I love this stuff. If I'd known about this much earlier in life, I think I'd be an even happier camper. So what is this 'role-playing' stuff? To put it in its most simplistic terms, it's a bunch of people using their imaginations in more grown-up versions of 'play pretend'. There are, however, people who have explained this phenomenon better than I can at this point in time, so I shall link you to them. :)
Games that I play!
Shadowrun
This is the primary game I play nowadays, so much so that I've put up a site, of sorts, to it. It's called Dystopian Visions, and contains some SR material, some of my ramblings and scribblings, and my list of writing credits. Just about all of my original SR material (except for the cruddy stories which I may edit and put up in the future, and my published material, which you'll have to read in the books unless they get rejected) can be found there.
A few characters of mine:
- Kate Parker - Girl Friday and secretary to Thomas Colson, a detective.
- Smoke - Street samurai owned by the Yakuza until she can pay off her debts to them.
- Nona Best - Ork chauffeur/bodyguard with a flair for blackmail, she's trying to work her way up from the Syndicates to corp clients.
Sites that one should visit:
- Dumpshock - The repository or central hub of many popular SR sites such as Bull's Place on the Web, The Shadowrun Archive, Plastic Warriors, The Shadowrun Supplemental [of which I am now assistant editor] and more. The discussion forums (which I help moderate) range in topics from Blood Magic and Earthdawn crossovers to the newest SR releases. Much to read, use, and download.
- Shadowland - Honestly, this place isn't for everyone. But if you're looking for something like a MUSH except for a better visual feel as well as (potentially) better writing, then this might be what you're looking for. Fair warning first: Don't expect your Grade 9 Physical Adept otaku Drake to be accepted there. My advice is to start there with a beginning level character and concentrate on roleplaying vs. rollplaying. Watch your spelling and grammar, too; the written medium is taken very seriously. The ability to use Java is required.
- Shapcano's Shadowrun Stories - Do you like to just read or write Shadowrun fan fiction? Then this site as well as the Shadowrun Writer's Forum is just what you'll want.
I could go on listing sites, but just about all of the important ones are listed and can be found either through one of the sites listed above or the Shadowrun Web Ring (found through Dumpshock).
World of Darkness and other games
Makers of games such as Mage, Vampire, Werewolf, Changeling and Hunter for the Storytelling system as well as Scarred Lands for the new d20 system for D&D. There's a plethora of sites and resources out there, so I'll list a few of the more popular and/or interesting as well as link some of my stuff.
And of course, here's a selection of some of my 'contributions':
- Vivien Cabot - My Tremere vamp (literally) with a flair for plantlife and dark humor.
- Nick Reese - I've lost his character sheet (he's a Brujah vampire), but I didn't lose his story. A good thing, because I suspect that I can easily recreate the sheet, but the story would be tough. The page itself, like a few others I've got here, needs to be edited at least for 'prettiness' so please keep that in mind.
- Breanne - An Orphan Mage, she is the result of joining an extremely loose game which was going to rest entirely on what type of characters were going to be submitted. She exhibits some qualities which are close to me.
In Nomine
A very fun game where you play on either the side of Heaven or Hell in the War. I've got just two characters for this so far, a Bright Lilim by the name of Iris and a Mercurian named Shi. I'm also working on Iris' story, so when I have it done I'll link it. The campaign in which I'm using her is located here on my friend Cameron's site. Thanks to the World Weavers site for the character sheets I've been able to print up as well as entertaining and useful things to read.
Other Resources
- Dungeons and Dragons - With a completely revised third edition to knock your socks off, you can't help but whoop "D&D LIVES!!". Wizards of the Coast also completely supports online materials and support from fans, so explore their site and then go on to the webrings (we know they're out there *wink*).
- Earthdawn - Leaving its old home with FASA and ending up at Living Room Games, it thrives still. Look for their newest releases!
- InQuest magazine - The home for one of the magazines that keeps gamers of all stripes (card floppers, dice chuckers, and joystick jockeys) on their toes and up to date.
- Games Unplugged - Having both an online and print media, this is one magazine you won't want to be without if you are an avid gamer of the RPG variety. [pimphat on] I am now the editor for the Shadowrun section. Go! Look! [pimphat off]
- RPG.net - A site that's pretty self-explanatory juust by the name. Reviews, news, interviews, articles, and forums galore.
- GameSpy - Do not pass this site by. Do not collect $200 dollars. Read it, love it, live by it. Primarily useful for those who love computer and console games, there is also at least a small space devoted to the classic pencil and paper games. The Daily Victim will keep you in stitches.