How To Create A Tabletop Game

INTRODUCTION

When you think of role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons (the major type of tabletop role-playing games), you probably envision a dimly lit basement filled with people dressed in ridiculous robes rolling dice! However, there is so much more to this leisure activity than that. Not only are role-playing games (RPGs) a lot of fun, they can also teach you very valuable skills that you can apply to live in the real world.

On first hearing about RPGs, I immediately assumed they were only for the nerdiest of people. I could only imagine how absurd it would feel to sit around a table with other people and pretend to fight goblins and dragons! The entire premise sounded far too 'geeky' for me. I have since become someone who is extremely into video games and other 'nerdy' but fun activities.

While traditional video games typically require only a brief period of investment from players and do not require players to create a new persona, online RPGs are typically much more time-consuming, thoughtful and emotional. These games encourage players to take on the role of a character—often one that is diametrically opposed to the player's real-life persona—and frequently have no real end!

Role-playing games can last hours, days, or even years, with characters interacting with one another to create a virtual world that may feel more comfortable than the real one. Players acquire new skills online and there are significant benefits, such as increased spatial reasoning abilities, especially among female players. Playing RPGs also helps develop the capacity for building new real friendships and honing real social skills. Players also develop strategy and critical-thinking abilities as they create complex solutions to ongoing challenges created in the games.

In essence, this book will be an education and discussion of all there is to know about RPGs, at the same time giving you the adequate and correct knowledge you need on how to create successful tabletop RPG campaigns.

So, sit back, enjoy, and explore everything about this life-changing and beautifying game invention, the role-playing game).

What Is RPG

A role-playing game is a game in which players take on the roles of fictional characters. Players assume responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development. It is a type of game involving actions that succeed or fail based on a formal set of rules and guidelines.

The term RPG is also used to describe games involving role-play simulations and exercises used in teaching, training, and academic research. The inventors of these games consider them to be a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Events, characters, and narrative structure give the game a sense of narrative experience, and there is no need for the game to have a strongly defined storyline.

One of the major factors or characteristics that distinguish RPGs from traditional fiction is Interactivity . Traditional fiction on a screen includes the viewer of a television show as simply a passive observer. A player in an RPG, however, is allowed to makes choices that affect the story or the narrative. These types of RPGs give extension to an older tradition of storytelling games, where only a small party of friends can collaborate to create a story.

Another immutable difference is that while simple forms of role-playing exist in traditional children's games of make-believe, RPG adds a level of sophistication and persistence to the basic idea, alongside additions such as game facilitators and rules of interaction.

In RPG, participants are permitted to generate specific characters and develop an ongoing plot. There is a consistent system of rules and more or less realistic campaign settings in these types of games that aid players' suspension of disbelief. Its level of realism ranges from minimal internal consistency necessary to establish a credible story or challenge, to fully-fledged simulations of real-world processes.

Types Of RPG

Despite the fact that there are several types of RPGs in electronic media, the majority of them include the:

Multiplayer text-based Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) and their graphics-based successors;
Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs);

Single-player RPG on video in which players control a character, or team of characters, who undertake(s) quests and may include player abilities that advance using statistical mechanics, are also examples of RPGs

The original division and the major types of RPGs are the TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING GAMES (TTRPG) and the LIVE ACTION ROLE-PLAYING GAMES (LARP).

The type referred to as the Tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) , is conducted through discussion, while players physically perform the actions of their characters in Live-Action role-playing games (LARP). In both of these major forms of RPG, an arranger known as a game master (GM) usually decides on the rules and setting to be used, while acting as the referee; each of the other players periodically takes on the role of GM.

The above-listed types of electronic games share settings and rules with the tabletop RPGs, but the difference in their invention is that they place a greater emphasis on character advancement rather than collaborative storytelling.

Tabletop RPG Games

A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), alternatively referred to as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a type of role-playing game in which participants describe their characters' actions verbally. Participants determine their characters' actions based on their characterization, and those actions succeed or fail based on a predefined formal system of rules and guidelines.

