pen and paper RPG, or roleplaying game, involves the players using nothing more complicated than their character sheet and some dice. The game master, who creates the game and runs it for the players, may use one of the many RPG systems available, but some people may find it fun to create their own system, which they can tailor for the sort of game they want to play.
Instructions
- Think before you begin to design your RPG about what you hope to accomplish. Many games exist in a wide range of genres, and you may find that adapting one of those may prove easier than coming up with your own game from scratch.
- Determine what sort of game you want to create. What sort of technology will be available to player characters? What sort of world do they live in? Knowing this will help you determine how complicated you want your game to be.
- Look at similar games to see how they handle game mechanics. How do they determine when a character hits or misses with a weapon, for example? Take note of ideas that appeal to you that you may want to incorporate in your game.
- Determine what characters are like. Are they determined randomly by rolling dice, or designed by a player who's been given a certain number of points to spend? What characteristics matter in your game world, and how are they measured?
- Design your combat system, the method by which characters can fight each other. Do you want an intricate one that incorporates a number of factors, or something simpler, like rolling a six-sided die to determine who wins? Does your combat system need to cover arrows? Guns? Magic spells? Psionic blasts?
- Think about what the characters will do. Do you intend for them to travel and explore? If so, you'll need to figure out how distance works and how far a character can go in a day. A more complex game depending on the players solving a mystery will need to include ways they can investigate and gather clues.
- Try to anticipate what your players will do so you will know how to handle problems as they arise. Figure out what they are likely to do and plan accordingly, but be prepared to have your players come up with something you never expected.
- Make sure that your players know the important points about your game, particularly what their characters can and can't do. Pen and paper games are often about ingenuity and creativity, so it frustrates players to be repeatedly told "no."
