There is an entire spectrum of RPGs out there, and I would advise you to do some research before buying many of them. On one end of the spectrum you will find rules-lite systems (or some with essentially no rules) which are designed to get people telling stories together. On the other end are rules-heavy systems, which are designed to be more "realistic" simulations of a particular setting. I find that 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons, for example, is a very popular game but is very hard to learn by yourself.
True: but there are lots of people out here that are willing to help others learn. And not just for D&D 3e.
Check out your local Gaming and Comic Book Stores and you should be able to find at least a few Gamers.
Another place to check would be the RPGA's Convention Website for a
Con full of RPG fanitics that you can attend:
http://events.wizards.com/rpgaweb/external/calendar.aspDresden Files is going to be released using the FATE game system, and you can get free information from http://www.faterpg.com/dl/. If you’re new to RPGs you might find someone who already plays to teach you (it’s much easier to learn by example) or download free RPGs like FATE and read about it yourself. Give it a try and don’t worry about messing up the rules too much. Go in to have fun. I’ve been playing RPGs since 1975, have read and/or played dozens of game systems, and have been a playtester for several games. It’s a great hobby and one you can enjoy for years to come. I’m teaching my children about RPGs and they love it, too.
Having Fun is the
entire point of Roleplaying. I mean, if it's not fun, then go play your Nintendo / Wii / X-Box / etc
- or watch a movie; or read a book; or hang out with friends; or do something else that you
enjoy.
The secret to any RPG is having trust in the person running the game. That person invests a lot of time creating a situation for the players to experience. However, with that power comes the responsibility of running a game where the players can change events. (Many Game Masters seem to enjoy a process called "railroading" where an adventure is linear like a book or movie, and no matter what the players do they will arrive at exactly the same ending. Most players hate this and would rather read a book or watch a movie.) If your players trust you to run a good game, you can probably run any rules system in any campaign world and people will have fun.
Very nice advice. I wish that there were more people like
finarvyn to play with
near me!!
Good luck, and if you have questions be sure to ask.
This goes from me as well.
