What is a TTRPG?
A reference site for newcomers, publishers, and more.
Very simply: TTRPG means "table-top roleplaying game"! This website is designed to be a public resource and onboarding reference for individuals new to the TTRPG gaming space! Hopefully you find it helpful.
Who I am
I'm Alan Bahr. I'm an award-winning and best-selling tabletop rpg designer and publisher. You can find out more on my website.
What this site is and isn't
This site is not comprehensive.It is intended to be a general overview and introduction to the world of tabletop roleplaying games.It is not going to touch on every topic, every variation, or every detail.It is designed to provide a reference for newcomers to tabletop roleplaying games.If you are a TTRPG publisher, you can go to the "publisher resources" section and I talk a bit about how I hope you can use it.
There is a roadmap at the end of how I intend to improve this site.
Table of Contents
What is a "TTRPG"?
That's a big question. But to put it simply: a tabletop roleplaying game is where the players take on the role of a character in a fictional story and setting.
You might hear it called a "pen and paper" roleplaying game or just roleplaying game, though video games often use that term, so TTRPG or pen and paper are often used to indicate the analog nature of what we're talking about, even if they don't use pen, paper or tabletops at times.
Generally speaking, a tabletop roleplaying game provides some form of rules or procedures with which you can make decisions as your character, as well as manage and resolve elements that are outside of your character's control or influence.
The limits in a TTRPG are looser than that of a video game, in that your imagination (as well as the willingness of your playgroup) provide the only limits. Most TTRPGs are structured or focused on a genre such as fantasy or science fiction, but oftentimes they can be stretched, bent, or even outright changed to support other ideas and genres (this is pretty standard and lots of designers and publishers encourage it!)
There is generally no wrong way to enjoy a TTRPG. If you are having fun, you are pretty much doing it right!
Additional Resources
TTRPG Genres
TTRPGs have lots of different genres and worlds they take place in. There's practically a TTRPG game for anything you can imagine!
There are licensed games that take place in worlds we know from pop culture, movies, tv, comics, music and more. These are readily available and often contain accessories and stories drawn from their sources.
There are genre games that are more generic and fall into categories like:
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Superheroes
Post-apocalyptic
Horror
Urban Fantasy
and nearly everything else!
There are also generic "setting-less" games that are designed to be applied to any genre, with lots of flexible rules that can be turned or modified easily!
Tools for TTRPGs
There are lots of tools that go into a roleplaying game. We can break them down into four categories: play spaces, implements, safety tools, and accessories.
Play spaces are the general location in which a game takes place. There are two major types of play spaces: in-person and online.
With an in-person play space, those playing the game all sit together in a shared common area (often a game room, game store, library, living room, kitchen, etc) and play together in a face-to-face way.
The other major game space is online. These can be in a variety of forms, but here are some of the big ones:
Virtual Tabletops (VTTs); like Roll20, Foundry, or others.
Online Meeting Places/Communities; Discord, Forums, or others.
Both are are used and have their own benefits and drawbacks. Most (but not all games) can work in either format as well.
Implements are the tools you use when you are playing the game. Every game generally has a list and likely will not require all of the below, but the most frequent ones are:
Dice. I talk about this later down the page.
Character sheets. These are used to track your character and the changes the story has on them. These can be online or printed out and take a lot of forms.
Writing utensils. If you are playing in person, you need to be able to take notes and mark your character sheet.
Cards. Used as references or part of the game (instead of dice), cards are common tools in TTRPGs.
Tokens. Some games use tokens to represent various changes, states in the game and more. Much like a board game!
Miniatures. Some of the most popular TTRPGs have detailed combat where tactics and positioning matters. These games often use miniatures which can come in a variety of forms.
Safety tools are game rules that are designed to enable the players to explore dark, hard, or deeply personal topics in a manner where the players can have input and control in how these topics are explored and handled among their shared group.
There is lots of good discourse and talk about safety tools all over the internet and you can find some sample tools, FAQs, and more at the links below.
Accessories are any optional add-ons a game might have. Sometimes these accessories can be fancy or special dice, maps, particular props, or other items. Lots of TTRPG players like to get cool miniatures, custom or fancy dice, or other items to play their games, but those items are not strictly necessary most of the time.