TTRPGs are played face-to-face around a table with a pencil and paper and it is within the confines of the rules that while players have the freedom to improvise, their choices influence the game's direction and outcome.

Every TTRPG contains these fundamental components:

The player is in control of a single character.
The character possesses game statistics and/or attributes relating to other game objects.
Significant fictional/narrative relationships exist between the character and other story elements.
The player assumes the role of the character and makes choices as if they were the character.
Rarely does the player control multiple characters.
There is the presence of a GM who is responsible for playing NPCs and governing what happens in the virtual world.

The elements listed above are listed in ascending order of generality to specificity. The first point is applicable to a wide variety of game genres, while the latter is largely applicable to TTRPGs.

In comparison to other types of role-playing games, TRPGs are frequently conducted in the manner of radio drama, with only the spoken component of a role being acted.

This acting is not always literal, and players do not always speak in character exclusively. Rather, players assume their roles by deciding and describing the actions their characters will take in accordance with the game's rules.

In the majority of games, a designated player, typically the game master (GM), creates a setting in which each player takes on the role of a single character. The game world and its inhabitants are described by the GM; the other players describe their characters' intended actions, and the GM describes the outcomes. Certain outcomes are predetermined by the game system, while others are determined by the GM.

There are several examples of TRPGs such as D&D, FATE, and Fiasco and video games (like Chrono Trigger, Horizon Zero Dawn, and the Final Fantasy series). Specific TRPGs may designate the GM role differently, such as Dungeon Master (DM) in Dungeons & Dragons, Referee in all Game Designers' Workshop games, or Storyteller in the Storytelling System.

Tabletop RPG – Playing Challenge

Now, there is a system that has been introduced to TRPGs to make its players have access to different adventures, rather than merely singles. It gives them a limitless range of adventures, characters, and a series of events that the players can relate to.

This technique is called a campaign (defined in the previous chapter, you will remember we defined it as a collection of individual adventures), while a campaign setting is a world in which these adventures and campaigns occur.

Typically, a campaign setting is created for a specific tabletop game (such as Dungeons & Dragons-Forgotten Realms setting) or a specific genre of game (such as medieval fantasy or outer space/science fiction adventure).

Along with commercially available campaign settings, many GM's create their own settings, which are frequently referred to as 'home brew' settings or worlds.

The basis of introducing the campaign technique to TRPG is for the purposes of having a continuing storyline or set of adventures, typically involving the same characters. The continuing storyline's purpose is to introduce a new dimension to the game: that of character development, improvement, and growth (or degeneration).

A single session becomes a scene or an act within the campaign's overarching story arc. A campaign may or may not have a defined conclusion at its inception. A campaign will span multiple sessions of play. Certain aspects of the game remain nearly constant over the course of a campaign: the campaign setting, the players, and the GM. A campaign is said to be run by the GM.

The various facets of a campaign

A campaign is defined by the following characteristics:

The rules – What game system is used as a foundation? What modifications, additions, or deletions to the rules has the GM made? What interpretation will the GM make of those rules?
The world or setting of the game – Where do the adventures take place? What distinguishes this world or location from others?
Realism – Will the game attempt to replicate the real world as closely as possible? Or will improbable or fantastic events become commonplace?
Sense of humour – Is the game going to be silly or comical? Or will it be solemn and foreboding?
An underlying storyline – Are the players a part of the game world's larger events? While not all campaigns follow this narrative, the majority do feature recurring characters.

Differential emphasis on any of these factors contributes to the campaign's flavour. Players and the GM collaborate to create a campaign, which includes its characters, settings, and history.

There are various types of campaigns for RPGs, but we will be considering the type for TRPG, as the point of discussion for this book. This type of campaign is called the Hack and Slash, Kick in the Door, or Dungeon Crawl campaign .

