Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) are part RPG, and part collaborative storytelling. They are social games played by a group of people usually involving dice rolling as a core part of how to determine what happens next in the story.

TTRPGs are built on the endless scope of imagination and escapism through playing characters in fantasy settings. Games can be action packed and fast-paced or intriguing and cerebral but are commonly a mix of both.

The GM manages the setting and challenges the players will face and makes sure the game follows the rules or interprets how a particular decision should resolve.

Between the players and the GM, adventures of endless possibility will unfold. The challenges can be anything from combat encounters with creatures or NPCs, mysteries to solve, resource gathering or character driven drama.

What makes TTRPGs so great?

For starters, it’s a game that encourages social interaction and collaboration. You’ll be playing with a group of friends, and together, you’ll be tackling challenges and obstacles that require teamwork and strategy. Each player brings their own unique skills to the game, making it a truly collaborative experience.

Another great aspect of TTRPGs is the freedom it provides. Unlike other games where you’re limited by the rules and mechanics, in RPGs, you have the power to shape the story and the world around you. The game master (GM) sets the stage, but it’s up to you and your group to decide how the story unfolds. The choices you make will impact the game’s outcome, making it a truly immersive and personalized experience.

Lastly, TTRPGs offer a level of creativity and imagination that few other games can match. You’re not just playing your own uniquely created character–you’re living as them. You get to make decisions based on their personality, beliefs, and motivations. The world around you is vast and full of possibilities, and it’s up to you to explore it and uncover its secrets.

Fate or Chaos

To play Fate or Chaos you need at least two people: a Game Master (GM) and at least one player. Three players and a GM are the recommended minimum number and more than 5 - 6 players can start to get a bit too chaotic depending on the group!

As a player, you are playing as your character in the game the GM is running.

You can essentially attempt to do anything within the capabilities of your character and rules/limitations of the world.

Normally you will have a mission or a motivation for your character that you (and your party of other players) will be working towards.

When it isn’t clear whether your character can succeed or fail a task, dice rolling is used with your character’s stats improving (or worsening) those dice rolls. Whether you succeed on your dice roll is determined either by the rules of the game, the GM or a bit of both when things are ambiguous.

It is important to remember that the rules are just a framework for fun. If the GM sees it as appropriate or more fun, rules can be adjusted or ignored where fun would otherwise be sacrificed.

A GM can run premade adventures or prepare their own campaign. Adventures traditionally come in the form of books that detail a setting, characters and plot threads/challenges the players will seek to overcome and the GM will use as a guide to run the game.

So, get your own adventure started and find a group to give it a go!

The Flow of the Game

1. First the GM will describe the scene the players are in and helps to layout potential choices or actions players can take.

2. The players describe on what they are going to do.

3. The GM clarifies and determines whether the player needs to roll a dice to check if they can successfully perform that action.

4. The GM describes the outcome of the player’s action.

The rules handle what the players can/cannot do and how to resolve complex situations like combat with enemies.

Imagine you are trying to convince an NPC (who will be described by the GM) to reveal some information to you. The GM will decide if you need to make a skill check (Roll your d100) to figure out if you were successful in gleaming this information. In this case, if you were trying to charm the NPC into revealing the information, you would roll a Charm check, which means you roll a d100 and add your character’s Charm stat to your dice roll. The number you will need to beat to be successful will depend on the difficulty of what you are doing and will be determined by the GM using the rules as a guide.

What to Expect from a Game Session

Generally the GM will organise a campaign with the players and set expectations for the kind of game everyone wants to play. The players create their characters and backstories, and prepare for adventure.

A single gaming session will typically last on the order of hours but can vary wildly. Depending on the type of campaign, a game can be an ongoing epic story played out over many sessions over months or even years, or a quick self contained story that concludes in an a single evening.

This core ruleset is written for the perspective of a player learning the game or looking up rules. It is generally good to have some experience playing the game before taking on the challenge of being the GM and running a campaign, but that shouldn’t stop you if you want to give it a go.