Solo & Troupe TTRPGs
Solo and troupe rpgs are a variation on what might be considered "traditional" roleplaying games.
Where a traditional solo roleplaying game has a facilitator (the person who runs the game), a solo game has no facilitator and is played with just one player.
A solo game uses dice, tables, the book and other tools to serve in the stead of the facilitator. Solo games often take multiple forms, including epistolary (letter-writing) and journaling or more inline with rules heavy rpgs that are ran with full groups.
Lots of solo rpgs can be used with a group just like a "traditional" roleplaying game, but they carry their own benefits and drawbacks, just like anything!
Troupe games still have a facilitator, but unlike a traditional TTRPG, in a troupe game the players will each play multiple PCs, usually at different levels of competence. Good examples of this are Star Trek (where the players are both the command staff as well as the away team), Ars Magica (wizards, apprentices and mercenaries), and similar ideas.
Like solo TTRPGs, troupe games have lots of unique potential but unique drawbacks to consider!
The Role of Players
So what do players do in tabletop roleplaying games? Lots of things! Each game is different, but some general concepts are that players will take on the role of a singular character who is the protagonist of the ongoing story that is being told through the TTRPG. In a sense, the players are the "main characters" of a TV show, comic book, fictional story, what have you. In most TTRPGs the story revolves and hinges on the actions of the players.
Oftentimes, players are called "PCs", which stands for player characters, though different games will use different terms.
The individual you take the role of is called your character and is the viewpoint and persona you experience and interpret the setting and adventure through. It is a bit like acting or playing pretend. Making decisions as your character would make them is called "being in-character".
In fantasy TTRPGs, characters might delve ancient ruins for treasure, help broker peace between warring kingdoms, hunt down and dispatch ferocious monsters that threaten civilizations or stem the tide of demons that threaten the world.
In science fiction TTRPGs, characters might explore the outer reaches of space, search derelict space stations and starships for valuable intel or items, explore bizarre multiversal realities and a whole host of other options!
As you can see, the options are limited only by imagination, the genre of the game, and what actions you take. No matter what your characters are doing, you as the player get to come along for the ride and help be both the author and the audience of a thrilling story.
Additional Resources
Being a Good Player
There is a lot that goes into being a good player and it can (and often is) different than being a prepared player. Being a "good" player boils down to making sure everyone at the table has fun! That's why you are all together after all.
It is surprising how much work goes into being a good player and having fun! But after a few games of a ttrpg a lot of this will become second nature really quickly (and is generally just standard courteous social practice)!
First, and arguably the most important piece of any TTRPG experience: communicate and be courteous to the others you are sharing the table (virtual or physical) with.
You are all people who have come together to have fun! It's important to be mindful of that shared goal and make sure you do not trample on anyone elses fun.
It is better to over communicate than under communicate when playing a roleplaying game, and you should put trust into your fellow gamers at the table.
Be prepared as a player. You should come prepared as a player (see our section on "being a prepared player").
Remember the goals and genre of the game. It can take everyone out of the fun to be playing a horror game and have you constantly referencing funny videos or songs and disrupting the mood.
That's not to say you can't be funny when playing a game, but just be mindful of the genre you are playing in and how you can impact the experience.
Contribute equally. Oftentimes, the facilitator puts in a lot of work to make the game happen. Helping by cleaning up the playing space, arriving on time (or communicating any changes in arrival), being present and focused, and letting them know about particular elements of the TTRPG game you enjoyed all go along way to adding to the feel of the group.
Additional Resources
Being a Prepared Player
There is a lot that goes into being a good player, but there is also a lot that goes into being a prepared player. I've broken these two elements into two different categories because I think they are worth talking about separately. Honestly, you could likely combine them and it'd work the same.
Being a prepared player often means the following:
Do your best to know the rules relevant to your character. While no one expects you to know every rule in the game, knowing the basics of how to play, as well as the basics of your character is incredibly helpful and takes some of the load of making the game happen off the facilitator.
