What is a Tabletop RPG? And Why You’re Never Too Old to Play D&D

What is an RPG? Why You’re Never Too Old to Play D&D

Dungeons & Dragons isn’t just a game; it’s an opportunity to explore creativity, storytelling, and connection. In this first episode of RPG Blokes, the hosts break down what a tabletop RPG is and why it’s never too late to start playing.

Breaking Down the Basics

Many newcomers wonder, What exactly is a roleplaying game? Instead of offering a textbook definition, the Blokes share personal insights on what makes RPGs so special.

Key topics include:

• What an RPG is and how it works
• The difference between roleplaying and traditional board games
• Why storytelling and imagination are at the heart of RPGs

Why Age Doesn’t Matter in RPGs

Some believe RPGs are just for younger players. However, the Blokes prove that tabletop games are for everyone. Whether you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, RPGs offer an exciting way to stay creative, meet new people, and engage in deep storytelling.

Starting Your Roleplaying Journey

Many hesitate to try RPGs due to concerns about time, experience, or complexity. Fortunately, getting started is easier than it seems. In this episode, the Blokes provide practical advice on:

• How to find a group
• What to expect in your first session
• How to embrace the game without feeling overwhelmed

By the end of the discussion, listeners will feel confident taking their first step into the world of roleplaying games.

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Episode Transcript

Mark:
[0:00] Welcome to RPG Blokes. In this podcast, we’re here to show you why role-playing Games are one of the most fun, creative and rewarding hobbies, Especially for us blokes who are a little older and maybe a little wiser. RPG Blokes is all about encouraging people like us, adults, middle-aged and Older, to dive into this hobby or back into it if you played it when you were younger. Trust me, you’re not too old. We wouldn’t be here talking to you if you were. And You haven’t missed the party and in fact there’s no better Time to get into this amazing hobby we’re all Passionate about role-playing games and have played them collectively between Us all for what must be well exceeding 100 years my name is mark and i have Had about 40 years experience playing the game from a child with no gaps played Throughout my life weekly to my left is hi.

Barry:
[0:48] There i’m i’m barry i’m the relative noob of this party i’ve been playing games For role-playing games for significantly less time than these guys, But I’d still get an enormous amount out of it.

Mark:
[1:00] Opposite me is Joe.

Jon:
[1:02] I’ve been reffing and playing for a hell of a long time. I do a lot more nights per week than most people think is healthy.

Mark:
[1:13] Stephen, sorry, and you are?

Stephen:
[1:16] Spoilers, yeah, I’m Stephen. Yeah, I’ve been playing role-playing games for About almost 40 years now, man and boy.

Mark:
[1:23] And a disclaimer, I guess we ought to reveal that you and I are brothers.

Stephen:
[1:26] A bit like the Gallaghers, but role-playing versions.

Mark:
[1:29] Yeah.

Barry:
[1:30] Well, and you guys aren’t dickheads either. I think we should get that out there.

Jon:
[1:33] No, still. That is true.

Stephen:
[1:35] And we’re also not reforming.

Barry:
[1:37] Sorry, not complete dickheads.

Mark:
[1:38] I wouldn’t mind being a dickhead if I can charge somebody £450 a sip.

Stephen:
[1:42] Exactly.

Mark:
[1:44] But that’s not our intention. This is a low-cost hobby. We’ll prove that to you too. Call it our first episode. It’s the first one we’re recording. I think it will be the first one we put live. is about what is an RPG. We are going to look at the vanilla version of what people describe this to Be and maybe put our own perspective on it. So to do this episode, I’ve created a 12 bullet point list, which is based upon The Wikipedia description of an RPG. So by the end of this podcast, we hope to leave you with a far better understanding Of what this hobby is and then wanting more of what we can tell you about it. Here we go. I’ve got a quote to start us off. Actually, I won’t tell you who it’s by before I say it. Okay, see if anybody can guess. It’s a dangerous business going out your door to step onto the road. And if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.

Stephen:
[2:39] Sounds a bit Lord of the Rings.

Mark:
[2:42] Okay. Yeah, you’re right. So who would have said that?

Jon:
[2:47] Bill Burr.

Barry:
[2:47] Yeah, of course.

Mark:
[2:48] Right. Okay.

Stephen:
[2:49] Did he write a role-playing game? What’s, is this?

