Tabletop RPGs: Tips for New Players
"I'd love to play D&D but I don't know how and don't want to mess up the game."
I've heard this statement from many people over the years, many of whom became avid gamers with a little assistance. Playing tabletop RPGs is a lot of fun, but it can also be intimidating for new players. Unlike most board games with a set goal and predicable player experience, RPGs change with every choice that the characters make during the game session.
Not having a "right way" or rails to fall back on can make inexperience players feel unsure and self conscious, but don't let that keep you from joining a game!
Nobody learns to play a tabletop RPG without sitting at a table and actually playing.
You can memorize everything about the game, but becoming a good RPG player takes practice. You will learn as you go, and even after playing for decades you will keep learning from new experiences. Just like the characters we play, we get XP as we go!
It always helps to have some guidance though, and so, I'd like to impart some knowledge that will be helpful to new players.
Who is in charge?
The Game Master (GM), or Dungeon Master (DM) if you are playing D&D, is in charge of running the game. It is their job to make sure that the game is engaging, follows the system's rules, and that everyone is having fun. They are, in many ways, the "god" of your game world. They create the setting, non- player characters, monsters, situations and everything else that you and your fellow players will face in the game.
It is important to note that the GM does NOT get to make your choices for you.
They can create the dungeon with a dragon inside, but they cannot make your character walk in and slay it. That has to be your choice. If you want your character to head to the local tavern instead, you have that right! (But I can't guarantee the GM won't turn around and make the dragon attack the tavern!)
It's a good idea to befriend your GM. They are the best resource for everything related to your campaign and can help you with any questions you have along the way. Work closely with them as you learn the system and show your appreciation for all the hard work they put in to keeping the game going. You show up and play once a week, but they spend hours prepping before every session. Without the GM, there is no game.
How do I build my character?
I could write a whole post about creating a character (and I probably will in the future!) but for now, I will try to keep it short and sweet.
Talk to your GM before you start making your character and ask for their advice. Different games have different flavors and you don't want your character to bring a gun to a magic fight, or be an evil character in a group of holy paladins. Or maybe you do want that, but you should get permission from your GM before adding that type of complexity to the game.
All systems have a set of mechanics to help you build a character's abilities, so make sure that you read that section of the players handbook thoroughly. If you have questions about the process, your GM and fellow players are your best resource to help you make your character. There are also many online forums where you can ask any questions that you might have during character creation.
Make sure that your character's stats (strength, intelligence, etc) support the skills and abilities that you select for them. For example, most fighters will need a lot of physical stat points, such as strength and constitution, while magic users or investigation types will need more intellectual stats. It's not helpful to have a fighter who isn't strong enough to wear their armor! Chose your stats and abilities wisely, because they change slowly once the campaign starts!
Next, develop your character's personality. Hopefully, you had something in mind while you were working on his/her stats and skills. Some game systems have personality stuff built in to character creation which give you a basic framework for a personality and back story. If so, great! Just use that as a basic structure and add in some smaller details. If not, you have a bit more to do to create your character.
What can my character do?
Your character can TRY anything that you'd like, but they won't always succeed. Take chances and think out of the box. Every problem should have multiple solutions. Success is determined by your dice rolls and the GM's choices. Choose wisely! Saying, "I shove a sword up his butt!" may not be as funny as you expect when it actually happens in the game.
Be an active participant!
Tabletop RPG game sessions can last a long time, usually several hours for a single session. The time can sometimes pass slowly, especially during combat, it's important to take an ACTIVE interest in everything that is happening during the game. That means listening and participating in character, maybe even taking notes so that you can remember important details later.
Combat can take time, but it's important that you are paying attention to what other players are doing on their turns!
There is nothing worse than being in the midst of a difficult combat and having a player do something useless because they have no idea what the last player did on their turn. Be aware of what players are doing so that you can make good tactical choices and contribute to the battle!
What is metagaming? Why is it bad?
Metagaming is making decisions based upon out of game knowledge. For example, you saw your GM's notes and know that there is a dragon in the dungeon. If you have your character avoid the dungeon, you are metagaming. Your character doesn't know there is a dragon waiting to eat you. You are using PLAYER knowledge to make a choice in game, not CHARACTER knowledge. For obvious reasons, metagaming can really mess up a game. DON'T DO IT!
Ask Questions!
Nobody expects you to know everything! Asking questions, in character or out of character, is a natural part of the game. Everyone does it, no matter how long they have been playing. Why do you think gamers carry around the game rule books all the time?
Herding Dragons: My Wild Talents Con Game
I love adding a unique twist to my convention games, and my Wild Talents game for Gateway 2012 was no exception. Months earlier I had been inspired to set my game in the world of Skyrim (mostly because I was playing it every waking moment), but I wanted to give my players a completely unique experience. A major role reversal was in order.
When my players arrived, they were greeted by my trademark gaming table. I've had other GMs scoff at my admittedly overdone layouts, but I 
find that players really appreciate the amount of preparation and it starts everything on a very positive note. Folders were laid out on the table, each one labeled with a symbol that represented the character that lay within. I never let players see the character sheets before a game, so these symbols were the only clue they had to choose their folder. I find that this forces players out of their usual go-to roles and really ends up stretching their creativity during the game. It also negates the show-up-early-to-get-the-best-character strategy.
I gave a brief description of the setting, carefully avoiding giving away the big surprise I had in store for the players. Skyrim is a typical fantasy setting with a bit of Viking flavor thrown in for good measure. Wizards and warriors are commonplace, and dragons are the enemy of mankind. Many of my players were very familiar with the video game and had a very set image of what they were expecting from this game. Boy, were they in for a big surprise! After my explanation, I let them open their folders to see the portraits of their characters.
The reaction was amazing. The players were shocked, delighted, and a little thrown by the dragons that greeted them when they opened the folders. Each dragon had a unique "thu'um", a magical phrase in the language of the dragons, that gave them thier powers and the dragon's name was translated from Skyrim's dragon language to reflect their powers.
- Fendufyn, “The Devouring Bane”, was the biggest of the dragons and had a thu'um that turned his skin to stone.
- Qorohgol, “The Raging Lightning”, had skin that became electric, and electricity is VERY dangerous in Wild Talents.
- Haslovaas, “Song of Health”, was the most intelligent of the dragons, and had the ability to turn ethereal and heal through his thu'ums.
- Strunduving, “Storm-wing Devourer”, was the smallest and fastest of the brethren, with a thu'um that gave him super speed.
- Yolvolun, “Fiery Night”, was another of the bigger dragons and had a ranged thu'um that shot fire at any unlucky targets.
- Lizinjot, “The Icy Maw”, was designed as the counterpart to Yolvolun, with capable physical stats and an ranged ice thu'um.
I explained that they were young dragons who had hatched together, but had never seen any other dragons, including their parents.
One of my important GM strategies is to leave personality information off the character sheets. Yep, I don't tell them who they are. I specify important connections to other PCs (family relationships, similarities, past history, etc), list their stats and powers, but I let the player assemble all this information into their character's personality. Most players are totally thrown when they sit down at one of my convention games for the first time, but I find that it actually increases the role-playing at the table. Instead of forcing a square peg into the round hole I created, the player is able to form a peg they are comfortable with and that fits in the hole that the party creates. Players are incredibly creative and come up with great ideas that would never have occurred to me. This also increases the player's personal investment in their character and the game as a whole.
Now this game could have gone one of two ways. The choice that many players would have gone with would be the majestic, wise, and ancient dragon route. My players shunned that for the more quirky, Looney Tunes meets The Three Stooges style game. They decided they were all adolescent brother dragons and immediately started beating on each other and looking for girl dragons. Yep, they rolled initiative and started wrestling in true brotherly fashio
n. Although it was unplanned, it served as the perfect introduction to the Wild Talents combat system and really started the game off with a bang.
The Wild Talents system ended up being a perfect fit for this game. I was able to create powers that actually matched the dragon thu'um powers in Skyrim, as well as give the dragons stats that were appropriate for their species. It also worked to create the HUGE number of NPCs that the dragons eventually fought. WOW, do six teenage dragons plow through human NPCs! As always, the players ended up really enjoying the Wild Talents combat system. I did learn that I need to color code the NPS sheets for the next time a run an overpowered game like this, to make managing the large number of them easier! Better living through office supplies!!
As we moved through the story, I was absolutely floored by the level of role-playing in this game. My games are all very open, "sandbox" type worlds that encourage lots of role-playing and player empowerment, but this group took it to the next level. I was 
basically just along for the ride. Without pre-generated personalities to confine them, each player came up with an amazingly vibrant and unique personality for their adolescent dragon that matched perfectly with their stats and abilities. They fought with each other constantly (what else would teenage brother dragons do?), but were also very protective of one another when danger threatened. There was never a dull moment, and watching the players revel in being the dragons and not the bite-sized humans for once was a delight.
All the role-playing did take a lot of time though, and there is no time to waste in a convention game. Taking the advice of the Happy Jack's RPG podcast crew, I had designed my game in modules to provide more flexibility in the story. There were five total parts or scenes to the story. Scenes one and three were vital to the story, but scenes two and four could be skipped if we were running short on time. I had multiple plans and NPCs prepared for the finale (scene five) so that the scene could be quickly adjusted to fit the remaining time in our convention game. This high level of flexibility takes more prep time, but it allows the game to run seamlessly during the convention and lets the players resolve the game in the allotted time. It also allows the GM to run the game again and enjoy a completely different experience. Even with all the freedom the players had in this game we ended almost exactly on time.
I could tell the game was a huge success because everyone left the table as friends, and many of them were actually tweeting to each other in character for many days after. It was an amazing experience and I was truly honored that Fray, Stephen, Will, Kurt, Matt, and Sam all chose to be part of my game. They are incredible gamers and I hope to see them at my table many times in the future.
If you'd like to read the play-by-play of this game from a player's perspective, read Matt's blog post about the it at Monkey in the Cage.
Hollywood & Heroes Charity Event
The Emerald Knights comic and game shop is hosting a huge event this Sat, June 9th from 12pm to 7pm. The event supports the Shriner's Hospital for Children, so join us for the fun and some good karma. It will be a day of games, signings, photo opps, and much more! Lots of geek-famous actors will be there, including members of The Guild, and over 40 cosplayers, including myself! There are also items being auctioned off on the EK auction page.
I will be dressed as Wonder Woman all afternoon. I will also be playing in some RPGs, spreading word about the Happy Jack's RPG podcast, posing for pictures, and visiting with everyone. Rumor has it that I may also be running a DC themed Wild Talents game...
I hope to see a lot of familiar faces on Saturday! More info can be found on the Emerald Knights website, or by contacting the shop.
Wild Talents Review
A review I wrote in March of 2011 for The Douchey DM, my friend Stu's gaming rant-blog. It is also the official rant-blog of the Happy Jack's RPG podcast. I had just run my first Wild Talents game at OrcCon 2011 with my buddy Frey. I have since run the system at other cons and my Salem Witch Trials game has become the stuff of Happy Jack's legend. Enjoy.
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At OrcCon, The Amazing Fray™ (also known as Fray) and I ran a new-to-the-Happy-Jacks-crew system called Wild Talents. It is a system specifically designed as a superhero RPG. Arc Dream Publishing released it in December of 2006.
This is my n00b friendly review of that system. I’ll be breaking the game down into four basic categories and then giving an overall opinion, a format I hope to follow with all my future game system reviews. Basically, I’m going to share my opinions on new-to-me systems so people who haven’t played them can figure out if they are interested. This is not a player guide! You do not need to know how to play the game to comprehend this review. A complete explanation of how to play can be found on the Arc Dream website. I won’t bore you by rephrasing what someone has already done a great job of writing. If you are interested in the system after reading this blog post, check that out… or buy the damn game.
Cost – 5/5
This system is nice to your wallet, especially if you plan on designing your own world and adventures. Fray and I ran our game with the compact Wild Talents Essentials Edition. The Essentials Edition is all you need to create and play a Wild Talents game! It includes the very basic character creation and play mechanics. It’s a paperback, the pictures are in black and white and it’s easy to fit in your purse (because I know you were all wondering that!) The book runs around $10 and is available on multiple websites, including Amazon and Arcdream.com. The PDF of the Essentials Edition is available on RPGnow.com for $5. They even have $5 versions of this edition for the Kindle. Geektastic!
Wild Talents does have a pre-designed setting and adventures too. Information on them is not included in the Essentials Edition, so the cost goes up a bit. The full Wild Talents Second Edition costs around $50 (it’s on sale on Amazon for $32.90 right now, only 12 left!), or you can pay $30 for the PDF. There is no Kindle version. Again, this is the only book you will need to run a game. This book is hardcover and has full color artwork inside. It’s the normal size you’ve come to expect with RPG books. Second Edition is thicker than some DnD books, but not as thick as HERO. Hmm… maybe I shouldn’t compare sizes… size doesn’t matter…
Setting – 4/5
Wild Talents is a superhero game, but it’s really flexible. With some work you could use the mechanics to create any type of game, although why reinvent the wheel when there are tons of great systems out there for other genres? The feel of a Wild Talents game is easily customized by point limits. The books give lots of tips about designing the feel of the game you want. If you are the type of GM who loves to let your imagination go “wild” (haha), you will like this aspect of the system.
GMs who like to use pre-generated worlds and adventures (often known as “Guy with a Day Job” or “Dad”) will do well with this system too. There seems to be plenty to choose from for Wild Talents. The Second Edition is a follow up to the setting in Arc Dream’s other game GODLIKE, where super-powered humans started to appear during WWII. It’s a crazy place where supers come in direct conflict with one another. This Favored Land is a sourcebook that sets up the appearance of supers during the Civil War. There are other sourcebooks for Victorian London settings and modern games that include sorcerers and the occult. I have not played in any of these settings, but I love the variety. It seems like there is something for everyone. The extra sourcebooks and adventures are available at Arc Dream’s website.
Character Creation – (5/5 Customization) (3/5 Ease)
Customization: If you can dream up a super power, you can make it in Wild Talents. The books have a good bank of pre-generated powers to select from and include point costs and which dice to roll. If you want something specific that isn’t on the list there are directions for creating your own powers. Creating powers gets a little complicated. You can get any powers you want, but it takes a little work. It’s still nothing compared to systems like HERO. Stats and skills are easily customized to fit a character’s role and back-story by spending points.
Ease: Really this system needs two scores for ease. One for if you design your PC from the pre-generated power bank and another for if you get your hands dirty and create your own powers. Creating a character with the pre-gen powers is a no brainer. Pick and choose what stats/skills/powers you want until you hit the point cap the GM set. If you create your own powers you will spend more time and brainpower (and money on beer), but you might come up with something really unique and amazing. It adds complexity to character creation, so it lost a point there.
For the GMs: Wild Talents also lost a point in Ease because of how difficult it can be to keep the game balanced. It is a DEADLY system. One extra die and a PC or NPC will be very over powered. Fun system and easy to run, but play test if it’s your first time. If you are having your players create their own characters, check them before you play. It’s a system that can easily be min/maxed (and they admit that), so be sure you know what you’re in for and can plan accordingly (or nerf the hell out of them!)
Combat – (5/5 Speed) (4/5 Ease) (5/5 Fun)
I love the combat system in Wild Talents. The game uses the ORE (One-Roll Engine) mechanic and it really speeds things up. Our game had some of the fastest combat rounds I have seen, and the players were actually MORE interactive than with other game systems. First, the PCs and NPCs all declare their actions. Everyone is listening and paying attention because what other players say might change what you do. I noticed this seemed to increase the amount of teamwork the players used (without meta-gaming) because they didn’t have to wait for their turn. After that, everyone rolls their dice at the same time. The dice then determine who beat whom, succeeded, failed, etc. Rinse. Repeat. Very fast, interactive and fun for most groups.
The dice mechanics seem more complicated than they actually are. There are multiple types of dice and each drastically changes the power of a roll. I suggest everyone learn while playing a game. It seems really simple when you’re at the table. There are very specific dice and effects for different power types, so put some notes on the character sheets and have a book handy. After the first combat, everyone pretty much knows how their powers and dice work, so its smooth sailing from there. The regular dice mechanic is interesting since you are looking for matching die instead of adding them together. We will need further testing to determine if this makes it easier or harder to play while drunk. Volunteers?
Overall, Wild Talents is a great system. I think it’s especially good for convention games since it is very fast paced, and easy to learn. We got nothing but good feedback about the system from our players. I will definitely be running more Wild Talent games at future conventions and buying a TON of d10s.
PLEASE NOTE: If you create Radioactive Cheerleaders for a combat, the players will find a way to skip them EVERY TIME YOU RUN THE GAME. Not kidding. What a waste of spiky pom-poms of death…