Tips for New RPG Players

I wanted to follow up on my tips for new GMs by posting a few tips for players new to the world of role playing. Being a new player in a role playing game can be hard and if you are not careful the veteran players around you will steal the stage and you have the potential to end up on the side lines so to speak and miss out on a lot of fun. As a new player if you keep the tips below in mind it will lead to a much more entertaining experience and leave you wanting more instead of wondering why you just wasted the last couple of hours of your life sitting around a table with these people.


Leave Your Inhibitions At The Door
Role playing can be really weird looking if you have never done it before. You have a bunch of people sitting around a table telling a story, laughing and having a good time talking about a bunch of things you probably do not understand. Being new to a role playing group can be akin to being in a room where everyone but you gets the inside joke being told. When you first join a group don't be afraid to jump in, ask questions if you have to and play along with what is going on around you. No one in the group should fault you for asking questions or joining in the conversation, after all they asked you to play right? If you sit by and watch and wait I can promise you that the entire group will pass you by and do their own thing. This is not them trying to alienate you but rather the group getting together to play a game they have been playing for possibly years. Most important don't worry about being embarrassed by saying something or asking something. You might feel like a fool when attempting a Scottish accent, but guess what everybody else at the table did to at some point.

Everyone Knows You Don't Know Anything
Don't stress about rules or not understanding why you are rolling the dice. Any good GM will instruct you as you go and help you learn the rules to the game. Role playing games have big rule books, and I mean big. Most GMs will not expect a new player to sit down and read all the rules to the game before starting. These games are designed in a way that the GM can teach you as the campaign goes on. Why waste the time reading and worrying about falling damage if you never set foot over a cliff? Just go with the flow and roll the dice when asked, ask questions when you have them, and get involved with the rest of the group. If you do these things within a few sessions you will find that you know the rules of the game but can't really recall learning them.

Have Good Group Etiquette
What I mean by this is if you can't show up for a game session make sure the GM knows and don't get into conflicts with the other players. The people you are playing with are taking time out of their lives to play this game and like any other social engagement it will all fall apart if people do not attend. This is not to say that things don't happen, but do try to give notice of your absents when you can. You may find conflict with other players, we are after all human and for whatever reason you may find that  you do not like one or more of the people you are playing with. If you can have a good time in the game and keep any personal conflict out of the game then by all means continue with that group, if not find a new one.

Back story Please
This is more of a pet peeve of mine but I feel that it is shared by many GMs around the world. When you create you character make sure you have some sort of back story in mind for them. When you are new this can be hard so the trick is to focus on the genre of the game rather then the specific setting. What I mean is if you are playing a fantasy game then come up with a short back story that fits, the same would be true for a science fiction setting. Most GMs would prefer a warrior way is hell bent on revenge because of the murder of his brother by an evil warlord then " I am a warrior". These back stories give us something to work with, a way to integrate your character into the group and may spark an idea for a latter adventure. The idea of a GM planning an entire story arch revolving your characters history will be more fun then plundering dungeon number 57.

Have Fun
This is the most important rule of them all because when you pack up the dice at the end of the day it is all still just a game. You and everyone you are playing with should have fun while you are playing. Most of us have busy lives and role playing is a good way to  get away from the stress of real life for a couple of hours now and again. Different groups have different ideas of what is fun, some like more serious war game like combat, some like borderline improvisational acting, and others get together and laugh and drink while throwing dice around. If the group you start with has a different idea of what fun is then you that's ok, find a group that shares your idea of fun. If you find that your role playing sessions are more stressful then real life you have defeated the point of playing and might as well stop.

This Just Isn't For Me
At the end of the day some people just don't like role playing and that's ok. If you give it a try for a couple of sessions and it's just not your thing that's ok just tell the GM and they can work in away for your character to leave the game and everyone can move on. What you should not do is continue to play even when you hate it. Most groups would rather you tell them this is not your thing then continue to show and fake it. Just like anything else in life if you are doing something you do not enjoy it is going to show and bring everyone around you down. Just cut you losses and move on, at least you tried something new right?

That's about it, keep those couple of things in mind and I am sure that you will find your time role playing a lot more entertaining.