Month: December 2015

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Uncle Figgy's Guide to Roleplaying for Non-Roleplayers: Introduction

Introduction
You have a friend at school who tells you she can’t go out on Saturday because she’s “gaming”. You ask her if she means Monopoly or poker or something like that and she tells you that no, she’s “roleplaying — it’s sort of like Dungeons and Dragons”. You’ve heard stories about kids worshipping the devil or committing suicide because of games like that, so naturally you’re concerned.
Or maybe you’re a parent and your twelve-year-old son has just come home from a weekend at his friend’s house raving about a neat new game his friend’s older brother introduced him to in which there is no board, no cards and very few rules but lots of strange dice. All the action takes place in your imagination, he tells you, and he was playing a priest of the god Essun or something like that and he used spells to kill evil monsters. You’ve heard of something like this involved with psychopathic killers so you’re genuinely concerned about your child.
Or maybe you’ve been playing roleplaying games (RPGs) for a little while and your parents are asking a lot of questions that you’re not prepared to answer.
That is what this Uncle Figgy’s Guide is for: To allay your fears about your friend’s well-being or your child’s mental health, or to help you discuss the nature of RPGs with your family and friends.

A Note to Parents
It is easy to understand the concerns you have about new things your children are trying. Is it safe? Is it wholesome? Will it interfere with their education? Such questions are especially important when it comes to roleplaying – a hobby that has been the subject of much misinformation, slanderous attack and urban myth. It is equally essential that you be as well-informed as possible and that you continue honest, open communication with your children. By showing them that you are willing to get involved and learn about their interests, you let them know that you care for them and worry about them.
If your child has expressed an interest in roleplaying, offer to let a game be played at your house. Once the game begins, ask if you can watch (if you are told that you are not wanted there, you have every right to be concerned — mature players will agree and probably even offer to let you play!). If you are unhappy with what you have witnessed, talk with your child once the others have all gone home. Ask questions about things you did not understand. Let your child know what you liked and disliked about the game.
But accusing without proper knowledge or research into your child’s interests will only breed resentment, leading your child to hide his actions and become secretive and spiteful. Since most roleplayers begin when they are just becoming teenagers, proper communication and respect at this critical age are key to maintaining a healthy relationship — no matter what the interest in question may be.

A Note to Gamers
Few hobbies have been so maligned as roleplaying games. Roleplayers have been classified as geeks and nerds at best and devil-worshipping, murderous deviants at worst. It is all too easy, therefore, to become defensive and angry when people begin asking about the hobby of roleplaying. 
This defensive stance, however, only lends proof to the accusations leveled against roleplaying. After all, the thinking goes, if you’re not doing anything wrong, why are you becoming so elusive? Why are you getting so hostile? What are you hiding? Instead, when asked about your hobby, do your best to be as polite as possible in answering those concerns. Sarcasm only results in more proof as to the perceived social problems of gamers in general.
Just remember that people have no other sources of information on roleplaying games except what they have seen in the media (which is almost always anti-gaming). When they ask you about gaming, they are seeking to know whether what they have heard is real. It is up to you to help them see the actual truth of roleplaying. Instead of showing them anger, secrecy and defensiveness, let them see all that is good and fun about roleplaying. Honest, informed communication is the key to dispelling myth and misinformation.

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Dragon Dog Press, the Dragon Dog Press logo, Uncle Figgy, Uncle Figgy’s Realm and Uncle Figgy’s Guides are trademarks of Dragon Dog Press, Inc., all rights reserved. The Copekey logo, Keylock logo, and Copekey gemstones are trademarks of Dan Cope. Some images and all copy on this page are copyright © 2004 Dragon Dog Press, Inc. The Uncle Figgy’s Guides may be freely distributed so long as proper notice of copyright is provided.

Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Role Playing for non-roleplayers

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Uncle Figgy’s Realm
 Introduction
 A Note to Parents
 A Note to Gamers
 Roleplaying At Its Simplest
 How RPGs Work
 Arbitration and Mediation
 Cooperative Storytelling
 What the Player Does
 Putting It All Together
 An Example Game
 Roleplaying and Maturity
 Roleplaying and Escapism
 Roleplaying and Time & Money
 Roleplaying and Personality
 Roleplaying and The Occult
 Roleplaying and Violence
 Case Studies
 Roleplaying Types
 Some Gaming Terms
 For More Information
 Uncle Figgy's Guide to Roleplaying for Non-Roleplayers

Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Roleplaying for Non-Roleplayers:
A Manual for Parents, Friends and Gamers

v 1.0.1

While you’re here, check out Ryu-Ki Free(tm) — a FREE demo of the Ryu-Ki System(tm) roleplaying game and Sunserra(tm) fantasy setting created by Uncle Figgy and published by Dragon Dog Press, Inc.

Dragon Dog Press

Dragon Dog Press, the Dragon Dog Press logo, Uncle Figgy, Uncle Figgy’s Realm and Uncle Figgy’s Guides are trademarks of Dragon Dog Press, Inc., all rights reserved. The Copekey logo, Keylock logo, and Copekey gemstones are trademarks of Dan Cope. Unless specifically mentioned all content on this page is copyright © 2004 Dragon Dog Press, Inc. The Uncle Figgy’s Guides may be freely distributed so long as proper notice of copyright is provided.

Uncle Figgy’s Guides

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What are Uncle Figgy’s Guides?
In April of 1998, I finished work on a book of the collected experience of 17 years of roleplaying and 12 years of gamemastering (as of 1998, that is. I’ve been gaming since 1982 so you do the math. Man,it’s enough to make a person feel old. NOT!). This book, Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Good GameMastering, went online shortly thereafter. The response was overwhelming — with the book receiving an average of about 600 readers per month.
Uncle Figgy’s Guides are not rules to live (or play) by. Neither are they a statement of “my way is right and your way is wrong”. Basically, Uncle Figgy’s Guides are a reflection of the way I like to play, and they are all those things I have learned (mostly by analyzing the mistakes of others) that have helped me achieve the level of play that I enjoy (a very light, cinematic style). Just like anything else in the gaming world, feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.

While you’re here, check out Ryu-Ki Free(tm) — a FREE demo of the Ryu-Ki System(tm) roleplaying game and Sunserra(tm) fantasy setting created by Uncle Figgy and published by Dragon Dog Press, Inc.Uncle Figgy International!
Check out the following Web sites for Uncle Figgy’s Guides in other languages! Please note that Uncle Figgy only speaks English and is incapable of making (or understanding) translations of his works. All translations are done by a third party and I cannot be responsible for errors in translation. Also, I am unable to answer questions sent to Ask Uncle Figgy in any languages other than English.

German

  • Roleplayer.Org — “Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Good GameMastering” and “Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Good RolePlaying.”

Russian

Portugese

  • www.rpg.com.br — “Uncle Figgy’s Guide to Roleplaying for NonRoleplayers.”

Dragon Dog Press, the Dragon Dog Press logo, Uncle Figgy, Uncle Figgy’s Realm and Uncle Figgy’s Guides are trademarks of Dragon Dog Press, Inc., all rights reserved. The Copekey logo, Keylock logo, and Copekey gemstones are trademarks of Dan Cope. Unless specifically mentioned all content on this page is copyright © 2004 Dragon Dog Press, Inc.