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A role-playing game system, is a set of game mechanics rules used in a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions.
The staff of Chaosium realized by the late 1970s that the RuneQuest system designed by Steve Perrin had enough potential to become the "house system" for the company, which could then use one set of game mechanics for multiple games; Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis proved this correct by slimming the RuneQuest rules down into the 16-page Basic Role-Playing (1980). [1] : 85 Hero Games used the rules for their Champions game to form the basis for their Hero System. [1] : 146 The house system from Pacesetter Ltd focused on a universal "action table" consisting of one chart to be used for resolution of all actions within the game. [1] : 197 Steve Jackson wanted to design a role-playing game rules system and had three goals in mind: this system must be detailed and realistic; it must be logical and well-organized; and this system must be adaptable enough to be used with any setting and level of play; this system of rules was eventually released as GURPS (1986). [1] : 104–107 The Palladium house system was initially derived from Dungeons & Dragons and was ultimately used in all of the Palladium Books titles. [1] : 156 Mekton II (1987) by R. Talsorian Games debuted the full version of their Interlock System of rules. [1] : 208
Game Designers' Workshop released the Twilight: 2000 second edition game rule system in 1990, and decided to use its game system as their house system, under which they would design all of their subsequent role-playing games. [1] : 60 Amazing Engine from TSR was a universal game system, intended as a simple system for beginners. [1] : 27 Hero Games partnered with R. Talsorian in 1996 and worked together to create a simpler rules system to draw new players, by merging the Hero System with the Interlock system and calling it Fuzion. [1] : 150 Dragonlance: Fifth Age (1996) was built on the SAGA storytelling game system from TSR, which used a resource management system involving cards instead of die rolls. [1] : 29 TSR published the Alternity (1997) universal game system, which was intended only for science-fiction games. [1] : 29 The Masterbook system had failed to catch on as a house system for West End Games, so they published the D6 System which was based on their successful Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game . [1] : 194
While early role-playing games relied heavily on either group consensus or the judgement of a single player (the "Dungeon Master" or Game Master) or on randomizers such as dice, later generations of narrativist games allow role-playing to influence the creative input and output of the players, so both acting out roles and employing rules take part in shaping the outcome of the game.
An RPG system also affects the game environment, which can take any of several forms. Generic role-playing game systems, such as Basic Role-Playing , GURPS , and Fate , are not tied to a specific storytelling genre or campaign setting and can be used as a framework to play many different types of RPG. Others, such as Dungeons & Dragons , are designed to depict a specific genre or style of play, and still others, such as Paranoia , are not only genre-specific but come bundled with a specific campaign setting to which the game mechanics are inseparably tied. In fact, in more psychological games such as Call of Cthulhu , King Arthur Pendragon , Unknown Armies , and Don't Rest Your Head , aspects of the game system are designed to reinforce psychological or emotional dynamics that evoke a game world's specific atmosphere.
Many role-playing game systems involve the generation of random numbers by which success or failure of an action is determined. This can be done using dice (probably the most common method) or cards (as in Castle Falkenstein ), but other methods may be used depending on the system. The random result is added to an attribute which is then compared to a difficulty rating, although many variations on this game mechanic exist among systems. Some (such as the Storyteller / Storytelling System and the One-Roll Engine ) use dice pools instead of individual dice to generate a series of random numbers, some of which may be discarded or used to determine the magnitude of the result. However, some games (such as the Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game and Nobilis ) use no random factor at all. These instead use direct comparison of character ability scores to difficulty values, often supplemented with points from a finite but renewable pool. These "resource points" represent a character's additional effort or luck, and can be used strategically by the player to influence the success of an action.
Basic Role-Playing (BRP) is a tabletop role-playing game which originated in the RuneQuest fantasy role-playing game. Chaosium released the BRP standalone booklet in 1980 in the boxed set release of the second edition of RuneQuest. Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis are credited as the authors. Chaosium used the percentile skill-based system as the basis for most of their games, including Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, and Elfquest.
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems were story- or genre-specific.
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.
RuneQuest is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson, and Warren James, and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. It was first published in 1978 by The Chaosium. Beginning in 1984, publication passed between a number of companies, including Avalon Hill, Mongoose Publishing, and The Design Mechanism, before finally returning to Chaosium in 2016. RuneQuest is notable for its system, designed around percentile dice and an early implementation of skill rules, which became the basis for numerous other games. There have been several editions of the game.
Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, originally developed for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The system is named after the 20-sided dice which are central to the core mechanics of many actions in the game.
A generic or universalrole-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre. Its rules should, in theory, work the same way for any setting, world, environment or genre in which one would want to play.
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. Usually a campaign setting is designed for a specific game or a specific genre of game. There are numerous campaign settings available both in print and online. In addition to published campaign settings available for purchase, many game masters create their own settings, often referred to as "homebrew" settings or worlds.
Castle Falkenstein is a steampunk-themed fantasy role-playing game (RPG) designed by Mike Pondsmith and originally published by R. Talsorian Games in 1994. The game is named for a legendary unbuilt castle in the Bavarian Alps. Players play the roles of gallant adventurers who take on quests of intrigue and derring-do in the spirit of Victorian adventures such as The Prisoner of Zenda.
Dream Pod 9 (DP9), formerly Ianus Games, is a Montreal-based Canadian game publisher. Its most notable products are Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Tribe 8, and Gear Krieg, as well as the Silhouette role-playing game system.
Fuzion is a generic role-playing game system created by the collaboration of R. Talsorian Games and Hero Games. The rights to Fuzion are jointly held by Mike Pondsmith of R. Talsorian Games, along with Steve Peterson and Ray Greer of Hero Games. Fuzion is a combination of the Interlock System,, and the HERO system. Fuzion is an adaptable system which can be played in any genre and setting imaginable.
The history of role-playing games begins with an earlier tradition of role-playing, which combined with the rulesets of fantasy wargames in the 1970s to give rise to the modern role-playing game. A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Traditionally all the participants but one take on characters and determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization and the actions succeed or fail according to a system of rules and guidelines, and one of the participants takes on the role of game master who narrates the story, plays all the non-player characters and determine the challenge rating and the outcome of various actions. Within the rules, the participants may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.
Role-playing games (RPGs) have developed specialized terminology. This includes both terminology used within RPGs to describe in-game concepts and terminology used to describe RPGs. Role-playing games also have specialized slang and jargon associated with them.
Character creation is the process of defining a player character in a role-playing game. The result of character creation is a direct characterization that is recorded on a character sheet. This may include a representation of the character's physical, mental, psychological, and social attributes and skills in terms of the specific game's mechanics. It may also include informal descriptions of the character's physical appearance, personality, personal back-story ("background"), and possessions. Games with a fantasy setting may include traits such as race, class, or species. Character creation is the first step taken by the players in preparation for a game.
Michael Alyn Pondsmith is an American roleplaying, board, and video game designer. He is best known for founding the publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing game lines. Pondsmith is the author of several RPG lines, including Mekton (1984), Cyberpunk (1988) and Castle Falkenstein (1994). He also contributed to the Forgotten Realms and Oriental Adventures lines of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, worked in various capacities on video games, and authored or co-created several board games. Pondsmith also worked as an instructor at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
The following is a timeline of tabletop role-playing games. For computer role-playing games see here.
A tabletop role-playing game, also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a classification for a role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech, and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines, usually containing Dice-Rolling. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.
The Conan Role-Playing Game is a fantasy role-playing game published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 that is based on the Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, Andrew J. Offutt. and Robert Jordan.