Mark:
[2:53] No, that was the last test to see whether you can be an RPG bloke. If you got that one wrong, I think, you know. Show you the door. Right, so let the journey begin. Let’s slice and dice. This is a production of the U.S. Department of Health. Okay.

Stephen:
[3:19] Nice.

Jon:
[3:19] Good enough.

Mark:
[3:20] Yeah. The first part of this, the first bullet point I’ve got here is a short Description of what an RPG is, an introduction to RPGs. An RPG is a game where Participants describe their characters’ actions through speech. Would you argue with that as a basic description of the hobby?

Jon:
[3:36] Very basic. It’s everything from improv’d, when you read a book or see a film And you think, I wouldn’t do that. And you get your chance to prove it.

Stephen:
[3:49] Yeah, on the basic level it is about talking to each other. Just fire imagination, I think, is why you primarily talk. pushes forward a Narrative, a story, and an adventure primarily done through speech, for sure.

Barry:
[4:02] So that’s one of the things that the friends that I have know nothing about RPGs. Okay, in my group of friends, if you’re not ripping the piss out of each other, you’re not friends. But that is one of the things that comes up all of the time is, Oh, you’re dressing up on a Wednesday night? And I’m like, no. But I do think that is something that people, and because of the way that RPGs Get represented in films and TV, there is often an element of that. And I have never seen that in the four years that I’ve been playing. I’ve never actually seen anyone rock up in costume.

Mark:
[4:30] It’s interesting that you say that friends who just don’t get the hobby at all Assume that that’s what you did. So I think it’s worth pointing out that this is just speech. You turn up as you are and you can choose to do that when you’re called upon To do it or when you fancy interjecting. There’s no pressure. There’s no social pressure to speak a certain amount. You can be quieter than Other players. Not everybody is equal at the table. You can enjoy it by just watching other people interact and how they portray Their actions and characters. So don’t feel that you need to act or impress. There are players that just sit There quietly and enjoy it just as much.

Jon:
[5:07] Yeah, it’ll change from group to group. Some, you’ll have a whole group that’s Heavy into the… I mean, the role play is the main thing. If you want to do a silly accent… That’s absolutely fucking fine.

Barry:
[5:20] No, absolutely. And I think that’s really well put. Because actually, It’s also not just if you want to do silly accents, if you want to do the stupid Thing, that’s absolutely fine. As long as it’s kind of true to the character that you’re playing, then yes, absolutely.

Stephen:
[5:33] But that’s the difference between performance and role-playing, Whereas doing the silly thing is your role-playing your character. Putting on a silly accent is the performance.

Barry:
[5:40] Yeah. For me, the performance part is completely and utterly optional.

Stephen:
[5:44] Yeah, I think so.

Barry:
[5:44] Like Mark said, I’ve never felt pressured to do that. I’ve never, You know, I know I can’t do voices. It’s just not in my wheelhouse. And I think, you know, this is one of the things that, because obviously we Knew we were doing this podcast, so I’ve been giving some thought about what I get out of this. And I think one of the misconceptions, people often use the word, Oh, it’s a game of collaborative storytelling. And when I hear that, I just think people feel like you’ve somehow got to be Like super creative and imaginative person. And that just isn’t the case.

Jon:
[6:14] Luckily.

Mark:
[6:17] In this company yeah for sure it is It is a delight though when you see people try and Extend themselves into the game in that manner by an accent or By acting like the character would act rather than they Would themselves i mean these these are quite advanced in the Game but when you see it happen it’s very endearing and it draws You into the game even more but as a new player those Kind of techniques are playing it’s certainly not required where they’re Looking at things like your your skills your character and and the way they’re Interacting they’re really just playing an extension of themselves so i think That’s a really enjoyable way to play it and you’ll get a mix of players at A table playing it in slightly different ways and a good dm will will understand Those requirements for his individual players you.

Stephen:
[7:00] Can help yourself with the immersion of the role playing a lot of games require You to take a character class and that can lead you down so in certain ways Like you’ve taken more fighting sort of character you would be your actions Would then be dictated by the class that you play or the profession you’d be More gung-ho more aggressive or if you played a wizard you you’d make certain Actions that were contrary to that.

Mark:
[7:20] So that leads us on to the next point you’d be sitting at the table or playing Online with your group and in the first session as wikipedia states here players Create their characters by assigning personal background and numerical stats Which determine the outcome of the in-game events. So, Before you can play, you need a character, right? And so that character…

Stephen:
[7:44] Your role in the role-playing game, yeah.