For example, in a fantasy game where you are playing a wizard, to prepare, you might make notes about how your magic works, what your spells do, and the rules you need to follow to cast them. Having page references, print-outs or little reference notecards can go a long way to alleviating the need to memorize everything and it allows you to have it all handy and be prepared.
Have everything you need to play. We all forget dice, pencils, minis, and more, but doing your best to have everything you need is a big help.
Of course your facilitator and other players likely have spares to loan you! But if everyone forgets the dice, it can be hard to play the game! Doing your best to bring the items you need with you (and asking in advance if you need any thing extra or unusual) goes a long way.
FORTHCOMING
The Role of the Faciliator
In other games this is called a "Dungeon Master", "Game Master", "Narrator", "Referee", "Facilitator", or a myrid of different terms.To keep this text easier, I chose facilitator.
The facilitator is the individual responsible for everything in the world that isn't the player characters. They handle describing the world, the individuals, the threats, the obstacles, the magic, and all the details the player characters meet.
In most TTRPGs, the facilitator is the "director" of the "show", working to organize the adventure, coordinate the schedule, and serve as the arbiter of the game as it unfolds.
It's a big job, but a very rewarding one. In a large sense, the facilitator is the key individual responsible for the fun! But you also get to guide the story, see the excitement, surprise, drama, tension and all those emotions a good story evokes unfold at the table.
Facilitators can write their own adventures or they can "run" (the term generally used for presenting an adventure) a premade adventure they have purchased. Lots of roleplaying games have adventures, ranging from adventures that last one evening to entire campaigns that can last generations (in the game).
What you choose as the facilitator is up to you and you should be comfortable with the choice. The sections below go into some of the details about being the faciliator, but is more generalized advice (and likely worth of its own site eventually).
Just know that it is a worthy and worthwhile part of the game! It might seem daunting and like a lot of work (and it can be), but the rewards are very much worth it.
Additional Resources
Being a Good Facilitator
Being a good facilitator is a bit like exercise. It takes effort, practice and repetition. But it's not hard to get started, and the basics for being a good facilitator can be practiced from the very start.
As the facilitator, you are establishing the tone of the game, as well as crafting the outline of the story (think of it as cooperative authorship between the group)! You provide the outline, and the players (alongside you) work together to help color in the outline and create a work of art.
Make sure to communicate clearly. If the players are unaware of expectations for the campaign, session, game, or theme, they certainly can't be involved. It's important to remember that this communication is a dialogue. You have to communicate the goals for the game ("we're going to play a horror rpg, where X is the theme"), and also clearly communicate the expectations ("magic isn't a thing in this horror game, so we won't be using the magic rules").
Be present and try to spread attention around. As a facilitator, it can be easy to get focused on a detail, but generally, you want to make sure to practice pacing the story. Think of it as "zooming in" and "zooming out" on various characters. You don't want to linger too long, but you need to spend enough time to spotlight and learn what's going on. It's more an art than a science, and while you get better with practice, being aware of the need helps you pace what you are doing.
Be consistent. That doesn't always mean everything has to be equitable, equal, or balance. What we mean is do your best to create a logical pattern in how you approach resolution in the game. It's ok to handwave a rule and figure it out after the game. Just make sure you communicate that!
"We're going to roll X die and move on, but after the game we'll look it up and do it right going forward."
Take feedback! You are all there to have fun together, so asking for feedback of what folks like, don't like, want to see more of and want to see less of is good. You are the final "director" of this movie, but asking what the table is enjoying matters a lot. Why would they keep coming back if they don't enjoy it?
(work in progress) being a prepared faciliator
Like being a prepared player, there is a lot that goes into being a prepared facilitator. Much of it is the same, but some is different. It can be helpful to review the "be a prepared player" section and assume that all applies here!
Like being a prepared player, there is a lot that goes into being a prepared facilitator. Much of it is the same, but some is different. It can be helpful to review the "be a prepared player" section and assume that all applies here!
(work in progress) things to consider
Every facilitator has a different style. You don't (and honestly can't) be like another facilitator you see. You should be the best version of a facilitator you can be.
it's ok to acknowledge if a game or genre is hard to run for you! That's not a problem, and most facilitators (if not all) have that issue.
