There are few things which are perceived as more stereotypically nerdy than pen-and-paper role-playing games (or tabletop role-playing games). One of the best known pen-and-paper rpgs is Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), which is currently in its fifth edition. What was once a game which was banished into dark corners, only to be played in dimly lit basements [note: I am clearly exaggerating], has now risen to the mainstream and can even be considered cool. While D&D is now only one among many pen-and-paper rpgs, it is worthwhile moving it into the spotlight for a while to be able to explain the genre of games it has inspired.
D&D was first published in 1974. It is set in a fantasy world and populated by non-player characters (NPCs) which are created by one of the players, the Dungeon Master/Game Master (DM / GM). Along with a number of players, the DM sets the scene and is able to describe detailed scenarios which can be explored by the players. The players typically create their own characters that fit the setting of the game and are assigned different attributes which help them interact with each other and the NPCs that are described by the Dungeon Master. They explore the world in order to figure out secrets, fulfil different quests or discover dungeons. This is done both by role-playing the characters and by using dice to determine if the characters are able to complete different tasks.
One possible example:
A player creates a character which has a high dexterity score but a relatively low strength score. Translated into the fictitious world, this could mean that in order to get into a locked room, the character might have trouble knocking down the door but they could conceivably squeeze through a small window.
The success of such actions is determined by the descriptions of the Dungeon Master, the reactions of the players and ultimately the dice rolls that determine if an action succeeds or fails. It is up to the DM and the players whether they want to follow pre-written story arcs which can be purchased for D&D, or if they want to create their own stories within the setting.
If the players who play this game commit to the role-playing aspect of the game, they are confronted with unusual scenarios, they have to think creatively in order to solve problems and they are acting within the confines of their created character, which means they have to look at situations from an unknown perspective.
That is D&D, which helped to inspire a huge number of different games. Not everyone is inclined to enjoy playing within a fantasy setting, and although I only briefly hinted at the rules of D&D, they are very complex, which one the one hand helps to keep the game on track, but on the other hand can appear a bit intimidating at first.
The good news is that the sheer number of pen-and-paper role-playing games on the market means that there is something for everyone. They are not all fantastical worlds populated by dragons and dwarves! Every setting that you find in films, television shows or books is something you will also find in pen-and-paper rpgs. Many of the more successful shows will even inspire their own pen-and-paper rpgs.
How does all of this boost your creativity?
Not all of those different pen-and-paper rpgs are necessarily tied to just one setting. I am currently playing a game with a few friends using the free Fate Core system. That system offers a variety of mechanics but it allows the collaborative creation of the game world and the systems within it. Together we created a post-apocalyptic world that our characters were catapulted into, without knowing how exactly they got there, after an accident on their space station forced them to return to earth. Now they find ruins of futuristic cities, not knowing how to get back or what kinds problems they might encounter.
I never really got the hang of writing fiction but this is the closest I have come to it. How it is different from writing stories is that the adventures come alive when we meet. It’s a harmless way to hang out with friends, be creative, see the world from a different perspective and to practice thinking on your feet.
Plus, it’s a fantastic and natural way to practice your English in a group. Whether your gaming session is set in English or another language, many of the resources and rule books that help you create the assets used in the game are predominantly set in English. You might even want to consider having your entire campaign in English to see how you deal with all sorts of fantastical scenarios and thereby practicing your spoken English in a way that you will likely not get the chance to otherwise. Or consider using English as a spoken language for your characters other than the common language. You might speak one language when you interact with some characters in the common tongue and then use English to converse with others, utilising it as a tool within the game’s world.
If you’re interested in this at all but don’t know how you would go about joining one of those games, there is a regular meetup at Uni Hamburg that you can check out.
Also, a recent reddit post asked for people in Hamburg who are interested in playing these games.