Barry:
[7:48] I agree completely with you about new players kind of picking a fighting class, But something, not just a fighting class, something that’s got something that You can understand really quickly, really easily, and use a lot, Which has a great effect. And when I started out, it was the combat that I absolutely adored, The competitive part of it, even though you’re not competing necessarily with The other people at the table, where you’re competing with characters that the Dungeon master is playing.

Mark:
[8:12] So you came from a board games background, didn’t you? So that’s what you were Playing primarily through your life up until that point.

Barry:
[8:17] The role-playing side. Yeah, yeah. Not even through my life. Maybe for a year before I started playing role-playing games, I was playing Zombicide a lot, and it’s a very combat-oriented game. But it is also collaborative. It was my first experience playing a board game Where the people around the table with me were my team rather than my adversaries. And that was refreshing.

Mark:
[8:39] And role-playing games are collaborative games, of course. And we must say this Is not a competitive game. It rarely becomes so. PvP player versus player doesn’t happen too often and It’s never a good thing I’d find when it does, but we can always cover that Later. It’s a collaborative game.

Stephen:
[8:54] It is, yeah.

Barry:
[8:54] And it is something that comes up quite a lot in a well-run Dungeons & Dragons Campaign is even though you’re collaborating on telling that story, Characters do have different agendas and do have personality clashes And the Opposite of that as well, your character ends up forming relatively meaningful Bonds with another character. And that’s an interesting thing to roll out. And when I started to wrap my head around the roleplay elements of it, How you interact with the other characters is a really important part of that. And it can completely change the narrative of a campaign.

Mark:
[9:27] And those choices begin immediately with this character creation. so You’re making the choice about really at The same time what characters you’re more likely to get on with too so background Being a part of that as well you can link up with other people’s backgrounds John and you’re normally there bringing people in as players you’re quite hot On background aren’t you you’re you’re less meta on the rules and the numbers You like to detail people’s backgrounds and understand them as a dm depending.

Jon:
[9:53] On the system but if you if you’ve got people with vested interest they can Have a concept or a character in their head you can bring them in so it fits The world sometimes it won’t it might need smoothing and molding in so it’ll actually fit the type of.

Mark:
[10:10] Setting you find people come in with strong ideas generally especially a new player sometimes.

Jon:
[10:15] And and that that’s fantastic you don’t want to quash it You might have to modulate it. Some systems are much more free play. So D&D particularly, you can come up with any wacky shit. And that is its strength. Whereas a more structured approach, things like… I mean, my favourite’s Werewolf and Original Edition and Shadowrun.

Mark:
[10:44] They are literally called storytelling games, aren’t they?

Jon:
[10:46] Yeah. And that works with the bonds that you make, the contacts, the people you know. If something happens, there’s repercussions, there’s story links that happen Because of something that happens to someone that your character knows. And that generates its own stories. and whereas if you just go in kicking the Door down killing the monsters take the treasure there’s a place for that and It’s nice to break away and go back to that.

Mark:
[11:14] But so we’re almost detailing different genres and different styles of game Here now character generation is quite different between a game that’s geared Toward developing relationships and backgrounds and then building upon those To to form yeah the scenario or something like dungeons and dragons which you’re Going to sit down and has less impact, Your background choices has less impact on the style of game, But you’re still encouraged to try and choose them.

Stephen:
[11:40] Yeah, I think games like Dungeons & Dragons have evolved. They used to be more Rigid, I think, on their roles that they would dish out, especially with the alignment system. So traditionally, if someone would make a paladin up, they would be lawful good By rules, and someone would make a thief up, couldn’t be good. So there would be a clash there immediately. That was kind of baked into the game, but there were definitely specific roles That were governed by your character choices, whereas there was other games That aren’t so kind of rigid in their lines. And even D&D has evolved now that alignment is a little less important and roles Can be definitely intertwined.

Mark:
[12:12] Alignment then is probably the most defining choice for character generation And the easiest one to make.

Jon:
[12:18] So you’ve got the constrictive side of the alignment thing, But as long as you allow for the adaptability, and this is where the role play comes in, You haven’t just got this that’s locked down you Could have someone that starts off as evil and then do a Redemption arc and where that works In a role play game is everyone can have a part in That because it can be that one character’s influence Or or example or all the loss of someone that can trigger a different arc like You’re saying about the villain arc it’s definitely got use does depend not Not so much on the system as the group some dms work well with it some enforce it regards.

