Forums » RP Discussion » Teach me how to play tabletop?

All my life I've only freestyle roleplayed. I've incorporated dice before, but it was never the focus. I've never played under the guidance of a GM. I'm not in a position to find someone in real life to teach and play with me, so I turn to you!

Looking for some 1 on 1 to test run with, but if a group is required to make it work that's fine too. Has to be done on RPR in a private group.

I don't know enough to DM, but I do know that you can 1x1 a tabletop session, it's sort of like freeform rping is, just a small bit of structure thrown in.

I have a session for my character Alfonso, that my friend runs for me. Sometimes it's freeform rping other times it's structured DMing on his part. The only difference between a 1x1 freeform and a 1x1 tabletop session is that the DM controls everytihng that your character effects and all NPC's and things of that nature.

I know this. I guess what I'm aiming for is to actually have such a structured RP with a genuine GM and everything around it in the package. Roleplaying is still quite different when your actions aren't continuously guided by dice rolls and the input of a GM.

Yeah, It took me a little bit to get used to it, I was making such long posts in regard to what was going on, when really I could just do quick posts focusing on my actions, and speech made posting go by WAY faster. It's all really great.

Goodluck with finding a DM/GM for yourself. I've seen one or two messing about, why don't you place a ad on the RP finder and specify looking for a DM for some 1x1 sessions!

Thanks!

The RP Finder is only for actual concepts, not a 'PM me so we can discuss what we're going to do' thing as it's sadly being used as a lot, so I'll have to skip on that. No idea yet what kind of game I'll end up doing, so a forum topic is better suited for this search.

Aah, true, true.

I wish I knew more on DMing and even had the time for that, I'd totally be down for doing it with you if I had more knowledge on it.

I am a table top GOD. I can walk you through it and maybe I can set up a skype game (something I've been waffling over for a while) once you feel like you've got it, if you want. No pressure if you'd like someone new to help out rather than me over and over and over.

Aaaaahhhh yes pleaseeeeeeee

Although you can learn the rules 1x1, I don't think you'll get the full experience without at least one or two other players!

I highly agree with Kim's statement. But, when you begin playing tabletop, you will realize that it is not just a genre. Each tabletop game has its own rulings and way that the dice interact with the players. Wanting to play a tabletop game is the first step!

The next is: which tabletop game to play?

I have attempted to gather a tabletop group multiple times now and am always interested in teaching others the games that exist. If you are looking for an easy game to pday/DM, I would suggest Ironclaw. It is balanced between player characters and enemies, combat is dangerous but not always deadly, and it involves anthropomorphic animal characters, of which are popular amongst today's individuals.

On of the best things is that there are entire campaigns written for one player so you can learn without a Story Teller/Dungeon Master, and then of course there are one on one campaigns too. I will definitely pressure Sanne into a two player game at some point, though!

Omg omg if you guys start something up could I maybe get in on this? Haven't read through a lot of replies since I'm exhausted but still haha

Oh!
I'd love to take a shot too please?
If you haven't started?

Caco's going to hit me up on Skype after classes and stuff. If you're around then give me a holler and I'll see if she's okay with including you?

It's most likely going to be a 1x1 thing with Cacophony via Skype with a voice call, perhaps with MadRatBird. In all honesty I don't want things to get too crowded since I have limited energy to focus on this stuff, so Mad would be the only one in on this if she can make it. Maybe Cacophony can organize a group thing later on if she's up for teaching new players?

Tabletop gaming is amazingly fun. The hardest part is finding a group that works well together..

And working out how to build your character's statistics. If you're just a player, you don't need to know all the intricacies of the rules; that is what your dungeon master is for. So learning how to roll up a character, and then the turn order and what all your stats mean is all you should worry about.

I have had the most hilarious, (and also tragic) games that have been all based on a roll of the die. Having your character dodge every hit that comes at her, only to run into a mailbox and be KO'd for the rest of the session is comedy gold. Brilliant, brilliant!

Good luck with your gaming. For systems, I am quite partial to Mutants and Masterminds; it's very balanced and completely point buy. So you don't roll stats and you buy everything with values based on how powerful the "power" is. It is made for metahuman/mutant/superhero campaigns but like it because it is entirely customizable and you can do any genre of game with it. I've done everything from medieval, to modern, to cthulhu horror with the system. AND you only need to worry about 1 die: the D20. It's the only thing you roll. Super easy.