The Story of How I Fell Down the TRPG Rabbit Hole
“Are you playing Dragon Quest? If so, let’s play a TRPG!”
Little did I know, as a middle schooler at the time, that those words would change my life forever.
I nodded in half-doubt at my friend’s mysterious invitation, and what he handed me was the magazine "Comptiq."
He told me, "Read this!" and when I opened it, there it was: "Record of Lodoss War TRPG Replay."
To be honest, though, I was more interested in the sealed pages than the replay at the time (lol).
What is a TRPG?
Unlike board games or video games, a TRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) is an RPG where players advance the story through conversation (talk).
It is characterized by using dice to determine actions and enjoying adventures while role-playing characters, with a facilitator called a Game Master (GM) leading the story.
That was the start of my TRPG obsession.
The first one I played was“D&D Red Box.”
Since your level 1 HP is determined by a single die roll, if you accidentally rolled a 1, you felt just like Spelunker.
That instability was actually fun, and I became increasingly hooked on TRPGs.
Just as I was starting to enjoy playing as a PL (Player), a friend suddenly threw a curveball at me: "Why don't you try being the GM soon?"
I didn't know the conventions, so things turned into a chaotic mess...
For example,
“The thief is suspicious, so he can't enter the shop.”
“Introducing a dragon on the third adventure and wiping out the party.”
I got scolded pretty hard later, but looking back, I feel like that was the moment I first encountered the TRPG culture of "enjoying trial and error."
When I entered high school, the main game we played became“Sword World”(the original version, as it's called now).
The system that allowed you to acquire multiple skills was innovative, and it was fascinating to grow characters while brainstorming with friends.
Thanks to a friend who was a TRPG fanatic, I was able to experience various works such as "Record of Lodoss War Companion," "Tunnels & Trolls," "Stormbringer," and "Blue Forest Story."
But in the end, the one I was most hooked on was "Sword World."
The days of rotating the GM role among 4 or 5 of us and playing campaigns at a friend's house almost every week still haven't faded.
Escaping the rabbit hole, then falling back in
In the late 1990s, the winter era of TRPGs arrived.
I also entered the workforce and gradually drifted away from TRPGs.
However, entering the 2000s, I began devouring replay books, and the desire to "play TRPGs again" grew in my heart.
That said, it would be another 20 years before I actually returned.
In 2020, with time on my hands due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I casually discovered TRPG videos online.
Many of the videos were CoC (Call of Cthulhu TRPG), but when I looked up "What happened to Sword World?", I learned that it had evolved into "2.5."
Thinking, "I have to buy this!", I bought all the rulebooks at once.
Excitedly asking, "Magitech trains? What are those!", I reincarnated my character from "Forcelia" to "Raxia" and started a virtual table.
Actually, at this time, I made the reckless challenge of creating TRPG videos without any play experience, but I was able to continue happily thanks to the support of the viewers.
After that, wanting to gain more experience, I joined a table that was recruiting on Onsen SNS. From there, before I knew it, my days began to be filled with participating in sessions almost every week.
I was completely immersed in the TRPG swamp.
Before I knew it, TRPGs had once again become the center of my life.
The feeling that my old characters are starting new adventures in the current Loxia is very comforting.
And, before I knew it, rulebooks were piling up on my bookshelf.
Even though I tell myself, "I'll stop adding more," I can't help but reach for new supplements and additional rules when I see them.
Furthermore, the after-talk sessions are so lively that it's often past 1:00 AM before I realize it...
Even though I think, "I really need to get to sleep," I end up chatting about how "that turn of events was incredibly fun!" and often end up sleep-deprived the next day.
This is the story of my life as an old rookie who has stepped back into the world of TRPGs.
I feel that the culture of enjoying TRPGs, including all the trial and error, truly doesn't change no matter how old you get.
Do you all have a "rabbit hole" that you realized you couldn't escape from?
I wrote this reflection column while looking forward to new adventures.
Well then, I'll see you in the next column!