Mark:
[13:01] Whether that works in a system that that’s a Mean there’s old school isn’t it and i think that can that can upset Players so we’re at the point then where you’ve got Your character the next thing is to tell you about one Person in particular that will always be at your table and that Is the dungeon master of course you’re not going to be the dungeon master because You’re just picking up on the hobby and coming along to play well according To wikipedia it’s a designated player typically called the games master gm in Dungeons and dragons the dungeon master sets up the rules and the fictional world for the players, Barry you’ve never Dungeon Master but as a player how do you view a Dungeon Master how do you see.

Barry:
[13:41] Yeah never have never will, Like just a bit background there guys there is been a significant amount Of pressure for me to start DMing and it’s not going to happen it’s a It’s a huge responsibility a good DM for me can make Campaign people who are listening who don’t know anything about role-playing games think One of the most important things that a Dungeon Master does that is worth knowing is they Play every other character that every npc Every non-playing character so everyone that Your characters are interacting with that isn’t a Player is being portrayed by the Dungeon master i think being able to engage With the players as well as the players characters is really important especially If you’ve got new players at the table if the dm hasn’t made you feel welcome Then it’s not going to happen the dm is so critical to the game i mean that’s One of the reasons i don’t want to do it i I just, it seems like an enormous amount of pressure. And every time I change tables, there’s an element of social anxiety. It’s a completely new group of players. What if these guys aren’t as much fun As the last people that I played with? And, you know, I think I’ve been very fortunate that every DM I’ve played with Has, although been very different, has been very competent and enjoyable for Completely different reasons.

Mark:
[14:52] Well, that’s the thing. We play at a local society. There’s somewhere in the Region of 70 or 80 people that come and go over the course of the year to this Place. And so we’re fortunate at the level of DM and the quality that we have. That may not be somewhere where you’re able to begin playing yourselves, But you’ll find a DM’s job is a tough one. It is a player. Still, they play in the game. Their enjoyment of that game is equally as important as yours. Stephen, you DM a lot as well. Your DMing style is quite different to John’s. It’s more similar to mine. You described from your point of view what a DM is and how you would like ideally To make them feel, I guess, to settle them in.

Stephen:
[15:27] Yeah, making the game fun for people, make sure they’re engaged. Otherwise, it doesn’t last very long if you don’t have any players, Because they’re both equally as important as each other.

Mark:
[15:37] So we’re covering the next step here, actually. We’ve moved on into it, Which is how the GM and players interact. And we’ve described that in quite some detail. So, yeah, making your players feel comfortable, noticing different styles of playing.

Stephen:
[15:48] Yeah, comfortable and fun, because you can make sure they feel like they have The agency to do what they need to do, but not to stray too far away from the Point, and then just guide them as gently as you can to a successful conclusion, Or not, as a case may. It might be fun for it to fail. Who knows? Obviously, Dungeon Master as well is responsible for the atmosphere of the game And what sort of game you wish to have.

Mark:
[16:08] Yeah, so as a new player, the Dungeon Master will be the one that decides a Lot what the game is, because ultimately the amount of effort the Dungeon Master Has put it in, they have the right to make those choices because they need to enjoy it. And if they’re always pandering to other people’s tastes and interests, They might not have the passion in itself to do it or do such a good job so You’ve got to you’ve got to really just let yourself go and believe what this Guy is trying to trying to do and tell you it’s a balancing act it’s difficult.

Stephen:
[16:37] For a DM it is harder.

Mark:
[16:38] For sure.

Stephen:
[16:38] But it’s rewarding.

Mark:
[16:39] But as a new player you naturally wouldn’t want to dictate Any of those things either so probably going to be sitting at A table where the more experienced players take over the narrative a bit More and that may well suit you as a new player you just You just ease yourself in because there’s no there’s no requirements Or expectations of you any dm That has high expectations of a new player and makes You feel uncomfortable is not doing his job correctly so the Next point would be the player’s freedom to shape the game Wikipedia says players have the freedom to improvise within the rules and their Choices shape the direction and outcome of the game you’ve got your starting Character you’ll then be looking then to improve that character this takes time So characters can grow and develop gaining new abilities or improving their Stats over time it’s a basic, Element of the game one of the most satisfying ones I would have thought for most people even if it’s not on a meta level With your character improving in its strength but also the growth of that character And his motivations and connections within the game first session these things Are not really going to be a concern the thought of moving up levels and the Complexities of dealing with those additional abilities and skills you might Find a little bit off-putting but eventually, Yeah you’ll get to the point where you’re looking forward to having a new ability Or trying something new i’m.