Common Terms
This section contains a list of commonly used TTRPG terms and parlance that might seem confusing to those new to this genre of gaming!
The below are only commonly used and general terms. Various games might change the meaning, use different terms, or communicate entirely different. I've tried to include some variations that might help, but there are so many TTRPGs, any list like this would be inherently incomplete.
Attributes/Abilities: This term often refers to the statistics that govern your character and tells you how innately competent they are at something.
Armor: Armor is often used to refer to what protects you or how hard you are to hit or hurt. It might be called "defense", "armor class", "protection" or other terms.
BBEG: A term that means "Big Bad Evil Guy", generally the big villain of a story.
Campaign: Generally, a campaign is a series of linked play sessions, where a large overarching story is told. Think of them as a TV series. Each "episode" is a session and a "season" is a campaign.
Die/Dice: dice are often referred to as "dX", where X is the number of faces on the die. So a standard six-sided die is a "d6". A "standard polyhedral" set of dice is a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d100 and d20. Not every game uses those dice however, and you should ask the facilitator or another player what you might need.
Hit Points: Hit points is a very common ttrpg term for health and how much harm or trauma you can take before you have to flee or perish. Other terms might be "wounds", "health", "harm", or "stamina".
Modifier: Modifiers generally mean numbers that are added to the results of dice rolls or card draws. +/-# (where # is a number) would be a modifier. Modifiers are often called "bonuses", "penalties" or similar terms.
One-shot: A one-shot is a term that refers to a TTRPG session (see below) that is designed to be played only one time and then resolved. Think of these as movies or standalone stories.
Oracle: Oracle often refers to a table or tool used to generate results that help prompt, guide or define the story. Oracles often serve as the "facilitator" during solo play or solo games.
Role: The character you act as and play in the story.
Roll: A roll generally means to roll dice or undertake an action where a chance of failure means you have to involve dice to determine the outcome. This might be called a "test", a "check" or similar terms.
Session: A session generally refers to one night of playing a TTRPG. One "game session". Multiple sessions often make up campaigns.
Skill: Generally, "skill" in a TTRPG means some ability or talent your character has learned.
TN: This term means "target number" and is often used to refer to how hard something is and what must be achieved on the dice to accomplish it. It is also called "dice check" or "difficulty check" (DC), "threshold", "difficulty", "challenge number" or a variety of other terms.
Useful Resources
FORTHCOMING
Linking & Using This Site
If you want to link to or use this site, you can! Anyone is welcome to use the links and the QR code and link commercially, on your blog, in your PDFs or print products, wherever you want.
All I ask is that you provide an attribution to Alan Bahr (or simply link to the site, which works fine as far as I [Alan] am concerned).
I do ask that you not copy/paste and replicate this text, though I understand brief snippets and paraphrasing and I won't try to stop you. Honestly, this is a labor of love.
Let me explain why I've structured the site as I have: the intent of this site is to improve accessibility by adding a resource that doesn't require a purchase.
I've used a variation of this site at libraries, when teaching new individuals RPGs, with youth groups, schools, and more. It's a "free" and "accessible" resource (as much as it requires an internet connection and to know about it). It's a living solution to reprinting the same text in every book or ignoring that text and making your game less accessible at times. Is it a perfect solution? No. But I'm taking this as one step to try to make TTRPGs better, more accessible, and more community oriented. I expect I'll refine and try other ideas as I continue.
I know we all have a different idea of what consists tabletop roleplaying games. This site can't and won't cover everything or be a perfect solution for all. My only goal is to be able to present a living format and document that I can link to in my products, and I figured others might be interested.
This is a community resource, and I have no intention to monetize it or leverage it (aside from the attribution requested). If you want to reach out to discuss information you feel is missing, I'm happy to chat.
Short URL for links: https://t.ly/L_WfV
Loose Roadmap for Improvement
Ongoing Edits
More links to alternate sources
Improved clarification and expanded terms
Video links explaining discrete portions of this text
Downloadable .txt and .pdf versions of this information to be used as reference.