my other hobby ii (Photo credit: Laenulfean)

The whole point of this month’s journey into my world of roleplaying gaming is telling stories. Whether it’s mildew emanating from the wet dungeon walls or swashbuckling paragoblins dueling to the death, hacking and slashing through ranks of gnolls or parrying and thrusting with clever words, the shared story is the thing.

Roleplaying is a unique form of game in this respect. A group of people build from a starting premise concocted by the gamemaster (or found in a purchased adventure book), each adding her or his own personal touch to the experience. No two gaming sessions, even with the same printed adventure, will be the same. A party consisting of all gnomes will be quite a different party than one mixing a half-orc barbarian, an elf ranger, a human bard and a tiefling sorcerer. Each character/race combination brings special skills and abilities, just as each player does.

I’m a fiction writer, so when I play a game, I like to keep up with what happened each session. In the past, I kept a running log using a (tape, later digital) recorder and transcribed them. That sounds a bit obsessive to me even now, but I saw it as a way to preserve the story, to relive good times with close friends in the future.

If you’ve never played a roleplaying game before, don’t dismiss it out of hand as something only for children. Especially if you like story, you should join the group creative experience. You’ll have a great time!