Barry:
[17:57] I’m the relative noob at the table so the only two ways i’ve ever leveled up In dnd is milestone leveling up which is where you know all of the characters Reach a certain point in the campaign and they all get leveled up and then there’s Experience points leveling up you get awarded experience points at the end so If you miss a session you kind of fall behind a bit and you know yeah your.

Stephen:
[18:13] Experience is with fifth edition dnd isn’t it and i think fifth edition dnd Has crunched the whole levelling process down. You’re good right from the start, whereas old school D&D was really rubbish From the start, really bad. So you’d look forward to your next level, But it was so far away. So they’ve changed.

Mark:
[18:26] Yeah, modern games.

Stephen:
[18:27] Modern games have addressed the crunch of levelling, even though I think it’s A very important part of role-playing is the character developing physically And stats and stuff to make it a role-play game.

Mark:
[18:38] So that’s part of the levelling up process. You’ll look forward to that, And it’s part of the basic description of the game. The next thing is game challenges from wikipedia the Game includes challenges for the characters like traps Adversaries or puzzles often involving non-player characters those as controlled By your gm so you’re in the game it is all about overcoming these challenges As a collective group not individually it is a very much a collaborative game Your gm wouldn’t have time to deal with you individually.

Stephen:
[19:20] So as soon as people split the party, I think is the favourite saying, It all becomes a little bit chaotic.

Mark:
[19:26] Barry, which part of the game do you enjoy most, would you say, As far as the challenges are concerned? You said immediately and initially it Was the fighting, but I know that has developed for you.

Barry:
[19:34] So yeah, in terms of challenges, I really like the combat. I would much rather Have a bit of mystery than a puzzle.

Stephen:
[19:39] Yeah.

Barry:
[19:40] Yeah. Yeah.

Stephen:
[19:40] It’s got to be done right.

Mark:
[19:42] I think, yeah, I think the mystery side of puzzle solving is better. Yeah. Rather than just having a direct puzzle.

Stephen:
[19:47] Like a riddle. Riddle me this. I know it’s Lord of the Rings, Isn’t it? Everyone loves it. But it’s kind of like, if you don’t know it, That’s the end of the game, isn’t it?

Mark:
[19:54] There are many of those kind of puzzles within the game. In most games, You don’t tend to have those.

Stephen:
[19:58] No, they do avoid in the written ones. People tend to throw them in when they’ve Written the games themselves. I’ve known.

Mark:
[20:03] There are DMs that take on what you’re doing narratively within combat and try And create advantages. which is you’re quite good at that style of game, Aren’t you, John? You encourage that from your players?

Jon:
[20:11] Very much so. If they can get into what their character would do or wants to Do, it’s often not a question of yes or no. It’s just how difficult it is. Sometimes, if you’re feeling really generous, you can let them know how difficult it is beforehand.

Barry:
[20:27] So, again, this is one of the things where you can tell an excellent DM from a good DM. It’s does combat feel cinematic? are People not just rolling the dice are they describing Things especially when you get a really good dice roll and and the dm will say Well i’m going to let you describe exactly what happens and you know you get To reference every kung fu stroke fantasy stroke sci-fi film you’ve ever seen Combat in and and say my character is doing something like that and again that’s A you know that’s a joyous thing yeah.

Mark:
[20:58] This is the part of the game where you will have equal billing to everybody Else because the dm will go through the order of your turns.

Barry:
[21:04] That’s a really good.

Mark:
[21:05] Point but you’re going to be called upon to act and you will have as much time As everybody else to do so so it’s one of the better parts of the game for a new player.

Barry:
[21:12] And and again when i first started you know i was concerned about the numbers And the maths and stuff like that and i know it’s relatively simple but nothing’s Relatively simple when it’s new if you’re playing with a really good group of Players as well you’ll be supported you’ll be helped you’ll be advised you’ll Be you know you You won’t be told what to do. Like you said, you have your autonomy, but you will have people reminding you What your options are because that’s a really important thing, Especially early on with your character. You forget the… Full menu of skills that your character has and you might be missing something Really useful or more importantly really fun yeah.

Mark:
[21:45] And the only person that won’t do that for you is the dms you are relying upon Your your fellow players to help you there and they often do even as an experienced Player i find people giving me advice and quite often i take it.