This style of campaign is preferred mostly by Dungeons & Dragons players and it is centred upon monster-slaying and treasure discovery.

How To Successfully Create Your Campaign

We have been able to establish the fact that the campaign is another interesting part of TRPG activity and to get involved and maximize its full potential we must understand how to go about a successful TTRPG campaign.

How can you successfully start a campaign with your fellow group of players? Here are the tips:

Tip 1 – Desire It

Are you at loss for where to begin? Or you are unsure of the tools and resources required? Or you are familiar with the genre, but you lack a compelling story idea? Or you are ever unsure of the genre or system to use?

I have discovered that the most effective trick is to desire it. If you become stuck, delayed, or blocked at any point, circle back to this step, as it is the most critical. Take a deep breath and declare, 'This time, I'm going to make it happen!'

Tip 2 – Gather Your Tools

As is the case with most hobbies, TTRPGs require specific tools and the following are the necessary things for your game kit:

Recognized different types of the game system

There are hundreds of available game systems. Among the most popular are the following:

Dungeons & Dragons – A high fantasy role-playing game with a relatively simple system.

Exalted and Scion – Fantasy martial arts; moderately difficult. Has a storytelling nature.

World of Darkness – Horror fantasy game, which includes Vampire: The Masquerade, and other sub-games; straightforward system.

Pathfinder – A high fantasy setting based on a previous D&D edition; moderately complicated.

Before settling on a system, peruse the core books at your local games/book store, conduct online research, and discuss them with the people you'll be playing with. If you previously played with a GM who ran an enjoyable game, inquire about the system they used and any others they recommend.

Once you've chosen a system, you can download or purchase their core rule sets (the characters and basic set). Additionally, get the add-on books for the game system.

The arranged materials/resources

Once you've gathered the materials necessary to run games, you will need to keep them organized. Otherwise, you risk being in the midst of a game and forgetting where you stored the next monster's stats or the map for the next area!

For those who will not have access to a computer or laptop, there are numerous traditional options. Papers can be organized in a three-ring binder, with monsters, story notes, and maps separated.

Your notes and resources in a digital device.

Finally, if you have access to a laptop/computer, you can digitize all of these notes and resources. Character sheets can be saved in a number of different formats, most of which can be edited and printed.

My recommendation would be to create folders for campaigns first. Create folders for each type of resource within those, for example, 'Maps', 'Story Notes', 'PCs', 'NPCs and Monsters', and so on. Save all your resources within these folders, or create shortcuts to them if they are organized elsewhere.

Display

As a GM, you may occasionally be required to roll dice or make notes that are not visible to the players. Additionally, you will need to consult the same few saved charts repeatedly until they're memorized.

A convenient solution to both of these issues is to print or purchase a GM screen for your system. The majority of systems include a screen, which you can print and assemble yourself or purchase pre-made and printed on card stock.

Likewise, there are online GM screens available if you require chart access.

Miniatures and print ables

It is important and needful that you have a printout or an editable digital copy of the character sheet for your system. If printing, make at least two copies for each anticipated player to ensure you have extras in case they bring a friend or wish to switch characters.

Once you've determined the basic appearance of the characters, and especially if you will be making use of combat maps, it is necessary you print out or acquire some miniatures. They can be folded paper slips with a picture of the character or painted/pewter figures.

Your non-player characters (NPCs)

This includes extras, allies, villains, and monsters. You will quickly discover which ones you require, but for now, learn how your system manages their character sheets and locate some miniatures for them. Certain systems include pre-written monsters in 'monster manuals'; keep one on hand to quickly pull out the ones you need.

Cartographies

The two types of maps are the 'world' (which depicts landmarks, towns, and points of interest) and 'combat' (which is more detailed and contains squares/hexes where characters stand). The first is much important, and the other can be kept alongside, probably for a second thought, during the game.

You can purchase reusable grid play mats for combat that can be written on with a washable marker. Regarding maps tailored to your story, you have two options: you can use premade maps but modify the names to suit your purposes, or you can create your own. If you're unsure where to begin, consider using a random map generator.

