I received a message the other day from a guest who’d read our Role Playing Update blog. She was interested in trying out a role playing game, but wasn’t quite sure where to start. As she sheepishly admitted, she wasn’t even exactly certain what role playing entailed.

I’ve been knee deep in role playing games for more than three decades. The systems and the settings that they have inspired underlie much of geek culture today. Yet this particular segment of hobby gaming can still be a bit mystifying to the general public.

There are many causes for the mystery around role playing games. There are misconceptions about the games themselves “Dungeons & Dragons is all about devil worship, right?” A non-player may harbor misplaced performance anxiety “I’m not comfortable speaking in thee’s and thou’s!” And of course there is the perceived barrier to entry “Look at all those books, I haven’t got time to learn all those rules!” Whatever the specific issue, it can often be difficult and even intimidating for a newcomer to get started with role playing.

But it doesn’t have to be.

At Ravenwood Castle and The Malted Meeple, we have introduced many guests to the enjoyment of a good role playing game. We love getting questions like the one I mentioned at the start of this post, and nothing makes us happier than the smiles and laughter of a new player.

To that end, we will be publishing a short series of blog posts about role playing. We’ll touch on what role playing is, where to find a game (hint, at The Malted Meeple!), and what to expect when playing.

We will also be hosting a series of free Intro to Role Playing sessions. The first of these sessions is scheduled for Sunday, September 27^th from 2:00 to 4:00. These sessions are designed to be extremely informal. We will discuss the basics of role playing games, answer questions, and possibly run through a short introductory session.

And of course, all of our scheduled role playing events are open to beginners as well. Check out the calendar of events on our website, or stop in and speak with any of our Game Masters. We’ll be glad to find you a system and setting that you will enjoy, and get you started in a wonderfully entertaining hobby!

Coming in the next That’s How We Role(play)…

Collaborative story telling – the essence of role playing; and “Do I really need to talk like that?”

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle and The Malted Meeple, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.