You’ve probably heard the term before. Maybe a friend said they were playing in “a campaign,” or perhaps you saw a group sitting around a table with odd-shaped dice, scribbling on character sheets, and speaking as if they were knights, rogues, or wizards. If you’ve ever wondered what that’s all about — and how in the world it’s supposed to work — this is where you start.
At its core, a tabletop roleplaying game, or TTRPG, is a simple idea with limitless potential. It’s a game where friends gather to tell a story together. There is no board in the traditional sense. No programmed path or rigid set of outcomes. Instead, everyone contributes to a shared narrative that unfolds in real time, shaped by imagination, collaboration, and, occasionally, the roll of the dice.
Some participants create and control individual characters. Others shape the world they inhabit and the obstacles they face. Together, they build something no single person could ever predict or script.
Imagine You’re Writing a Blockbuster
Think of it like this: you and your friends have been hired to make the next great movie. One of you is chosen as the lead writer and director — this is your Game Master (GM). Their job is to come up with the setting, present interesting challenges, and describe the world and its people.
The rest of you are the stars of the film. You each play a character and help decide how the story unfolds. When you face a challenge, the lead writer (the GM) doesn’t simply decide what happens. Instead, you say what your character tries to do, and roll dice to see how it turns out.
Sometimes your plan works perfectly. Sometimes disaster strikes. The dice add surprise and suspense, but the choices are always yours.
Just like in a great movie, you might face villains, lose friends, make sacrifices, and ultimately change the world. Together, you build scenes, develop characters, and create unforgettable moments — often in ways no single writer could predict. That’s the magic of a TTRPG.
Telling Stories Together
Collaborative storytelling is at the heart of the game. Each player takes on the role of a character — brave or cowardly, noble or selfish — and makes decisions from that character’s perspective. The GM describes the world and plays the roles of everyone else: shopkeepers, kings, dragons, and monsters.
The players respond with actions and dialogue. They decide what to do, and how. Sometimes choices are simple. Sometimes, the outcome is uncertain. When that happens, dice rolls determine success or failure.
Through this back-and-forth, the game creates a living story, full of surprises.
It’s About Choices, Not Winning
Unlike board games or card games, a TTRPG doesn’t have a winner. There is no checkered flag or final score. Success is measured by the journey — the dangers you faced, the decisions you made, and the memories you created together.
Characters may triumph or fall, change the world or barely survive. The thrill comes from the unpredictability of it all. Dice inject risk and excitement, but the story remains yours. In Alacrity, the system makes sure those moments are resolved fairly and without slowing down the narrative.
How the Game Actually Works
A typical game begins with the GM setting the stage. The players describe what their characters do in response. Maybe they draw their weapons, maybe they negotiate, or maybe they do something entirely unexpected.
The GM interprets these actions and describes the results. When success isn’t guaranteed, the dice come out. Alacrity uses percentile dice — two ten-sided dice rolled together to make a number between 01 and 100. The result, compared against a target number, decides whether the attempt succeeds or fails.
From moment to moment, the group weaves a story from their choices and the luck of the dice.
Not a Board Game. Not a Video Game. Something Unique.
TTRPGs are unlike other games. They aren’t about moving pieces or racking up points. They are about freedom.
In a video game, you can only do what the programmers allowed. In a board game, you are bound by rigid mechanics. In a TTRPG, you can try anything — talk your way past a dragon, find peaceful solutions, or create wild schemes. The rules exist to support creativity, not restrict it.
Sometimes, success is dramatic. Sometimes, plans collapse spectacularly. Either way, the result is a unique story shared only by those at the table.
What You Need to Play
Despite how grand all this sounds, the requirements are modest. Alacrity keeps barriers to entry low.
You’ll need:
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This rulebook.
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A set of percentile dice.
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Character sheets to record your heroes.
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A group of players and a GM.
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A space to talk and play — this could be around a kitchen table or over an online call.
Extras like maps, miniatures, or ambient music can enhance the experience, but they are entirely optional.
Getting Comfortable with Roleplaying
Not everyone is a natural performer. That’s perfectly fine. Roleplaying doesn’t require acting skills or funny voices — though some enjoy them.
Some players describe their actions plainly. Others speak in character and embrace dramatic moments. There is no wrong way. The goal is simply to inhabit your character and contribute to the story.
Over time, you will find your own style. What begins as awkward soon becomes second nature.
Why Alacrity?
Many roleplaying games exist, and each offers something different. Alacrity is designed for speed and flexibility, with straightforward rules that avoid unnecessary complexity.
Whether you want heroic fantasy, gritty survival, or whimsical adventures, Alacrity supports your vision. It gets out of the way when it should, and offers clear guidance when needed.
Most importantly, you can start playing quickly — no years of experience or thick rulebooks required.
Ready to Begin?
By now, you should have a sense of what makes a tabletop roleplaying game special. While the details may still be unfamiliar, they will become clear as you play.
Gather your group. Read the first chapter. Create characters. Begin the story.
Describe your actions. Roll the dice. React to the unexpected. Build something together that none of you could have imagined alone.
Welcome to Alacrity. Welcome to the world of tabletop roleplaying games.
Is This Nerds in Costumes?
If you’ve never played a tabletop roleplaying game before, you might have a mental image of what it looks like — and there’s a good chance that image includes costumes, fake swords, and dramatic shouting in a park. That’s understandable. Movies, television, and pop culture often blur the lines between different kinds of gaming and fandom.
So, let’s clear it up right now: that’s not what you’re signing up for here.
Alacrity, and tabletop roleplaying in general, is about sitting around a table (or chatting online), imagining fantastic events, and rolling dice to determine what happens. It’s a game of conversation and shared storytelling. You don’t need a costume, a stage, or a script. All you need is your imagination and your voice.
That said, there is something in the gaming world where costumes and acting out actions are central. That’s called LARP, short for Live Action Roleplaying. In a LARP, players physically portray their characters. They dress up, speak in character, and often perform physical actions to resolve conflicts or challenges. LARPing is like part improvisational theater, part game, and often very social and physical. Some LARPs use foam weapons or elaborate costumes to create a fully immersive experience.
Then there’s cosplay, which also involves costumes, but serves a different purpose. Cosplay — short for “costume play” — usually involves dressing up as fictional characters from movies, games, or comics. Cosplayers often attend conventions or create photoshoots to celebrate their favorite characters. Unlike LARP, cosplay is about embodying an existing character, not creating and playing your own in a shared narrative.
TTRPGs, including Alacrity, are different from both. While you can use voices, gestures, or even dress up if you enjoy that, none of it is required or even expected. Most players show up in regular clothes, character sheets and dice at the ready, and simply describe their actions aloud.
The focus here is on imagination and decision-making. You say what your character does, roll to see if it works, and then discover what happens next. You don’t need to swing a sword, wear armor, or memorize lines. You just need to speak and listen.
So no, playing Alacrity doesn’t mean running through the woods shouting in costume. If that’s your thing, great — there are games for that. But if you’re looking for a relaxed, social, and creative activity you can do sitting down with friends, you’re in exactly the right place.
Is This Nerds With Mini Monsters?
Maybe. But not necessarily.
Tabletop roleplaying comes in many styles, and players often bring their own preferences to the table. Some love pulling out painted miniatures, detailed maps, and measuring precise distances as if choreographing a cinematic battle scene. Others are perfectly happy to imagine it all in their heads, letting description and imagination do the heavy lifting.
Both approaches are valid. And Alacrity is built to support either, or both, depending on what fits your group and your adventure.
When players and GMs rely entirely on verbal description and shared mental imagery, it’s often called Theater of the Mind, or more formally, Mind’s Eye Theater. In this style, the GM describes the scene — where enemies are positioned, where players are standing, and how far away the exits are — and players imagine the action without needing to see it on the table. This can make combat flow quickly and keep everyone focused on story and mood, rather than measurements and placement.