Barry:
[21:56] For people out there who are thinking but when you find a group to play with Even if it means waiting a little bit for me, Find somewhere where you’re coming in low level don’t you Know don’t walk into a campaign that’s been running for six months and everyone’s at Level eight because for me like i for Starters you don’t form the same connection with your character but also your Character skill set is just too big for you to manage as a noob start at level One with a small amount of things that you are good at and then as you level Up and your character grows that’s incremental and it’s just much easier to Manage it was much more enjoyable we’re.

Mark:
[22:32] Going to go on to point nine now which is the acting and immersion which we’ve We’ve covered a little bit already of course so the acting in rpgs isn’t always Literal players describe their characters actions rather than always speaking in character.

Stephen:
[22:47] Well i think it’s a difference between as i mentioned i think before performance And role play where you can be in your character and role play and make a decision Based on your stats or based on your class or based on anything like that you Can make those sort of decisions that you would maybe see meta or you can sort Of make a performance of it and put accents and stuff like That’s to bring across What your character feels a bit more rather than making actions based on statistics.

Mark:
[23:10] So would you say most people speak in the third person about their character?

Stephen:
[23:13] Yeah, I think that’s a lot of people do. I think majority of people go to when They’re describing their actions, they’re saying he’s going to do this. They sort of like try and fill it out rather than immerse themselves in that moment. And just make actions and let the DM respond to it. I think that there is a Tendency to kind of go third person. It fills out the situation, so you can back away from it a little bit easier, I think. First person kind of talking to DM, things have happened and they’re progressing. Whereas the third person, you say, well, my character goes up and touches this. You’re waiting for a response, aren’t you, for the DM to say, Oh, well, actually, it looks a bit dangerous. And it all becomes third person. But if you go first person, I’m going to do this. This is what I’m doing. Whatever works for the group, I guess. You might have a mixture, I guess. but you can’t I don’t think it works if one person is performing a Lot and the other people are doing third party it becomes a little bit.

Barry:
[23:56] I I think this is the first time though but I couldn’t Disagree more I don’t immerse myself no that’s not True I behave true to my character and you role play I role play but I role play I always sound exactly like Me and I have people at the table I mean sometimes I Talk I will say Jubus is going to or he’s going to or I’m going To and those aren’t conscious decisions and I don’t know why I Do it differently in different situations but i’ve sat at a table where you’ve Got three or four people all doing it kind of differently and it hasn’t taken Anything away from it i love it when you get someone who’s like a proper thespian Role player i admire it i respect it it’s just not how i want to play the game I think they’re equally valid and i do think they work at the same table i.

Jon:
[24:34] Would say that when you you switch between first and third a lot of it will Involve how well you’re visualizing it.

Barry:
[24:43] And where you’re putting.

Jon:
[24:44] Your character and how enthusiastic you are. Because a lot of time I switch.

Mark:
[24:50] It naturally flips between the two styles. I think at a table during a normal session you’ll get…

Stephen:
[24:55] Yeah, I think it’s impossible. Well, not impossible to stay in character all The time, but it takes a certain level of wanting to be in that. But I think you’d have to really consciously try.

Barry:
[25:04] Yeah, yeah. And so we’re kind of touching on this now.

Stephen:
[25:07] Aren’t we?

Barry:
[25:07] And this hasn’t… We’ve talked about being in character, but We haven’t talked about dialogue in the Game and I think dialogue’s really interesting because like I say I don’t do voices I don’t do accents I still say geezer fan Bruv but when you’re having a conversation With an NPC that was the time when I started that I felt the most self-conscious It was good for me listen you’re out of your comfort zone and I think we all Know from time to time that being out of your comfort zone is is good for the Soul but that was hard for me to begin with because i’d just be i remember looking At you and in my head i was like i don’t know what to do i don’t know what to Say i don’t know what to think your.

Mark:
[25:42] Discomfort was not noticed.

Barry:
[25:43] Is that because i hid it well because you don’t care i think it’s because i Was not looking because we still were.

Mark:
[25:49] Playing the game and whatever we’re not non-judgmental we’re not thinking about Is this person uncomfortable if we’re not if they’re trying and and they don’t.

Barry:
[25:57] Look nervous i.

Mark:
[25:58] Mean you can spot people that are nervous.

Barry:
[25:59] But that.

Mark:
[26:00] Level of discomfort that’s there i think yeah that’s good to point that out because.

Barry:
[26:04] You’re going.

