Role With It

For #TechAndTabletopTuesday, I usually dive into either topics of technology or the math behind the mechanics of the games I play. But I realized I have never stopped to answer the fundamental question for those following along who aren't hobbyists:

What exactly is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG)?

With the rise of Stranger Things and Critical Role, "Dungeons & Dragons" has re-entered the pop culture zeitgeist. But if you have never sat at the table, the concept can seem baffling. Is it a board game? Is it acting? Is it just math?

The answer is: It is a Collaborative Storytelling Engine.

1. The Concept: "Make Believe" with Rules

When kids play "Cops and Robbers," the game eventually breaks down into an argument: "I shot you!" "No you didn't, I had a forcefield!"

A Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) solves this problem by adding a rulebook and a random number generator (dice). It allows players from 9 to 90 years old the ability to engage in the same imaginative play, but with a structured framework to resolve conflict.

2. The Architecture: The Asymmetric Roles

Unlike a board game like Monopoly, where everyone plays by the same rules to win, a TTRPG has two distinct roles:

• The Players (The Protagonists): Most people at the table control a single character. They are the heroes of the story. They decide what they say, where they go, and who they fight. Their goal isn't necessarily to "win," but to survive and tell a cool story.

• The Game Master (The World): One person (often me) takes on the role of the Game Master (GM). The GM is the Director, the Narrator, and the Referee. I describe the environment, I play the villains, and I decide the difficulty of the challenges. I am not playing against the players; I am providing the stage for them to perform on.

3. The Engine: The Dice

This is where the math comes in. When a player wants to do something difficult—climb a wall, persuade a guard, swing a sword—we don't just decide if it happens. We roll the dice.

Polyhedral dice can generate a random number between 1 and 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20, and even 1-100 (%).

The dice introduce risk.

• If the number is high, the hero succeeds brilliantly.

• If the number is low, they fail - and often, hilarity ensues.

This randomness is the magic of the game. Neither the Players nor the Game Master knows exactly what will happen next. We are all discovering the story together in real-time.

4. The Library of Worlds (It’s Not Just Dragons)

A common misconception is that TTRPGs are exclusively about elves, goblins, and medieval fantasy. While Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder (the system I run) are the industry leaders, they represent just one section of a massive library.

Just as movies have genres—horror, sci-fi, noir, westerns—so too do Role-Playing Games. And crucially, different genres require different rule sets to evoke the right feeling.

• High Fantasy (Pathfinder, D&D): These are "Heroic Simulators." The rules focus on combat, magic, and becoming powerful. You are expected to be the heroes. Think Lord of the Rings.

• Cosmic Horror (Call of Cthulhu): Here, the rules are flipped. You play ordinary people (librarians, detectives) investigating the paranormal. The characters are fragile, and combat is deadly. The goal isn't to level up; it is to survive with your sanity intact. Think...er...Call of Cthulhu?

• Cyberpunk (Cyberpunk RED, Shadowrun): Set in dystopian futures, these games focus on technology, hacking, and corporate espionage. The rules emphasize style, equipment, and lethal gunplay. Think Blade Runner.

• Space Opera (Starfinder, Traveller): These systems manage starship combat, planetary exploration, and trade across galaxies. Think Star Wars.

Rules for Every Complexity Level Furthermore, the "complexity" varies wildly.

• "Crunchy" Systems: Games like Pathfinder are rules-heavy. They have specific mathematical formulas for everything from falling damage to crafting magic items. They appeal to players who love tactical depth and character customization.

• "Rules-Light" Systems: Games like Kids on Bikes or FATE focus almost entirely on the narrative. They strip away the complex math in favor of fast-paced storytelling and improvisation.

Whatever story you want to tell—from a gritty noir detective mystery to a slapstick cartoon adventure—there is a specific rule system designed to help you tell it.

5. The Appeal: Why We Do It

In an era of video games with hyper-realistic graphics, why do we sit around a table with paper and pencils?

Video games are limited by their programming. You can only open the doors the developers allow you to open. In a TTRPG, the freedom is absolute. If the players want to ignore the dragon and instead open a bakery in the village, the game allows for that (much to the frustration of the GM!).

It is a gymnasium for empathy, problem-solving, and creativity. It is a shared imagination. It forces you to think from the perspective of someone else, to work as a team, and to improvise when things go wrong.

The Takeaway

At its core, a Tabletop Role-Playing Game is just a conversation. It is a group of friends agreeing to suspend disbelief and build a world together. It is an exercise in "Shared Narrative." And for someone like me, who spends all day dealing with rigid compliance frameworks, that absolute creative freedom is the ultimate release.