Tabletop role-playing game

A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), sometimes called a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a type of role-playing game where players talk through and sometimes act out what their characters do. The choices characters make are guided by their personalities, and whether those choices work or fail is decided by a fixed set of rules, often using random elements like dice. The terms "pen-and-paper" and "tabletop" mainly separate this kind of game from video game RPGs or live-action role-playing games; you don't actually need a table or paper to play. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, playing these games online through video calls has become widespread.

In most games, one person, often called the game master (GM), gets or creates a set of rules and a fictional world. Each other player takes on the role of a single character. The GM describes the world and the people in it, the players say what their characters intend to do, and the GM tells them what happens. Some results come from the game's rules, while others are decided by the GM. This basic setup started with the first published tabletop RPG, Dungeons & Dragons, though not every game follows it exactly.

Games can last anywhere from a single short session, maybe just a few hours, to a long series of sessions that might go on for years, with players and characters coming and going. Play is often broken into episodes or missions, each with a series of challenges that lead to a final puzzle or enemy. Several missions with the same characters can be linked together in a larger story arc with tougher challenges. The mood, structure, pace, and whether the game has a definite ending all depend on what the group wants.

During the first session, players usually create the characters they will play. Besides writing a character's personal history and background, they assign numbers to the character's abilities; these numbers help decide later how events turn out. Together, these notes tell the player who their character is and where they fit in the game world. In many systems, characters can improve their numbers over time.

The GM starts the game by introducing the setting and the characters. Different games have different names for the GM role, like Dungeon Master, Referee, or Storyteller. Some games, such as Polaris and Primetime Adventures, spread the GM's authority among several players in different ways. This can help make sure everyone helps create interesting situations and avoids the conflicts that can come from having a single GM.

Players describe what their characters do, and the GM says what happens as a result. Most actions are simple and succeed right away, based on common sense and the setting. For instance, if a player says their character looks around a room, the GM describes the room; if the character leaves, the GM describes what's outside. But some actions depend on the game's rules. For example, whether a character spots a hidden object or secret door might rely on their perception. Rolling dice and adding the character's relevant numbers, plus any environmental factors, often decides success. Generally, the higher a character's score in an ability, the better their chance of success. Some games don't use dice at all, instead using cards, a Jenga tower, or other random methods.

Tabletop RPG settings include challenges for the player characters to overcome, like traps, rulers to win over, or enemies to fight. Many sessions involve puzzles, negotiation, chases, and combat. Players often interact with non-player characters, other inhabitants of the game world, who are played by the GM. Most of the setting's details are kept secret, but players usually know the broad outlines of the world.

These games are often run like a radio drama: players only speak their character's part. Acting isn't always literal, and players don't always talk in character. Instead, they act by deciding and describing what their characters will do within the rules.