Mark:
[26:05] To experience that as a new player.

Barry:
[26:06] And it’s perfectly normal and pretty like I think most players when they start Playing the game will have that moment where they’re like, I’m a bit lost in this. And it was not easy.

Stephen:
[26:18] No, I think a lot of people don’t find it easy. Even experienced players I’ve Known don’t like doing it.

Mark:
[26:22] They shy away from it.

Stephen:
[26:24] That’s when they go straight to third person.

Mark:
[26:26] It’s perfectly fine. It’s perfectly fine. So number 10 is game length and session structures. The Wikipedia says on this, games can range from short single sessions to epic Storylines spanning years. That’s more talking about the campaign rather than The individual session that you’d be attending. It isn’t right to leave a session before it ends. We don’t get many people thinking, Unless an emergency happens, you know what, I’m just going to leave. Obviously, if it’s your first session and you don’t know whether you’re going To like it or not, you have a possibility.

Stephen:
[26:54] Just go to the toilet and never come back.

Mark:
[26:55] No, that’s like starting the job you don’t want to do.

Stephen:
[26:59] On a date you don’t like.

Mark:
[27:00] Yeah, okay, you’ve done that one?

Stephen:
[27:02] No.

Mark:
[27:05] Yeah, you should stay until the end and turn up regularly. These things are very important. It is a commitment that you should take seriously. And I think most DMs would like their players to turn up four times out of five.

Barry:
[27:18] Yeah, I think that’s fair. If your life is complicated, you’re also not going To get excluded from that. I mean, I work shifts. I’m probably one of the most, I mean, I attend whenever I can, but I work shifts. That has never come up in a negative way. Everyone understands that if I can be there, I am there. And if I’m not there, there’s a very, very good reason for it. Like for a new player as well, I just think you need to give yourself the best Chance to wrap your head around it. And for me, that was like two or three sessions. Before I was like looking for Advice and guidance on every dice roll, putting the mechanics together takes a little time.

Mark:
[27:52] So be prepared to put in those first three sessions before you make a long term Decision about whether you’re going to play. And I don’t want to come across as somebody that says, you know, you need to be there. You need to be regular because we’ve all got a similar attitude as players. Life does get in the way and we’re relaxed about attendance, But it would be unfair not to tell you that there is a requirement and an expectation, And you’ll feel that expectation yourself to be there. You’re part of a long-term story, an evolving story, and to dip in and out of It isn’t the best way to play the game.

Stephen:
[28:24] You’re part of that team, aren’t you?

Jon:
[28:25] Yeah, you get out of this hobby what you put in. If you put in the effort, The whole collaborative storyline thing, I know it can sound a bit highfalutin, But if you’re interested in the other characters in the game, That you’re not just sitting there waiting for your turn. You’ve got to be invested.

Barry:
[28:48] And listen, just be honest with your DM and the other players as well. You know, at different times, you have different time constraints. Just be open and honest about what you can and can’t do. I always let whoever my DM is know the week. So if I’m there I’m straight away telling them right next week I’m on late.

Mark:
[29:06] So I won’t be here to tell your DM a bit in advance because the preparation The DM has then can take that into account.

Stephen:
[29:13] Yeah obviously it depends on the length of game you’re playing because if you’re Playing a one shot it’s quite important to turn up to that, And if you’re playing like a long campaign you’re going to be going on holiday You’re going to have Christmas and stuff so we know the days you miss is going To depend on the length of game you play so yeah if you play I’ll say one shot Or even a three shot you’d want to be out of them all really.

Jon:
[29:33] I’ve found with some of my guys that they can be over Different countries so the time zones and work Schedules don’t work online play yeah but Where they’ve missed a session if i know about It in advance we can normally have something so we Know what the character is doing while they’re while the Player’s away and one of The advantages of online play sometimes I do like to do at least one one on One session for every character to expand on their narrative to give them a Firmer feel like what’s going on in the world personal touch you’re describing further commitment.

Mark:
[30:14] Beyond what somebody that’s listening to this might.

Jon:
[30:16] Like to get involved in it’s far easier to turn up to.

Mark:
[30:19] An online game than it is to one in person not just because the social part of.

Jon:
[30:24] Meeting people in.

Mark:
[30:25] Physical the physical sense, but also, you know, you can just, Laptop out on your bed and play and that’s how i play online so if.

Jon:
[30:33] A brief backtrack to the.

