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What’s this thing called tabletop roleplaying games?

Curious about tabletop roleplaying games but not sure where to start? First, let our dear friend Ellinor DiLorenzo go over the basics.

Where to start?

Roleplaying is a rewarding and creative hobby but it can be intimidating to get started. This is what we recommend:

1. Watch it played:

To get a sense of how it works, you might want to check out some actual play video streams – you’ll find a few further down on this page, and there are lots more online.

2. Find a group (or try it Solo):

The most obvious way to do this is of course to invite some friends over for a game night. Many Free League games can be played in a single session. If that’s not possible, you can seek out gaming conventions in your local area, or visit a local hobby store – many have organized gaming sessions. Or go online – there are many social media forums and groups for Free League games, and even platforms dedicated to finding other players, such as RPGMatch and StartPlaying. A third option is to try out a Free League game that has support for solo play, such as Dragonbane, The One Ring, The Walking Dead Universe, and Vaesen.

3. Play!

The best way to learn tabletop roleplaying is by just doing it. It’s a very flexible form of gaming and there is no way of doing it wrong except not having a good time. Good luck!

What game to start with?

So with what game should you start exploring tabletop roleplaying? Free League has over a dozen titles in a wide range of genres, so the obvious answer is to go with the game that inspires you the most. That said, we have one game that is designed very much with beginners in mind: Dragonbane. There is a completely free Quickstart PDF to download in the webshop, and the Core Set includes everything you need to play for many sessions, including pre-generated characters and a complete campaign! Below, Ellinor DiLorenzo explains the process of creating a character of your own in Dragonbane: