Introduction[]
This book provides the fundamentals necessary to play in nearly any fantasy setting — low, high, and pseudo-historical — using West End Games’ famous D6 System roleplaying game rules. If you’re reading this book, you probably already know what a roleplaying game is. In case you need a refresher or to explain it to your friends, we suggest telling them that this is an interactive storytelling game wherein they play the part of major characters in the story. If they’re still interested, let them read this introduction. You might also want to start with this introduction if you’ve roleplayed before getting this book but it wasn’t with the D6 System.
What Is a Roleplaying Game?[]
A roleplaying game is very much like improvisational acting or interactive storytelling — but with rules. Many video games are like this, and there are plenty of online interactive worlds, so chances are good that you know what a roleplaying game is about. This roleplaying game, however, doesn’t need any expensive equipment, special software or cartridges, or a connection to the Internet. What Do I Need to Play? To play this game, you need this book, some paper, something to write with, some six-sided dice, a lot of imagination, and a group of people, one of whom is willing to act as the guiding force in the game. This person is called many things, but “gamemaster” serves well as shorthand for someone who presents information about the game setting, creates obstacles for the other players to overcome, takes the part of the people the players encounter, and adjudicates the rules. The rest of the group, simply called “the players,” take on roles of major characters in the story that they and the gamemaster create together. The stories are called “adventures” or “scenarios.” Very short adventures, usually encompassing only one or two obstacles to a simple goal, are referred to as “encounters.” A series of encounters can become an adventure, while a series of adventures can turn into a campaign. Go to the file called “Adventure Tips” on how to come up with adventures.
Where Do I Go Next?[]
Will you be you joining a game where everyone else knows how to play, and you don’t have a lot of time to learn the rules? Read the section called “Character Basics,” and then go to the section with character templates. Ask the gamemaster which one or ones you can use. (These are also available for downloading from the West End Games Web site.) Fill in the template as you learned from Character Basics, then take the sheet to the game session and start playing. The rest of the players will teach the details as you go along. Do you have some time to learn the rules, but you don’t want to be the gamemaster? Read all of the sections from Character basics through “Healing”. In this introduction is a solitaire adventure that will get you started on the basics; the rest of the chapters fill in more details. Then skip to the “Equipment” section. If you’ll also play someone with magical or miraculous abilities, you’ll also need to read those the sections about magic and/or miracles. Do you want to be the gamemaster, with all its responsibilities and privileges? You’ll need to all the sections, or at least through the “Healing” section and skim the rest. Then use the “Adventure Tips” section to design your own scenario. After that, invite some friends over, introduce them to creating characters, and have fun!