Ever played make-believe as a kid?
From tying a cape around your neck, pretending to be Superman, to sword fighting with your siblings on your way to slaying the imaginary dragon hiding behind the fort of pillows on your bed. That right there is what you call roleplaying. When you indulge yourself in playing a character and play around with it, it creates magic.
This roleplaying concept has been adapted into video games with titles such as Assassins Creed, The Last of Us, and the Uncharted series.
However, that is just the modern era.
Away from the high-res visuals and haptic feedback from your gaming controller, the traditional spectrum of these RPGs (Roleplaying Games) is still prevalent today.
Let’s talk about 5 tabletop RPGS!
Lancer
The renowned mecha genre anime series like Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion inspired the creation of Lancer. It is a Sci-fi RPG that brings the vision of a far-flung future to the table.
Players take control of pilots working on behalf of factions. These factions hop into their powerful mechs to stop the threat in its tracks. The RPG is filled with powerful and immersive storytelling along with the appropriate level of tactical requirements that will challenge users. Players will be delighted by how they can customize their machines and deploy them in battles.
Contrary to most sci-fi tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs), Lancer isn’t a dystopia or a utopia but a breath of fresh air.
Cyberpunk RED
Seeing the word “Cyberpunk,” you’re probably thinking of CD Projekt RED’s critically acclaimed action-roleplaying videogame. Here’s to bringing the same flavor onto pen and paper. Cyberpunk RED is the most recent edition of the franchise, a more polished version of Mike Pondsmith’s sci-fi roleplaying game set in the 2040s, taking place decades before the metropolis of Night City, which we have come to know and love, came into being.
Not to be fooled by the bustling retro-futuristic aesthetic of Cyberpunk RED, the topics and notions it brushes upon are deep and thought-provoking. It delves deep into environment-alism, the uncontrolled consequences of capitalism, and, more importantly, what it means to be human.
Players can bask in a vast array of complex characters, each with their own way of interacting with Night City.
Despite the archetypes, you are able to choose how to tackle various jobs and missions through points in attributes and skills. So, take the trip into the Night!
Fiasco
Fiasco is a fast-paced, chaotic TTRPG inspired by renowned filmmakers, the Coen Brothers.
Yeah, strategizing is cool, but it’s particularly exhilarating when everything is going south. Presenting a TTRPG that drops players into botched setups, foolish criminals, and a downright fiasco.
The beauty of this TTRPG is that nothing ever goes your way.
The game explores crime capers such as Burn After Reading and Fargo, alongside a myriad of other movies by the Coen brothers. Players break into a number of scenes in which they can build relationships with each other with tragic and comedic consequences. Fiasco’s beauty lies in its simplicity and movie structure, which allows the player to enjoy diverse genres, from sci-fi and fantasy to neo-noir crime films.
Ryuutama
The greatest of stories are told in Anime.
Ryuutama is a Japanese tabletop RPG that is inspired by Japanese mythology fused with classical Western fantasy. Immerse yourself in a land where seasonal dragons breathe life into a changing world. As a player, you can tag alongside Ryuujin, also known as the dragon people. The Ryuujin is responsible for recording the stories of people they believe will shape the world.
As players dig deeper into the world and the game’s premise, they get to learn a lot about themselves. Even though Ryuutama relies heavily on its combat-based system, the beauty lies in traveling through a fictional world and meeting new, fresh faces.
Dungeons and Dragons
How can there be a TTRPG list without mentioning the Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) phenomenon?
Even if you are not well-informed about TTRPGs, you might have heard about Dungeons & Dragons mentioned in movies or TV shows.
The game allows the player to develop their characters, embark on exhilarating adventures, and engage in combat and complex challenges through a combination of dice rolls. One player is the Dungeon Master, who dictates the story and controls the non-player characters while all the other players take on the roles of the adventures taking place.
DnD is the most vivid personification of what a TTRPG is; it brings imagination to life with rules. Players can work together to reach a certain outcome, complete quests, gain experience points, and advance their character.
Okay, now that we know about TTRPGs, how do they work? What makes them so compelling? Why is DnD such a global phenomenon?
Giving you all the details, I present to you, The Art of Writing for TTRPGs, now available on Amazon!
As Always, thanks for visiting and I'll see you in the stars.
David J Morand
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