademarks of original materials revert to the original authors and artists. Any use of copyrighted or trademarked materials should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks.
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