Mark:
[30:34] More reasonable level of when.

Jon:
[30:36] People can’t make it whether it’s online or at the table the ref can still factor In that missing thing as part of the story so it doesn’t have to be just someone Else role for that character role.

Mark:
[30:48] Yeah so the last minute cancellations don’t aid a dm and give them some notice On whether you’re not going to be there most dms will accept that perfectly fine so.

Barry:
[30:57] Just like you know and obviously you know commitment is coming up Here and it’s it’s really important that dm has at Least mostly an idea of who is and isn’t going to be at The table every week because like i said earlier on sometimes you are The star of the show your character is pivotal to that point of The plot and if you’re not there the dm’s got To come up with plan b the other thing i say is about you Know in terms of level of commitment be committed to your campaign pick as Many or as few campaigns as you want you know i play once A week and that is plenty for me i i absolutely love It i don’t really think about It in between sessions unless there’s you know specific stuff that needs to Be decided like leveling up and stuff like that i just have three or four hours A week getting around the table like-minded group people bunch of laughs and Then i go back to my life whereas like you guys are more i don’t want to say Serious because i do take it very seriously hardcore hardcore.

Mark:
[31:47] You know the score yeah.

Stephen:
[31:50] Do you know i mean it’s like you don’t have to become obsessed with him you Can you can be a casual gamer barry that’ll change when you become a ref oh i’m not.

Mark:
[31:57] Reffing man i’m not reffing so once a Week i think is the commitment that you’re likely to be Expected expected to have yeah okay so moving On to number 11 this well this is what wikipedia says We might not have much to say on this mission based gameplay So multiple missions with the same characters are Often connected in a plot arc of escalating challenges yeah A quest right a quest quest i Like to call it because there are one shots which we Should say if it’s not obvious that the games that just run For one session and there are People that find one shots very difficult because it takes Quite a skill from a dungeon master’s point of view to actually wrap up A game in one session so then they often Go for two or three sessions and then you have the games that we’re most commonly involved In that are anything up to 15 to 18 months yeah be clear that some of these Games can go on for a very long period of time so i would be careful what you Dip your foot into from the beginning one shots might be hard to find but short Adventures that may last you like eight to twelve weeks would be fairly common, Although we don’t have too many of those going on in our environment.

Barry:
[33:05] We’ve had players that have started a campaign and things in their life have Changed and left and we miss them we miss their character but the campaign goes On don’t don’t feel like you have a responsibility for the other, Players to continue enjoying that if stuff’s happening In your life and you can’t do it again it’s about just being honest with your Dm i have this situation you don’t even have to say what the situation is is You know obviously share as much or a little as you want really sorry but I Can’t commit now and it happens don’t get yourself into a situation where doing Something like that then makes it harder to go back the DM wants you back the DM feels sorry that you’ve got this situation going on and you can’t be there And that you’re missing out but the DM wants you back yeah.

Mark:
[33:47] This is the flexibility afforded to players but the DM.

Barry:
[33:50] Again is measured differently.

Mark:
[33:51] They need they need to be there every week and you can expect your DM To be there every week and to make sure that that’s Always running so you can then schedule your life around that happening an unreliable Dm does not a good game make we try and detoxify the the thought of moving table If you’re not happy there rather than just losing people to the community but It is a it is an awkward thing to not have that feel personal.

Barry:
[34:16] We all know that we get a lot out of this hobby and we Were talking about you know men’s mental health is really difficult we’re really Crap at talking about things and stuff like that so if this isn’t a hobby for You just on that note find something that is it doesn’t have to be this find Something to this podcast find something where you hang out with people that You don’t already know you know don’t live in an echo chamber don’t live in A bubble it’s hard but it is better for you you’ll be healthier in your mind for it yeah.

Mark:
[34:41] There’s a good end to the podcast the last point is just to enjoy that’s the Point of it it’s meant to be an enjoyable game so come along and relax have Fun and take it at your own speed so that is the first, Rpg blokes podcast which we hope you’ve enjoyed.

Barry:
[34:56] Let’s slice and dice so.

Stephen:
[34:58] We have to do.

Mark:
[34:58] Oh yeah slice and dice i’m ready how do you slice and dice loudly.

Barry:
[35:02] I just say there’s.

Stephen:
[35:04] A little pause between as we’re gonna okay and we’re.

Barry:
[35:07] Gonna this is literally the slickest thing i’ve ever heard okay we go and we’re gonna slice and dice.