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Why do I play role-playing games?

It's the only place where I can unleash arcane forces, travel to other dimensions, ride mystical beasts into battle, collect artifacts of power, unravel deadly mysteries, smite the forces of darkness, and slam down a Mountain Dew.

You know, the usual Saturday afternoon.

Role-playing games are a social activity, kind of like getting together to play poker or bridge. Personally, I'd be bored with a weekly poker or bridge game. In the case of poker, I'd also be broke because I suck at it (My "bluff" skill is a meager +1). Role-playing games are unique in that they allow you to flex a little right-brain creative muscle.

Role-playing games give you a chance to live an adventure. Let's face it, most of us haven't had a chance to go hunting jaguars in Guatemala this past summer. But we can always hunt down some half-red-dragon-trolls that have been spotted roaming the nearby mist-filled jungles.

Role-playing games give you a chance to be someone else. Every once in a while, we need to let out our inner barbarian (or bard; or paladin; or tree-hugging, twig-eating druid). I was kind of a shy guy around the girls in high school, but at the gaming table I became the dashing, devil-may-care swashbuckler that I am today.

Role-playing games give you a chance to do something you've never done before. Life can get a little monotonous sometimes. Go to work, go home, go to work, go home, go to work, go home, go to work, go home, enter the fourth level of the Temple of Elemental Evil and deliver some battleaxe-a-grams to the foul denizens within, go to work, go home....

Role-playing games give you a chance to be the hero in the movie. How many times have you criticized a fictional action hero because of some error in judgement or foolish mistake? Well, this is your chance to "man up" and do a better job. Be the hero, don't watch the hero.

Role-playing games always produce the unexpected. Playing through a computer game once or twice will pretty much reveal all the intricacies and plot twists of the story. But when you have a group of players together, all creating an interactive story experience, you never know what is going to happen. Something will always surprise you. Somebody will always say something that will paralyze the entire group with laughter. Sometimes, someone will do or say something that will just make everyone stop and say, "Wow, that was so cool..."

Role-playing games give you a chance to defeat evil. Maybe some people can't relate to this, but the reason I love Silver Age comics and Disney movies is because the heroes triumph over the villains. I know intellectually that the real world isn't always like that, but in my deepest inner self, I know that that's how it's supposed to be.

I play because it's fun. Maybe someday I'll grow up and not be as enchanted by the idea of going to the ruins of a floating cloud giant city to battle the remnants of the guild of assassins that killed my father and trapped his soul inside the arcane blade that their leader carries... Yeah, I guess I could watch a basketball game instead. No, I think I'll stick to my d20 for now.

Learn more about this author, Matt Lau.
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