Crinkles

Playing individually, or preferring to make use of dice, or if you lack access to a computer/mobile phone, a set of dice is needed for alternatives. Depending on your system, you may require a complete set or just a few six-sided dice. If a computer is available, virtual dice in the form of random number generators can be found.

Tip 3 – Determine The Story Type/Genre

Before you begin planning your campaign, you must determine its duration and structure. There are several fundamental types to choose from:

While a one-shot game may seem like the best way to get started, it is rarely as enjoyable as a fully-fledged campaign and may thus dampen your hopes a little.

Type 1 is Episodic: Between sessions, the characters' condition is reset, as if they rested and healed, possibly even travelling.

Type 2 is Finite Serial: The story continues as one long string between sessions, which means that characters may occasionally begin a session with disadvantages and in established situations from the previous session.

Type 3 is Infinite Serial: You establish a setting and a basic storyline; the adventure can continue indefinitely as long as your players remain committed to it.

Making this decision early on will have an impact on how your campaign is planned.

The majority of campaigns revolve around a swashbuckling character, exploring a theme that will pique your players' interest and make them eager to continue. For instance:

Horror: You expose the players to heinous situations and force them to make difficult choices. This may be difficult for first-time GM's to pull off.

Drama: Balance gameplay in favour of role-playing and encourage players to enter their character's head. This is analogous to putting on a play.

Puzzle: Initiate a discussion among the players about how to solve a puzzle or a mystery.

After making the aforementioned decisions, you should have a good idea of the genre you wish to use. Otherwise, you can use the Genre Masher.

Tip 4 – Construct Your Story

Once you've established a genre, a few small ideas are likely to occur to you. Inspiration can come from a variety of sources, including TV ropes, the Big List of RPG Plots, and the Chaotic Shiny random generators. To construct your story you need the following:

The Home Base : This is the location from which the characters embark on their adventures and will return.

Are the adventures hack and slash? Political espionage?

Where is the first adventure and what happened?

The Context: The circumstances surrounding how and why things are the way they are.

The Players : The materials they will need to create their characters.

As corny as it may sound, it is critical to creating a title for your adventure so that you have a reference point when scheduling new sessions with the players. Maintain brevity and avoid corniness while still describing the adventure.

Begin by fleshing out the plot points you wish to address in each session. If you are playing a finite game, decide how many sessions will be played; if you are playing an infinite game, plan the next few sessions and jot down ideas for additional sessions.

NOTE: Avoid being overly specific—embrace being flexible—or your players may accuse you of railroading (forcing them to behave a certain way in order to accomplish the goals you have established). Because flexibility is critical, create a flexible timeline.

To succinctly explain the story to new players, write a pitch. Ascertain that it adequately explains the setting, the atmosphere, and the ostensible objective of the initial adventure.

Tip 5 – Create A World

Keep in mind the notes and information organization system you established early in this series as you build your world. Keep track of your decisions and ideas so that you can create a rich world for your players.

There are a variety of approaches to world-building:

Organic

This allows you to self-build as required. You can establish the genre and a few fundamental tropes and then simply let the gameplay occur. Nonetheless, you should design the area in which the game will begin, for example, the starting neighbourhood or city.

Simply ensure that you and your players take copious notes on everything that you and they reveal or decide about the world. Players frequently retain clues and anticipate that the GM will use them later; ensure you keep this in mind.

Pre-written

You can utilize a pre-written role-playing game world. There are numerous existing RPG worlds, most of which are fantasy-themed but also include other genres. Simply ensure that you have thoroughly read and comprehended the world before entering it so you don't risk contradicting yourself later.

Construct

Create your own world. If you want to incorporate elements from all of the above, you should really sit down and create your own world. This can be accomplished in two ways: from the inside out or from the outside in.

In the former case, begin with a small area, such as a city or even a neighbourhood. Provide details about the weather, culture, customs, races, economy, and monsters/other issues. Then expand to describe the rest of the world, with an emphasis on how this small area fits into the larger picture.

In the latter case, describe the globe or even the solar system in detail, including continents, countries, and kingdoms, as well as their history. Then, as you get closer, flesh out cities and areas for the players to explore against this backdrop.

Tip 6 – Characters

It is expected that at this junction of your plan, you should have a good idea of who your opponents will be. If not, you should begin compiling a list of contacts or conducting an online search for volunteers.

Ensure to answer the question: how many players do you require? You can technically run a game one-on-one, with just you and one other player. A two-player game allows interaction and role-play.

Increasing the number of players increases the amount of work required on your part. Preferably go for three or four players because it strikes a good balance of fun and ease.

Now that you've identified a few potential players and pitched the story to them, discuss issues with them and ascertain the types of characters they wish to portray. Also, you must decide whether to create characters for your players or to let them create their own.

If you allow players to create their own characters, you'll probably want to meet long before the session or set aside an hour or two prior to starting. Assist players who are unfamiliar with the rules by guiding them through the process of creating a character. Encourage everyone to discuss whether their characters are acquainted and what they have in common. Persuade them to care about and invest in their characters.

Even if you choose to create the characters yourself, you should involve the players to ensure their characters feel authentic. Avoid making any one particular character indispensable to the plot, in case that player is unable to appear on game night.

Tip 7 – Add Life To Your World

Non-player characters (NPCs) are classified into four categories:

Extras/colour : They make requests of the player characters (PCs), provide context and exposition about the world/plot, and generally help the story progress.

Allies : They assist, whether through combat or resource contributions. Players may flee to them if they encounter difficulty. It is the comprehensive character sheet for role-playing.

Villains : Intelligent NPCs who oppose and frustrate the PCs.

Monsters/Enemies: Anything that will engage in combat with the PCs.

Distinguish between the aforementioned NPCs so as to ascertain what statistics and details will be required.

These can be prepared in a variety of ways:

Extras/colour: Two or three sentences describing your personality and role are sufficient, as is required to expose or converse with the characters.

Allies and adversaries: Consider their potential involvement and roles. Create them according to the level of strength, sympathy, and so on.

If you've done any world-building for this area, you should be aware of the creatures and adversaries your players will face. If your system includes a monster manual, you can pick and choose; if not, you'll need to convert from another system or get creative and create your own. If you want to create interesting, varied combat, ensure that you have a plentiful supply of things to fight.

How To Successfully Write Your Own Campaign

We have mentioned that there are several types of written campaigns which are: pre-written modules, or adventure paths, or one created by you.

Do you want to try something new, or perhaps this is your first time in the GM's seat and you would like to experiment with creating your own campaign?

You settle into your chair and begin writing, only to become paralysed, unsure of where to begin! Simply asking yourself these few basic questions can assist you in getting started and gradually guide you toward creating an epic adventure for you and your players.

Question 1: What is the setting and scope of the investigation?

Before any plot can begin, we must make some decisions about the campaign's setting and scope. Are you utilizing a pre-created setting or are you creating your own? Some stories transport players across the globe, through planes, and even into other galaxies, while others never leave the confines of their own city. This helps determine the amount of work required to create the setting.

While it is not necessary to create an entire world for city-based campaigns, players may spend more time in a single city than they would in a more sprawling campaign.

For instance, I like to take care and personalize individual street names, businesses, and factions within a single city if I know my players are going to be spending a lengthy amount of time there. For all intents and purposes, the city is the world that must be constructed, complete with its internal politics, key figures, and persistent problems.

For more sprawling campaigns, it's critical to consider the technology and transportation available to the player. This will restrict their travel options and the speed with which they can reach them. Are they all travelling by foot or horseback? Consider then the roads between cities, guard and bandit patrol routes.

