From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A role-playing game (RPG; often roleplaying game) is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players can improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.

There are many ways to practice role-playing; I prefer freeform style and play-by-post, as everyone in our gaming group has a penchant for creative writing and very little spare time to begin with.

Current projects

RPG Design Patterns Wiki
John Kirk's Design Patterns of Successful Roleplaying Games, now in wiki form.

My past games

Starting Small
An aptly named adventure set in a deliberately generic fantasy world
The Treasure Hunters of Mega
A three-player space opera adventure which ran between 2008-11-28 and 2009-05-13.

Reference material

Useful advice

Twenty Sided Tale
A rich blog on gaming and game design, with a tabletop RPG section
RPGnet Columns
Periodical articles on a variety of tabletop RPG-related topics
Roleplaying Tips
Newsletter and articles for both aspiring and experienced game masters
The Harrow
Advice for everyone from beginning players through game masters to worldbuilders
John H. Kim's Role-Playing Game Page
A long-time roleplayer's personal home page

Free gaming systems

FUDGE
A very complete, flexible and elegant RPG rule system
Risus: The Anything RPG
Simple and flexible narrativist RPG system
GURPS Lite
The famed simulationist gaming system in a nutshell
The Window
Less known, but well-appreciated by connoisseurs
1000 Monkeys, 1000 Typewriters
Many independent RPGs and related works
Last modified: Tue 09 02 2010, 08:42:02 UTC