You Too Can Play RPGs!

Gaming is one of those hobbies that presents rather daunting obstacles to the would-be enthusiast. The books can be awfully intimidating and RPGs are so radically different from other forms of entertainment that it's hard to learn how to play them without someone to show you the ropes. Worse yet, RPGs don't have the mainstream coverage needed to get them in front of every person who might be interested in playing them. Most people have only a vague idea of what Dungeons & Dragons is. So RPGs aren't the easiest hobby to get into. Tell me something I don't know, right?

Well, here's a thought: what have you done to keep the hobby going? Have you ever run a demo game? Have you ever given your little cousin or your nieces and nephews an RPG for Christmas?

A lot of fans like to complain about the state of gaming. They like to moan that they're paying more money for less content, that all the good games never get a large enough fan base to stay in print, that the game companies owe them something as fans.

Well, what do you owe them?

One time in college, I happened to spy a copy of the old red box D&D Basic Set on the clearance shelf of the local chain toy store. In a fit of nostalgia, I picked it up. When I paid for it at the check-out counter the clerk picked up the box, smiled, and said, "A lifetime of fun for only $12."

That really stuck with me. RPGs are important not just because of their entertainment value but because they teach us that we can be active participants in the creative process. We don't have to passively sit back and accept whatever garbage comes out of the TV. We can map out own worlds, write our own stories, build something that is ours in the truest sense of the word. They open our eyes to the stories that we can create. All for the price of a pizza and a movie.

So I think we do owe the industry something a little bit beyond our hard earned cash. If we want RPGs to remain a viable industry it's up to us, the fans, to keep it going. The next time some small press gem hits the shelves, run a demo game at your local store. Organize an event at a con, expose more people to your small press faves. When Christmas and birthdays roll around, pick up that $10 starter D&D set for those would-be gamers you know. RPGs taught us the beauty of creation, the wonders of imagination unleashed with a form and purpose. They liberate us from the shackles of passivity and hand us the tools of creativity.

Evangelize, preach, convert, let the cat out of the bag and keep it out there. RPGs are great fun, a wonderful tool for expression and entertainment.

Why wouldn't you want to spread that to a new generation of gamers?