Or are they traversing the galaxy in their own spacecraft, stopping only at stations and exploring distant planets? As with a city campaign, determine how much time they'll spend in a particular area to determine how detailed your world-building should be.

Regardless, the following are critical questions to ask yourself when designing any space in a tabletop setting:

Who is significant in this case? Consider significant figures in this field.

These are individuals who have had a significant impact on either this location or the story that surrounds it. They could be influential political figures or prominent characters with whom your players will frequently interact. These characters can take on a variety of roles, from a friendly tavern owner who lets players stay for free while they investigate a murder in the city, to the region's governor.

What is going on here?

It's sometimes advisable to enjoy having your players stumble into the middle of a story when they enter a new area, regardless of its size.

Whether it's a local election or an ongoing feud between two crime families, it's good to enjoy having them stumble into the middle of a story when they enter a new area.

No matter how peaceful, every community has issues and conflicts that add to the memorability and interest of these locations. Occasionally, these conflicts will factor into your larger narrative, serving as another stepping stone for your players as they progress toward their ultimate goal.

How would you describe the culture and tone?

Each location in your campaign should have a distinct cultural identity.

A tranquil small hamlet should not have the same culture and atmosphere as a bustling metropolis.

What are the local laws and customs? Are they repressive, equitable, or neutral? Is there a class divide? Some of these questions may yield responses that assist you in defining some of the events that occur in this location.

How is everything connected?

Additionally, this can be rephrased as why here? What drew your players to this region, city, or planet? This is the connective tissue that holds everything else together in your world. Even in a campaign focused entirely on the city, your city is still connected to a larger world. It is necessary to acknowledge the role that this city plays in that society.

Once you've completed the setting and some of the minor conflicts, you're ready to consider the campaign's overall conflict.

Question 2: What is the underlying issue, and how are we going to resolve it?

This is not the most elegant way to phrase this question, and it can be altered to fit the mood, genre, and nature of the campaign. Who is the antagonist and what are their plans, knowing this may work equally well in a standard fantasy narrative? The critical factor here is conflict, as the narrative is always driven by conflict. It drives the story forward and establishes the dangers that your players will face along the way.

By developing the setting and examining each of the major players, half of the work has already been accomplished. Certain campaigns lack a central antagonist.

There are simply events unfolding in the world, involving complicated individuals and clashes between various factions. A war between two nations may be brewing, with your characters caught in the crossfire. Perhaps they become embroiled in a business dispute between vampires. What events precipitated these occurrences, and how do they affect your PCs?

Consider these points to get a sense of how your narrative might unfold and, at the very least, to serve as a roadmap for future planning.

Question 3: What is the immediate problem, and how are we going to solve it?

Once the larger conflict has been established, we can then turn our attention to the immediate problems confronting our protagonists.

Occasionally, these smaller conflicts are the result of the larger problem's ripple effect. Perhaps the evil cult's ritual has resulted in the emergence of the occasional undead in the nearby fishing village. In Pathfinder's Curse of the Crimson Throne, the king's assassination sparks civil unrest in the city, resulting in riots, increased crime, and even the appearance of a monster from the sewers. When a larger conflict is brewing, it can occasionally result in smaller, more immediate issues that must be resolved before your players can consider the larger issues at hand.

We can also draw inspiration from our established environment. The larger plot may have an effect on these smaller conflicts, exacerbating them to the point where they require your protagonists' attention. While investigating, the PCs may come across clues that allow the story to unfold organically. It's instructive to think of these more pressing issues in terms of narrative arcs.

Concentrating intently on each arc simplifies the more daunting task of writing an entire campaign into chunks; as each arc connects to the next, the adventure as a whole emerges.

This is just one method for creating and running a TTRPG. There are numerous others that may be more appropriate for the project you're working on or the system you're running.

You may also decide that an overarching plot is unnecessary and instead focus on episodic adventures loosely connected by the cast of characters—or you may wish to wing it entirely! All of these points are legitimate, as long as you and your players enjoy yourselves.