Roleplaying games give one the opportunity to interact with an environment different from everyday life. In addition to the players, many roleplaying games have a referee, a Game Master, who describes the environment and the actions of people and creatures that the player's characters meet during the course of the game. Before on-line roleplaying, roleplaying games were played face-to-face, making a Game Master a necessity. On line environments sometimes decrease or eliminate the role of the Game Master.
Historically speaking, roleplaying games evolved out of wargaming. Wargaming involves using representations of military units and terrain with some set of rules to produce a simulation of a conflict. One form of wargaming uses miniature models of people, animals and/or vehicles on an artificial landscape, in a manner similar model railroading. It is my understanding that early roleplaying rules were based on wargaming miniature rules.
Not surprisingly, rules for early roleplaying games tended to focus on combat. As the first roleplayers tended to be wargamers and male, some of these games were essentially a connected series of combats. This can be fun, but it's not for everyone.
Many game masters run more sophisticated games with emphasis on other themes such as mystery, intrigue, politics, romance or even horror. Games where social interaction is emphasized can be quite interesting and enjoyable.
Good-to-the-last-drop was played on-line in Seattle. He is a werewolf, and his natural form is that of an upright man-wolf.
Kerwin's Song was written for a roleplaying game. In the game the song was by - and about - Kerwin O'Donnal.
Trevor Hamilton is a Sidhe played in a game called A Learning Experience. For those of you unfamiliar with the Fae, a Sidhe is essentially an elf, Like those found in Irish tales or in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. For those of you involved in the game, please remember whatever you learn here should stay as out of charcter knowledge.
Availible off-site in Black-Unicorn Wood's RPG section.
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Mature readers only Trevor's Tales are off-list interludes from an on-line game called A Learning Experience.
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