What TTRPGs Are and Why I Love Them
Most stories are told to you. Movies, books, TV shows, you sit back, watch/read and take it all in.
But what if you could step into the story? What if you were the main character, making the choices, changing the outcome, saving the day?
That’s what tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are all about! They’re far more than just games, they’re interactive stories shaped by the players, crafted by a game master, and dictated by dice.
If you’ve never played before, explaining them can be tricky. That’s why I love this clip of Debroah Ann Woll (TrueBlood, Daredevil) explaining Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) to Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Punisher) she does such a good job of capturing the magic, at least watch the first three minutes of the clip below.
What is a TTRPG?
That’s it in a nutshell, as a player you are a character in the story. You decide what your character does, what their motivations are, their likes, their dislikes, everything about them! You and your friends around the table create a story together.
Similar to the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books from back in the day but you decided everything, not just a few choices. It’s also kind of like a video game RPG but with infinite choices and no scripted dialogue.
Around a table for a session of a TTRPG there are players and a Game Master (GM). A game master (also known as a dungeon master for D&D) sets the stage for everything, from describing the world to deciding the challenges and playing the non-player characters (NPCs). This is usually me at the table!
There’s also rolling dice involved, which is half the fun! Depending on the action/setting/game you are in, the GM will have you roll for a specific action and the number you roll is how successful (or unsuccessful) you are at that attempt. The story unfolds from there. A common joke in the community is you are friends fighting monsters with math. It’s a ton of fun.
For a game like Dungeons & Dragons, you might be adventurers exploring dungeons, battling monsters, and uncovering ancient secrets. In sci-fi RPGs like Death in Space, you’re struggling to survive in the cold darkness of space. Every TTRPG has different rules, settings, and styles, but they all share the same core idea:
✅ You are part of the story.
✅ Your choices shape what happens next.
✅ No two games are ever the same.
A lot of what I run as a GM is what is called one-shots, which means the session we are playing is not part of a larger campaign. Most home groups have campaigns that run for years and in some cases decades. Many groups fall victim to the number one enemy of TTRPGs: life and scheduling conflicts. While I do have a few home groups that are running a larger campaign, most of what I run are one-shots that will never have the characters meet together again or continue the story in this world.
Think of it like this:
Sessions are episodes
Campaigns are seasons
Why I Love TTRPGs
Over the last few years I’ve fallen in love with TTRPGs. I’ve always enjoyed writing and hoped to (maybe) write a book one day, and I still might, running games for people has given me the opportunity to craft hundreds of stories! I’ll get more into this in another blog post, there’s so much say! But I love that it never gets old, even if it’s the same story.
For example, for the TTRPG called Shadowdark I’ve ran a scenario called Trial of the Slime Lord probably more than 25 times over the last few years. Not a single session has been the same as another group. Sure, they’ve been similar but never the same. Every group and every player does things differently. I’m always surprised by the player ideas and love how they approach problems.
The community is also full of wonderful people. The hobby of TTRPGs in general attract a… certain type of crowd. I’ve had folks of many a walk of life sit at my table. It is a type of escape, and even therapy for a lot of us. I mean who doesn’t want to be the hero to save the day or the chaos agent with no worries in the world?
When you sit at the table you are no longer a:
paramedic
UPS box sorter
assembly line painter
project manager
stay at home mom
Instead, for a few hours you get to be:
Rurik Blackbrand, Dwarven Fighter – Once a proud soldier, now a mercenary-for-hire with a drinking problem and an ironclad moral code. He claims he’s just in it for the gold, but deep down, he’s seeking redemption for a past failure.
Eldrin Valcrest, Elven Paladin – A devoted knight on a sacred quest to find a lost friend and prove their worth to their celestial patron. Torn between duty and personal loyalty, they walk the line between honor and vengeance.
Kairos Thorn, Tiefling Bard – A silver-tongued performer with a bounty on their head, running from a powerful noble they humiliated in court. They live for chaos, music, and adventure, but one day, their past will catch up to them.
Osric Fenwick, Human Wizard – A former scribe’s apprentice who stole a dusty old spellbook from the archives and is just now realizing he has no idea how half the spells work. Armed with a keen mind and a dangerous curiosity, he sets out to prove himself as a true wizard—or at least not blow himself up in the process. He’s book-smart, but the real world is a much messier place than the pages of his stolen grimoire.
Sienna Lockewood, Halfling Ranger – Raised by wolves after a mysterious fire destroyed her village, she now hunts the shadowy cult responsible. Fiercely independent, she trusts no one—except her loyal beast companion.
I’m honored to get a few hours of peoples time to craft a story together. Everyone deserves a seat at the table.
The Impact of TTRPGs (Why They Matter)
Tabletop RPGs are more than just games, they’re a unique form of storytelling, social connection, and personal creativity that no other medium can fully replicate.
Here’s why they matter:
They Bring Stories to Life — In a TTRPG, you’re not just reading or watching a story: you’re living it. You make the choices, face the consequences, and watch your character grow. Every session becomes a shared tale, full of moments you’ll talk about for years.
They Build Friendships & Community — Whether you’re playing with old friends or total strangers at a convention, TTRPGs bring people together. Inside the game, you’re adventurers. Outside the game, you become a team.
They Encourage Creativity & Problem-Solving — You don’t just follow a set path; you invent solutions on the fly. Want to talk your way out of a dragon encounter? Trick a guard with a clever disguise? TTRPGs reward imagination and adaptability like no other game.
They Teach You to Embrace Uncertainty — No matter how well you plan, the dice have the final say. TTRPGs teach us to roll with the unexpected, making every moment exciting and unpredictable.
Some people play for epic battles. Others for deep storytelling. Some just love the chaos. But whatever brings you to the table, TTRPGs create experiences that stick with you long after the dice stop rolling.
Now what?
At the end of the day, TTRPGs aren’t just about rules and dice. They’re about stories, choices, and the people you share them with. Whether you’re slaying dragons, exploring haunted ruins, or talking your way into (and out of) trouble, the magic of these games comes from the adventures we create together.
So, what about you?
💬 If you’re already a player, what’s a moment from a game that’s stuck with you?
🎲 If you’ve never played before, what’s stopping you?
Drop a comment, share your thoughts, or reach out if you need help getting started (more blogs coming soon on this topic!). And as always—be careful out there.
