San Diego Girl Scouts Tabletop Role-Playing Game Workshop April 19 th, 2015 “Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread through shadows to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

What is a Role-Playing Game? A role-playing game is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters in a make-believe world and create stories together based on their adventures. A role-playing game can be set in nearly any genre you can imagine. Fantasy settings similar to The Lord of the Rings are especially popular, but so are science fiction settings like Star Wars.

How do you play an RPG? Play-acting is a big part of RPGs, and some people feel that it’s the most enjoyable part of the game. Players choose the actions their characters take based on their personalities, and these actions succeed or fail according to the game’s rules. Using the rules, as well as dice, players may improvise freely, and their choices shape the direction and outcome of the stories they tell.

Did you say ‘dice’? Yep! Polyhedral dice, to be exact. They add an element of chance to the game. Polyhedral dice come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular are 4-sided, 6- sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and 20-sided. Dice are referred to by the number of sides they have, along with a “d” (for ‘dice’) before the number. For example, a d6 is a six-sided die. You can also note how many dice you should roll by the additional number before the “d”. For example, “2d6” means you should roll 2 six-sided dice, then add them together. You can even add bonuses to the dice. “3d4+1” means that you roll 3 four-sided dice, add them together, and then add 1.

Why play Role-Playing Games? Because Role-Playing Games have a number of very tangible benefits. For instance… RPGs are social. You can’t play an RPG alone—you need at least two players. A group of between 4 and 6 players is ideal. It’s a great way to hang out with your friends!

RPGs foster your imagination. All the action in an RPG takes place in your imagination. One of the players, known as a Game Master (GM) or Dungeon Master (DM), describes the world to you and plays the parts of all the people and monsters you encounter in the game. The GM is also responsible for creating the storyline that your characters become involved in. The GM is not your enemy. Rather, she is your guide and narrator, and acts as an impartial judge of what you can and can’t do within the rules. Being a Game Master is very challenging, but it can be the most rewarding experience of all.

RPGs encourage teamwork. In order to overcome the many challenges the GM creates for you, your characters need to cooperate and work as a team.

RPGs build your problem-solving skills. To succeed in your shared story, you and your friends will have to plan what you’re going to do to overcome the odds. You’ll encounter puzzles, riddles, and mysteries that only you can solve.

Most of all, RPGs are FUN. RPGs allow you to join with your friends in the creation of unique characters and stories, and the characters you make and the tales you tell are only limited by your imagination.

What are we playing today? Today, you’re going to play Dungeons & Dragons, also known as D&D. The first thing we’ll do is create your character. Your character is your alter- ego in the story, and she can be as unique as you want her to be.

What makes up a character? Characters in D&D are represented by a number of different aspects that define what they can do. Some of the most important aspects are your character’s race, your character’s class, and your character’s abilities.

Character Races Your character’s race represents her species. There are many different races to choose from, but today we’ll be focusing on Humans, Halflings, Dwarves, and Elves.

Character Classes Your character’s class represents her profession, and defines what sorts of skills and special features she can use. The character classes we’ll be playing with today are the Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard.

Character Abilities Character abilities represent your character’s physical and mental characteristics. These abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. All your character’s abilities are rated on a scale of between 3 and 18, with a score of 10 or 11 being the average.

Creating Characters When choosing what kind of character you wish to play, talk to the rest of the players in your group. Every race and class brings something different to the table. Fighters are good in combat, Rogues are sneaky, Clerics can heal those in need, and Wizards can cast powerful spells. A good balance of different races and classes makes for a stronger, more versatile adventuring party.

Let’s get started! Those are the basics. Now you’ll get to create your character with the help of your Dungeon Master. Once you’re finished, you’ll have your chance to experience an adventure where you and your friends are the heroes! As you play the game, try to picture what the DM describes in your head, imagine what your character would do, and (most importantly) have fun!

“Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings