by Ryuka Tana

Created on: December 02, 2008   Last Updated: August 16, 2011

Six warriors gather around a table, preparing for their next conquest, their next chance to change the world. Readying magic, blades, and cunning, these heroes will stand tall before the might of armies and conquer dragons. They have seen comrades fall, and been forced to kneel before god-like foes. Yet, through it all, they still return, drawing their greatest weapons: dice and pencils.

In the history of CRPGs (Computer/Console Role-Playing Games) and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online RPGs), never has there been a game with the versatility and freedom that comes with tabletop gaming. In a single-player role-playing game, so long as you learn the patterns and save often, you can trick any NPC (Non-Player Character), defeat any boss, and eventually get through the very linear storyline. Most games do not allow the freedom to choose good or evil, or what your true back story is, or even what deity you might worship. Games like Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, and Fable attempt the illusion of choice, but in the end, you know that the story has been chosen for you.

Then, there are MMORPGs, which give you an entire world to explore and enjoy. Yet, in the end, it can leave you feeling insignificant. Take World of Warcraft, what good is it to defeat the leader of the Defias, if after he is defeated, his men continue to harass Westfall, and the next group of adventurers will march into the Deadmines and defeat him again? On a single character, I could kill a major quest character again and again, and my guild would still have members requesting to defeat that character. I am a mighty hero, but my name is not known throughout the world, because there are a million other heroes doing the exact same thing I am. I have no effect on the world. In the end, you have no real goal, no sense of accomplishment, because for every accomplishment you achieve, there is something more left to be done thanklessly.

Now, let me delve into the world of a tabletop RPG. You sit down at a table with a group of your friends, people you know and trust (usually), who wish to enjoy the same game you do. You know who the other players are, you know who the game designer (the DM/GM [Dungeon/Game Master]) is, and you can help create a world with anything you desire. The GM moderates the game so no one can cheat, and anyone that makes the game less enjoyable for everyone, can be told to leave. When you slay a dragon, that dragon is dead, and when you return to town with its head, the townspeople

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