By Casey Huber

(Image above, Boarding the Hulk, by Julian Kok for Wizards of the Coast)

As you approach the derelict ship, you can hear the creaking of old wood, the rattling of the rigging and the water lapping against the sides. The closer your rowboat comes to the hull of this ancient vessel, the stranger it becomes that the ship has not yet sunk.

“I look for any rocks that the ship may be beached on,” Stylos the fighter says. The gamemaster asks for a perception check from Stylos, and his player David rolls a d20.

“I got a 16,” David says.

The gamemaster describes that, although nighttime, Stylos sees small fish moving under the waves. There do not appear to be any rocks under the derelict ship, and the anchor is still visible near the bow.

The players discuss their next move, while the gamemaster silently prepares for an ambush.

That’s a brief glimpse into the world of one table-top role-playing game, the kind that have given video games a run for their money. They’re played by people of all ages and demographics and have their own online versions as well. 

Table-top role-playing games, abbreviated to TTRPGs, are also a great way for young people to socialize and learn communication skills. At their simplest, TTRPGs are essentially “play pretend” with other people. 

The best known is Dungeons and Dragons, a popular TTRPG system created by Wizards of the Coast. In it, players explore lost dungeons, travel across a vast and unfamiliar fantasy world and battle ne’er-do-wells.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (commonly abbreviated to D&D 5e) comprises a library of adventures to run, lore to discover, monsters to fight and rules to guide play. Jason Hammond is the director of the Dunkirk Public Library and runs TTRPGs for teenagers at the library.

When suggesting how a parent could introduce their child to TTRPGs, Hammond recommended starting with a theme.

“First, find a genre that interests you both, whether it’s fantasy, sci-fi, low-magic, espionage or something spooky.  There are rule sets out there for just about anything, and oftentimes one can obtain a quickplay guide and/or starter adventure for little to no cost,” Hammond said. 

“Humble Bundle and Bundle of Holding can provide a ton of content for fairly cheap, which is a great way to experiment with different settings and rules,” he said. Hammond also suggests checking out YouTube tutorials to help create settings or rulesets for the group.

“Then, regularly dedicate some time to sit down together and play.  Don’t be afraid to improvise and learn as you go, or even switch rules and settings if the initial game didn’t spark as much interest as one hoped,” Hammond said. 

Also important to note, most TTRPGs require a “Game Master,” or GM, who runs the actual session. In Dungeons & Dragons, this player is called the Dungeon Master.  The GM role can be filled by anyone who wants to, but it requires a fair bit of preparation and knowledge of the rules.

“I love seeing the imagination involved when our kids run their own scenarios; they’re taking what’s meaningful to them and crafting those ideas into entire worlds that they want to share,” Hammond said. “We have three members who each put a lot of work into converting their favorite video game and manga settings into adventures for their fellow players, often with custom game mechanics that they’ve devised themselves.” 

If you are interested in learning more about TTRPGs in your area, look for a friendly local game store, research online or leave a comment below.

Casey Huber, a forever GM, writes about gaming for The Buffalo Hive.