Role-playing games (RPGs) evolved as an extension of strategic and tactical miniatures war games, but instead of pitting armies against each other players adopt the guise of a single character or personality, pitting their wits against a game environment presented to them by the referee, referred to in this game as the Games Master (GM), who acts as the narrator of the story, arbiter of the rules and keeper of records. Most importantly, the GM is the facilitator of the action and events which unfold in response to the players’ decisions and the rules of the environment with which they interact.

Role-playing games have no fixed duration – they can be run in the form of small stand-alone scenarios capable of completion over an evening or two, or they can comprise a longer story-arc played out over weeks or months. In many cases the environment in which the players interact may be adopted as a “campaign setting”, in which a whole series of continuing adventures will be able to take place.

Unlike most games, role-playing games provide the opportunity for characters to learn skills and gain experience, developing as individuals over time in much the same way that real people can develop in the real world. A role-playing game is only as good as the effort that is put into it. The environment has to be realistic, the rules consistent, the referee both committed and enthusiastic, and the players willing to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the characters and situations they encounter. But it is also important to note that it is nothing more than a game, and that the role-playing should end when the character sheets and dice are packed away and people go on with their lives until their next adventure.

Back