Indie RPG Club Presents DIE: The RPG – Why do we play ttRPGs anyway?

TL;DR: Sign up to play with a consistent group! We’ll explore various ttRPGs of different settings, genres, and rule-types on a semi-regular basis, for 3-4 sessions, this time. An introspective, meta-fiction RPG will be our game this time.

Session Dates:

• Thursday, 08/28

• Thursday, 09/25

• Thursday, 10/09

• Thursday, 10/23

What is DIE: The RPG? Why this game?

DIE: The Roleplaying Game never calls itself a meta-ttRPG because that would be a little too cheap for its author. Even though the game gets meta – “meta” in the media-about-itself sense – DIE is really about looking at the psychology of who plays ttRPGs and why we come together to enter a fantasy world in the first place.

This game, on the surface, looks a lot like a typical ttRPG. There are dice to be rolled, character sheets to be passed out, and quests to be undertaken – things that most players should be comfortable understanding. What makes it special, however, is that the characters players create to explore DIE are fully aware they’re characters playing in a game. And the primary drama of the story isn’t about whether or not the players finish the quest they’re given. Instead, it’s about discovering the answer to a loaded question: do we stay in the world, or do we leave? And what am I willing to sacrifice for either?

How will the club play this game, logistically?

We will figure that out! DIE has options to play as an extended campaign (3-12 sessions) or as a short-story/novella type thing (3-4 sessions). The tone of the game shifts, depending on which one we choose, so we’ll decide during Session 1.

And on that note, this is the first game of the Indie ttRPG Club where we’ll have a proper Session 0. Although it’s intended to get us playing during that first session, we’ll ultimately decide as a group what we want to do.

Will I have fun with this system? What makes it different?Most ttRPGs are about external challenges to the status quo. Players create characters that have abilities to affect change, and the ttRPG is the story of their struggle to do so.

This game is more literary in its scope. It won’t be about fighting dragons in the truest sense but about what you do when that dragon represents all of your characters hopes, fears, and dreams. Or what stands between you and them.

We’ll see how it goes!

Why the cost?

Even though the intention is we’ll play all of these games together, we’re going to go with a pay-as-we-go model, just because the GM’s schedule may best permit that type of thing. We shall see.

What is the Indie ttRPG Club?

Foremost, this group is about playing tabletop RPGs and co-creating interesting stories for the challenge and the thrill. We will explore different systems and settings to see what they can teach us about the hobby and the different stories we’re able to create together. If you’re not quite feeling the vibe of the selected game, stay tuned for future announcement