Kit's super basic guide to RP-age

Step one: Decide you want to play a part... to be someone else.


Step Two: Decide who that person will be. Male or female? Gay/bi/straight/etc? How old? Hair color, eye color, skin color? What does this person look like? what kind of things are hanging in their closet and in their dresser drawers? Jewelry? Identifying marks (Tattoos, birthmarks, scars, etc).

Step Three: Flesh out your Character. Think of it like writing a story. Who is this person? How do they act in different situations? Do they have nervous habits or catch phrases? Are they vegan, or junk food hounds? Are they shy or a bully? Allergies? Habits? Favorties? Likes and dislikes, in anything you can think of? Now, what's their family like? Parents? Living or dead? Siblings? Home life? What was their childhood like? You might never use this stuff, but then again, you might find it helps you out later in your game.

Step four: Decide what got them to their current situation, and in what direction you would like to move them. Are they just starting highschool, and learning to deal, or are they gradutating, and trying to figure out what happens next? Would you like them to go to college? You may find, as you play, your character has other ideas than you do.. you might want them to go to college to be a doctor... they might want to go to work in a library. But at least you have a jumping off point. Also, try and set a tone for your writing. Will you try to keep it light and humorous, or dark and morose? THey might change it later, but that's okay.

Step five: Let your character talk to you. Don't feel strange if you find your character is resisting your creative pushes. If they want to work in a library... find out why. Talk to them... it's okay. Just.. be careful who is around when you do it. wink Just remember.. you're mentally creating another person... they might not be like you, and then again, they might be just like you... but listen to them, and don't fight what they want. This is their story, after all.

Step six: Decide if you want to play a system RPG, like Vampire: the Masquerade, or other RPGs with books and rules and character sheets. If so, find the C-Sheet for your Character, and fill it out. If not, free form it. It's all good. Just remember... if you play system games by the book with people who don't, you're in for an interesting time.

Step seven: Have fun... Don't take things too seriously. Characters are like people. They live, love, hurt, cry and die. You should never be too attached to a Character that if they get killed, you're devistated. Besides... just because they die in one campaign on one site, doesn't mean you can't ever use them again in another campaign or on another site. But.. don't Godmode either... sometimes, you have to learn to let go.



If you are staring your own setting/campaign, you'll want to know things, like a story... where is it? When? What kind of things go on there? What type of characters will you want in? As a Game Master, you'll need to keep the rules of the game, while keeping things interesting for players. Challenge them without killing them with impossible things. give them small challenges as well as big ones. Help their characters grow and develope. Have a rough idea of what you want to happen in your storyline (SL). Know where the SL starts, a few major turning points along the way, and about what needs to happen to trigger the end. Don't be afraid to change things as you go.. sometimes a story takes a sudden turn, away fromt he ending or right into it. If it ends, it ends... and you can start a new one. If not, then, try to direct it back to an ending, without forcing it.


NPCs are useful for gamemasters.. you can send someone in to deliver a message or package.. you can have someone create an event which the PCs (player characters) have to then respond to.

If anyone wants some examples, PM me and I'll post some here. That and.. if anyone is interested in some light W:tA Rp-age, I think I can con Phoenix into GMing a campaign.