Resources for Novice Roleplayers

E

Eden Landau

Guest
Original poster
So I was browsing the internet the other day. I was looking for books, blogs, or anything else on how to roleplay, how to run roleplaying games, etc. But just the very basics of the art in general, with no references to specific systems or settings. I'm Eden, by the way.

I wanted to be able to walk up to someone who's never played a roleplaying game before, but who is interested in starting, and say to him, "Hey, Bob. You wanna join our roleplaying group? Excellent. But before you do, please read [INSERT_BOOK_HERE]. That should give you a very clear idea of what roleplaying games are, and then you could decide for yourself if it's the right kind of game for you. If you'll still be interested, just come along, I'll explain the system and the setting and we'll be good to go."

I couldn't find anything like that. In fact, despite the huge number of of books about specific roleplaying games like D&D or WoD, I've discovered a startling lack of books about how to roleplay, or how to run roleplaying games, or create good characters or setting worlds (with the exception of Robin Laws's Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering and Graham Walmsley's Play Unsafe, and also a book by Gary Gygax, though I can't remember its name. These are all excellent but neither one of which cater to novices).

So I've decided to write my own.

However, I have absolutely no idea what I should concentrate on. This is where you guys come in. I've put together a tiny survey to help me know what it is people want most. I would greatly appreciate it if you (yes, you!) would take a minute to sound your voice, even if it's just in this thread.

Also, while I'm doing working on that, I'm still completely stumped. So if you know about any other existing resources, be they blog posts, books, podcasts or anything else I can give my new players or to more advanced players who want to GM, please post them.

Thanks a bunch!
Eden.
 
Just to get this straight, you want to write a physical book and you're looking for resources and inspiration? Or you want to make a thread here that you can link to? The institute already has several workshops and guides you may find useful for reference!

We have a sort of suggestion box here in the institute where people can post what they want workshops on; Link

You might consider explaining roleplay terminology; Link 1, Link 2

Revision and I have both compiled lists of things we think every roleplayer (and especially newbies) should know; Link 1, Link 2

Diana and I both have a general resource for writing a good post; Link 1, Link 2

Diana and I have also posted some tips to help the inexperienced advertise their roleplays and find players; Link 1, Link 2

Diana also does a great job on explaining what Roleplay is, and what kinds of subtypes there are; Link

Revision also explains the unfortunate elements of roleplay that all newbies should be prepared for; Link

I personally think new roleplayers should know how to properly proofread; Link
 
I'd personally like to see sections on grammar and how to avoid mary-sue characters.
For resources, try springhole.net. They have a ton of good stuff on roleplaying.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit