Step One: What is Roleplaying, Anyway?

Roleplaying is like a cross between writing a book and acting improv. If you're a dedicated gamer, you've probably heard the term before--maybe as an adjective to describe a particular game, or something mentioned to you in passing, only you were never really clear on the details. After all, that's why you're reading this step, isn't it?

Roleplaying, in a broad sense, is like coauthoring a story. If you stop to think about it, the name is pretty self-explanatory. Players in a roleplaying game--Chiaroscuro, for instance--take on the role of a person living in a fictional setting, interacting with the other player characters (PCs) and non-player characters (NPCs) inhabiting that world. There are several different ways to roleplay. In a live action roleplay, or LARP, that means acting out and improvising. You know, like on a stage. A PBeM, or play by email, involves posting in forums or message lists. An MU* like the JTS games is almost like a chatroom, and your scenes roll in real time right before your eyes.

Characters in a roleplaying game grow day to day, week to week with the scenes you play out with them. They go adventuring, fall in love, influence politics and save lives. Every movement they--and you--make affects the world in which they live, deciding who will be rich or poor, happy or miserable... and even who will die. Welcome to the world of Chiaroscuro, where life and fantasy blend.

Return to Chiaroscuro: The Walkthrough

Next Up -> Step Two: What's This MU* Thing You Speak Of?