On the other hand, some groups prefer the clarity and precision of Battle Maps. These can be simple grids drawn on paper, elaborate 3D terrain, or anything in between. Players place miniatures or tokens on the map to represent their characters and see exactly where everyone stands. This method shines when tactical positioning matters — when spells have areas of effect, enemies are flanking, or complicated terrain shapes the battle.
Which is better? Neither. They offer different experiences.
Theater of the Mind is faster, more fluid, and encourages cinematic thinking. It works beautifully when fights are straightforward, when travel and social scenes dominate, or when players are immersed in narrative moments.
Battle Maps excel when fights become complex and spatial relationships matter. If you’re defending a bridge, dodging traps in a dungeon, or coordinating against waves of enemies, seeing the battlefield helps players make smart decisions.
Alacrity does not demand one method or the other. Its rules are light and fast enough to make Theater of the Mind easy and satisfying, but also structured enough to work flawlessly on a map when you want precision. In fact, many groups use both styles in the same campaign, switching as needed. A tense negotiation in the king’s hall? No map needed. A desperate battle against a dragon in a collapsing ruin? Bring out the minis.
Some players collect and paint miniatures. Some use coins, paper standees, or even dice to represent characters. Others never put anything on the table at all. All of these approaches are equally valid in Alacrity.
So are you required to be “nerds with mini monsters”? No. But if you want to be? Alacrity welcomes that too.
Isn’t This Just for Fantasy Nerds?
Kind of. But don’t worry — that’s not a bad thing.
Let’s be honest. Alacrity is a fantasy roleplaying game. That means swords, magic, dangerous monsters, haunted ruins, and probably more than one villain who wears a dark cloak and speaks ominously from the shadows. That’s the territory.
So yes, if you sit down to play, you’re signing up for adventure stories in imaginary worlds. There will be moments when your group debates the best way to fight a troll or whether it’s worth angering the local necromancer. That’s part of the fun.
But here’s the thing: fantasy is bigger than stereotypes, and it’s probably already a part of your life. If you’ve ever quoted The Princess Bride, argued about which superhero would win in a fight, rooted for the underdog in a fairy tale, or enjoyed a great ghost story, congratulations — you’re already the right kind of nerd.
Fantasy doesn’t have to be stuffy or serious. It can be whimsical, scary, gritty, or downright ridiculous depending on the mood at your table. In Alacrity, you and your friends decide what fantasy looks like. Your campaign could be about ancient ruins and lost civilizations, or it could focus on petty warlords, thieves’ guilds, or talking animals with bad attitudes.
Maybe magic is rare and feared. Maybe it’s everywhere. Maybe you’ll face dragons, or maybe your deadliest enemy will be winter itself.
In short: yes, this is fantasy. But it’s fantasy on your terms. If you like adventure, imagination, and sharing stories with friends — whether noble or silly — you belong here.
Welcome to the club.
Key Terms
TTRPG (Tabletop Roleplaying Game): A shared storytelling game played by a group where players take on roles and create narratives together.
Game Master (GM): The person responsible for describing the world, presenting challenges, and portraying non-player characters. The GM acts as narrator and referee.
Player Character (PC): The fictional character each player controls. PCs are the protagonists of the story.
Non-Player Character (NPC): Characters played by the GM. They include allies, enemies, merchants, townsfolk, and creatures.
Campaign: A series of connected adventures forming an overarching story, often played over many sessions.
Session: A single game meeting, usually lasting a few hours, where the story continues.
Dice Roll: When players or the GM roll dice to determine the outcome of uncertain actions.
Percentile Dice: Two ten-sided dice rolled together to generate a result between 01 and 100. The primary dice mechanic in Alacrity.
Check: A dice roll made to determine success or failure at a task.
Adventure: A contained story arc or scenario. Some campaigns are built from multiple adventures.
Roleplaying: Acting and speaking as your character to bring them to life within the story.
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File Created: 05/07/2025 Last Modified: 05/07/2025