Tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game, pen-and-paper role-playing game, or table-talk role-playing game is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization,[1] and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.[2] The terms pen-and-paper and tabletop are generally only used to distinguish this format of RPG from other formats, since neither pen and paper nor a table are strictly necessary.[2] Gameplay[edit] Role playing gamers at the Convention Burg-Con in Berlin 2009 Most games follow the pattern established by the first published role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. The GM then begins the game by introducing and describing the setting and the characters. Role playing gamers in a private game session
History of role-playing games The history of role-playing games begins with an earlier tradition of role-playing, which combined with the rulesets of fantasy wargames in the 1970s to give rise to the modern role-playing game. A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games. Role-playing games are substantially different from competitive games such as ball games and card games. Media attention both increased sales and stigmatized certain games. Earlier role-playing traditions combined with the game mechanics of fantasy wargames in the 1970s to give rise to the modern role-playing games.[6] Early role-playing[edit] Wargames[edit] Chainmail, c. 1975
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax (/ˈɡaɪɡæks/ GY-gaks; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008)[2] was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with Dave Arneson. Gygax has been described as the father of D&D.[3] After leaving TSR in 1985 over issues with its new majority owner, Gygax continued to create role-playing game titles independently, beginning with the multi-genre Dangerous Journeys in 1992. Gygax was married twice and had six children. Early life and inspiration[edit] Gary Gygax was born in Chicago within a few blocks of Wrigley Field[4] on July 27, 1938. During his childhood and teen years, he developed a love of games and an appreciation for fantasy and science fiction literature. Wargames[edit] I'm very fond of the Medieval period, the Dark Ages in particular. TSR[edit] In 1975, Gygax and Kaye were only 36 years old, and Kaye had not made any specific provision in his will regarding his one-third share of the company.
Dave Arneson David Lance "Dave" Arneson (October 1, 1947[2] – April 7, 2009) was an American game designer best known for co-developing the first published role-playing game (RPG), Dungeons & Dragons, with Gary Gygax, in the early 1970s.[3] Arneson's early work was fundamental to the development of the genre, developing the concept of the RPG using devices now considered to be archetypical, such as adventuring in "dungeons", using a neutral judge, and having conversations with imaginary characters to develop the storyline.[4] Arneson discovered wargaming as a teenager in the 1960s, and began combining these games with the concept of role-playing. He was a University of Minnesota student when he met Gygax at the Gen Con gaming convention in the late 1960s. In 1970 Arneson created the game and fictional world that became Blackmoor, writing his own rules and basing the setting on medieval fantasy elements. Arneson left TSR in 1976, and filed suit in 1979 to retain credits and royalties on the game.
TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company and the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). When Gary Gygax could not find an established games company willing to publish D&D, the new type of game he and Dave Arneson were co-developing, Gygax and Don Kaye formed Tactical Studies Rules in October 1973.[1] However, needing immediate financing to bring the new game to market before several similar products, Gygax and Kaye brought in Brian Blume in December as an equal partner.[1] When Kaye unexpectedly died in 1975, Blume's father, Melvin, purchased Kaye's shares, and the company was re-formed as TSR Hobbies. With the suddenly popular D&D as its main product, the company became a major force in the games industry by the late 1970s. Melvin Blume eventually sold his shares to his other son Kevin, giving the two Blume brothers a majority control of the company, now renamed TSR, Inc. Melvin Blume's shares were later transferred to Kevin Blume.
Wizards of the Coast Today, Wizards of the Coast publishes role-playing games, board games, and collectible card games. They have received numerous awards, including several Origins Awards. The company has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1999. All Wizards of the Coast stores were closed in 2004. History[edit] Wizards of the Coast was founded by Peter Adkison in 1990 just outside Seattle, Washington, and its current headquarters are located in nearby Renton.[2] Originally the company only published role-playing games such as the third edition of Talislanta and its own The Primal Order. In 1991, Richard Garfield approached Wizards of the Coast with the idea for a new board game called RoboRally, but was turned down because the game would have been too expensive for Wizards of the Coast to produce.[6] Instead, Adkison asked Garfield if he could invent a game that was both portable and quick-playing, to which Garfield agreed.[6][7] Acquisition of TSR and Pokémon[edit] Acquisition by Hasbro[edit] References[edit]
Brian Blume Brian J. Blume (born January 12, 1950)[1] is noted for being a business partner of Gary Gygax in TSR, Inc., producers of the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. Biography[edit] The Blumes brought in three outside directors from the AMA to increase the Board of Directors to six: a lawyer from a large Milwaukee firm, a personnel officer from a Milwaukee area company, and an owner of a company that made medical equipment, none of whom knew anything about gaming but always voted with the Blumes.[4][11] Blume later worked as a cartographer, mostly on numerous White Wolf supplements. References[edit] External links[edit] Pen & Paper listing for Brian Blume
Lorraine Williams Lorraine Dille Williams is an American businesswoman. She was hired as manager of TSR, Inc. by company co-founder Gary Gygax in 1984, and was in charge of the gaming company from 1986 to 1997. Williams gained control of TSR the following year when the Blume brothers sold her their controlling shares of the company. Williams inherited the rights to Buck Rogers and a large collection of Buck Rogers memorabilia. Early life[edit] Lorraine Williams is the granddaughter of John F. Williams attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a B.A. in history. TSR[edit] Brought into TSR by Gary Gygax[edit] In control of TSR[edit] Williams was a financial planner who saw the potential for transforming the debt-plagued company into a highly profitable one. She also continued to try to thwart Gary Gygax's attempts to stay in the gaming industry. The downfall of TSR[edit] Sales of Dragon Dice through the games trade started strongly, so TSR quickly produced several expansion packs.