If sombody ask you...

[Eristophenes]

... what the heck is RPG? What would be your answer? How to explain in few short words?

Please help...

 

[Bagpuss]

Its a Rocket Propelled Grenade.

 

[johnsemlak]

Check this thread

Understanding RPGs

 

[Thanee]

Started to post this in that other thread, but since it is more looking for a technical definition of RPG, I rather think it's more suited here...

If I were to explain what an RPG is, I wouldn't use a technical approach, but rather an exemplaric one.

For example, I would first find out a fantasy movie or fantasy novel everyone involved knows (the Lord of the Rings is a good choice nowadays).

Then I would explain how fun it is to watch the movie, but at some points you always start to think about what you would have done differently in the same situation, i.e. wouldn't you want to push Isildur into Mount Doom together with the One Ring, if you were Elrond back then!?

Now, if you were able to decide, the whole course the story is taking might be different and must be changed accordingly.

That's the basic principle of roleplaying, a story is told by several people together and the outcome determined by the actions these people take.

It's not an old story told again, but rather an entirely new story told from the beginning. A story that is created during the game, as if it were happening right now and you were right in the middle of it.

Then I would start to explain what a player character is, what a game master is, and so on...

Bye
Thanee

 

[alsih2o]

it is a GAME where someone PLAYS ROLE

 

[Wil]

"It's make-believe with rules"

 

[Sejs]

It's like improv theatre, but with some rules to help define how things work.

 

[jmucchiello]

"It's make-believe with rules"

This is always the best response. If it seems like they aren't getting it, follow up with "You know, like, cops and robbers; cowboys and indians; etc."

 

[Emiricol]

Someone on these boards once said, "Role-playing is interactive storytelling. It's cool because it is the only medium in which the audience actually becomes the author!"

I liked that, and have used it once. Plus it has big words. Can't go wrong with big words.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Trying to explain character creation to someone, on the other hand, is a whole mess of worms.

I tried to do it with some newbie players last weekend and it would have been easier to explain writing to a freshman composition major.

There's just too much I intuitively know, at this point, that I don't know how to explain it all.

Particularly when not everyone has the PHB.

I do like the Author bit. I also try to drag in cinema. Action movies are easy for people to understand and deconstruct.

It's like Die Hard only instead of one policeman you've got six people from different walks of kick ass life and instead of a building filled with terrorists you have a castle filled with monsters who eat brains!!!

Big Explodey!!!