Tabletop role-playing games

In short: In tabletop (pen-and-paper) role-playing games a group tells a story together: each person plays a character and a game master describes the world. Dice and rules decide whether risky actions succeed.

In more detail: The first well-known game of this kind was Dungeons & Dragons from 1974; in German-speaking countries The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge) has been popular since the 1980s. It is played with pen, paper and imagination, without any game board.

In detail

• The game master: They describe places, play supporting characters and react to the group’s ideas; depending on the game they are also called the referee or dungeon master.
• The characters: Players create characters with skills and traits that are written down on a character sheet.
• Dice: Many systems use special dice such as the twenty-sided d20; the roll plus skill values decides success or failure.
• Genres: Besides fantasy there are role-playing games about science fiction, horror, detective stories and many other themes.
• Getting started: Starter sets or short adventures for a single evening, known as one-shots, are a good way to try it out.
• Agreeing together: Before the first session the group clarifies which themes are welcome or off-limits and how often they will play.
• Playing online: With video chat and virtual tabletops, sessions can also be organised across long distances.
• What it offers: Role-playing encourages creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and speaking freely.
• Related hobbies: If you enjoy stories and strategy, board games and puzzle games also offer plenty of variety (brettspiele-fuer-einsteiger, escape-rooms-und-raetselspiele).