Learn to Play Tabletop Role Playing Games

At SouthEast Linux Fest, I did something I've never attempted before: a live, hands-on intro to tabletop role playing games for a packed room of Linux nerds. No idea how many people were showing up. No idea how many had ever touched a d6. Somewhere between 10 and 100, they said. Cool. Cool cool cool.

We covered the basics of TTRPGs, walked through systems like D&D, Savage Worlds, and Dungeon World, and then built a one-shot together live with the audience. The room gave me a 97 year old Elf Wizard named Ethan on a desperate mission to save his favorite tiki bar from burning down. The villain was named Bob. He stole all the turtles. The tacos were at stake. It went exactly as chaotic as you'd expect.

This is the full recording including the slide deck, the worldbuilding exercise, and the one-shot itself. If you've ever been curious about TTRPGs but didn't know where to start, this is the episode for you.

What we cover:

• What a TTRPG actually is and why it's worth your time
• D&D, Savage Worlds, and Powered by the Apocalypse compared
• Why I used Dungeon World for a room of total beginners
• How the 2d6 mechanic works and why it generates better stories than a pass/fail system
• Live worldbuilding with a room full of Linux people (results may vary)
• A real one-shot, improvised on the spot, with a 97 year old elf wizard and a villain motivated by tacos

Links and resources mentioned:

• Dungeon World SRD: dungeon-world.com
• Critical Role: youtube.com/criticalrole
• Dimension 20: dropout.tv
• Foundry Virtual Tabletop: foundryvtt.com
• Roll20: roll20.net
• The Lazy Dungeon Master by Sly Flourish
• r/rpg on Reddit

Chapters
00:00 Stream start
01:40 Welcome
06:39 What is a TTRPG?
09:40 TTRPG Options
17:56 How to Play
22:36 Building our world
38:58 Live play
59:18 Additional resources