How to play your first tabletop roleplaying game

 As the host of a local RPG Night, I get to see RPGs through the eyes of players experiencing the hobby for the first time. Some players ask for guidance or context concerning this brave new world. "What should I know? What should I do?" Here is the singular advice I have to give.

Play more games.

Most of the worries I see people have about playing an RPG, and which they try to address by absorbing guides, disappear like snowflakes in the sun after just playing the game. It's something you just need to experience.

Four people are seated at the table. There are all sorts of trinkets to play with at the table, but the players' attention is directed towards eachother.

See a game you like? Read it, invite friends or join a group, play more games. 

Be like Bob Ross; "We don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents." Don't try to 'get it right'; try to have fun. Roleplaying games are an open system; if something makes sense for you to do within the story, it doesn't matter if the game has rules for it or not. Embrace the fact that you'll consantly be in situations like these where there is no 'correct' answer. 

Play the game, make rulings as you go, reflect on them later, play more games. 

This is the priniple cycle of growth as a roleplayer and storyteller.

More advice, because you asked for it

There's a certain joy in just diving straight into the deep end. If you ask me, I recommend doing that; Try first, ask questions later. But every person's different, so here's some primers on roleplaying I think are worth your time. I selected one from a few different types of media, so you can pick what suits you best. Keep in mind that all RPG advise  assumes a culture of play that the author is coming from.There are more different ways to play RPGs than any one author can be aware of and accurately represent.

1. Video: How To Get Into Tabletop RPGs by Shut Up & Sit Down



2. Podcast: On a Guide For New Dungeon Masters by Courntey Campbell

This one is geared towards people who want to run a more traditional Dungeons & Dragons-like adventure RPGs. Which is fine because that is a massive part of the hobby. It is available as a downloadable podcast or on Spotify.

3. Blogs

There are many good blogs out there, but allow me to recommend two blogs of my own.

Getting specific

Further guidance on playing RPGs can vary wildly depending on the culture of play or school of game design you are drawn towards. You might hear them being mentioned as trad, neotrad, OSR, NSR, storygames and many others. But that's a story for another blog.

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