"So, what exactly is this D&D thing?"

[Goodsport]

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp After explaining RPGing in general and D&D in particular, don't forget to also mention that there are other RPG games that cover different genres.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp This way, in case the person is intrigued by the idea of RPGing but isn't too keen on the fantasy genre, you can still entice them into the hobby with other games (like sci-fi RPG's, superhero RPG's, historical RPG's, etc.).


-G

 

[Kesh]

Usually I try an analogy:

"Are you familiar with furry porn?"

"Uh...yes."

"WELL IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, YOU SICK BASTARD!!!"

Then I stomp away in righteous indignation.

I feel that this method helps keep my roleplaying hobby on the fringe of acceptable society, just where I like it.

I resemble that remark!

 

[Psionicist]

Lucid dreaming with friends, popcorn and pepsi!

 

[dave_o]

Hand them a copy of Dark Dungeons.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Usually I try an analogy:

"Are you familiar with furry porn?"

"Uh...yes."

"WELL IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, YOU SICK BASTARD!!!"

Then I stomp away in righteous indignation.

It is if you play Arcana Unearthed

 

[LGodamus]

The first rule of D&D is you dont talk about D&D

the second rule of D&D is,..............


O wait this isnt fight club...umm nevermind

 

[Henry]

Usually I try an analogy:

"Are you familiar with furry porn?"

"Uh...yes."

"WELL IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, YOU SICK BASTARD!!!"

Then I stomp away in righteous indignation.

So THIS is why everyone I run into associates this game with furry porn!

I am the janitor to Rel's Duke Nukem.


-----------

Usually, I tell them that it's kind of like a group storytelling, where one person, a referee (I don't use the term Dungeon Master because that's too specific) comes up with situations, and then the other players, through characters they create, just like literary characters, go through the situations and come up with a solution.

Sometimes they have to fight to win the day, sometimes they have to solve a mystery or talk their way out, but it's always based on what you want the character to do in that situation.

If that interests them enough, I go into some specifics about the dice, the combat map, and I emphasize that in the end, it's just a social event where everybody gets together to have fun.

 

[Steverooo]

(I use the acting analogy, myself...)

What is Roleplaying?

Basically, Roleplaying is acting, or a grown-up version of the "Let's Pretend" that we all played as a child. Just as an actor or actress plays a role in a film or play, RPers are portraying a character, which leads us to the next question...

Ever seen some "B" Horror flick where, on a dark and stormy night, when the lights suddenly go out, the protagonist says "I'll go check the fuse box in the basement."? Oh come on, now! We all know that the monster is down there, and that the protagonist's life expectancy is about six seconds!

Ever laughed at the poor sap, and thought how, "If I were him, I'd go get the shotgun and flashlight from the den, first, and when that critter jumped out, I'd blow his fool head off!" Ever watched a movie where Arnold missed an obvious clue, and thought how you could shorten the manhunt by 48 minutes? Ever wanted to meet a Dragon, be an Elf, sail across a sea of stars, or visit a world where the impossible is a daily occurrence?

So have we; that's why we're here. Just choose the appropriate role...

What is a roleplaying game?

An RPG (for short) is a game, intended to be fun, in which one roleplays a character. That character can be the protagonist from the horror film, about to open the basement door on a dark and stormy night (and face whatever pops out from under the stairs), a starship trooper with a 40 MegaWatt Plasma Rifle with a Rifle-integral Armor-Piercing, High Explosive Grenade Launcher slung under the barrel, a battle-hardened Dwarven mercenary Dragon-Rider, or any other role you and your Game Master agree on.

Since this is a game, there are rules. These are used to determine whether you succeed or fail, when trying to spot the monster before it attacks, blast the alien out the airlock or miss and hull the ship, or even whether or not you can keep from falling off your dragon!

Just as Monopoly and Bridge have very different rules, so do various RPGs. Many different game systems are played, here at Macray's Keep. Your favorite system may or may not be here, but look around. You can probably find something that looks interesting!

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

My response usually goes something like this:

"Do you play computer games?"

(If the answer is yes)

"It's like Baldur's Gate, or Icewind Dale, or Everquest, or..." (continuing until I ring a bell) "except we have paper and books instead of a computer to tell us what our character can and cannot do, and our imagination to show us."

(if the answer is no)

"Remember all those rumors about people getting dressed up, playing around in sewers, old caves, satan worshipping, that sort of thing?"

(I've never gotten a no to this question, so I pause to savor the brief moment of panic on their face)

"Well, it's NOTHING AT ALL like that. The only people who would even CONSIDER doing that are crazy." (and walk away)

I'm biased. I have very little patience with people as a whole, and heartly dislike explaining myself.

 

[Lola]

So THIS is why everyone I run into associates this game with furry porn!

I am the janitor to Rel's Duke Nukem.

Are you implying that it's not? Not even nekkid catgirls?

*takes off running*

REL! YOU MISLED ME!