Part III - Types of Role-playing games.

‘He who cannot forgive the next man for being different is still far from the path of wisdom’

- Chinese proverb

Listed below are five categories in which most RPGs can be inserted in:

1 - Heroic-Fantasy and  Sword & Sorcery:

‘All it takes is one person to change history.’
“Luftwaffe: 1946”

Heroic-fantasy was the initial theme for RPGs. Its most famous example is the first RPG ever, “Advanced Dungeons and Dragons”. Games that belong to this category are usually set in somewhat mystical and fabulous kingdoms, where magic reigns, and all sorts of intelligent creatures, such as orcs, elves, changelings, fairies, etc., live side by side with humans.

These games have a medieval background, with kings, castles, melee weapons and battles on horseback. Sword & Sorcery is similar to heroic-fantasy, except that, in Sword & Sorcery, the members of the party are usually all human (mages, warriors, priests, and so on) whereas in heroic-fantasy the players enjoy the possibility of being something else than human.

TSR’s “The Fifth Age”, based on the “Dragonlance” books, is an example of Sword & Sorcery games, since its rules were created to build mainly human characters.

In these games, players usually use their swords, axes and magical powers to fight monsters, to save damsels in distress, or (if they don’t like being the ‘good guys’) to go around in search of treasures, trying to get as wealthy as possible.

 
2 - Science-Fiction

‘The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible’

Science-fiction has a wider range of possibilities than heroic-fantasy. Big guns, cyborgs, aliens, deadly viruses, beautiful girls clad in mechanical armours, are but a few of the elements included in this category, since science-fiction includes that which is related to science and/or pseudo-science.

Furthermore, many successful films are turned into RPGs, such as “Star Wars”, “Star Treck” and “Aliens”.‘a faraway galaxy’; White Wolf’s “Aeon Trinity” occurs in the 22nd-century Earth, while “Predator” is also set on Earth, but during the present day. Unlike heroic-fantasy, there isn’t a set period of time or space for science-fiction games: “Star Wars” happens during an unknown time, in

In this category, technology usually has a very important role in the game, even if the game is set in a 19th century Earth from an alternative dimension.

3 - Horror

 
‘As others might with tenderness
Rule your life and youngness
I shall rule you with a fear.’
Beaudelaire - “The Ghost”

Fear is connected to the deepest recesses of the human mind, thus, it has always been an important part of human nature. That which scares us also attracts us. Therefore, horror RPGs had to be created sooner or later. Horror RPGs are usually set in our own reality and time, although there are some horror RPGs set in space or even during Middle Ages.

One of the most famous horror RPGs is “Call of Cthuhlu”, based on the writings of R. Lovercraft. It is usually set in America, during the 1920s, (although there are supplements that allow to create stories set in modern-day America), and tells the tales of normal men and women that suddenly come face to face with monsters, demons and similar creatures. The players’ characters have no special powers, and not only do they have to fight for their lives, but also for their sanity, for there’s so much their minds can stand.

Most horror RPGs assume the same point of view - of the human fighting his own fears and nightmares, but in the beginning of the 90s, a new game took the horror RPGs into a new level: in White Wolf’s“Vampire: The Masquerade”, the player was, for the first time ever, the monster.

The players assume the role of young vampires of the 90s, who have to deal with the fact that now they are immortal, but also have to feed on blood in order to survive. The monster’s point of view and everything connected to it, is what counts most. Several other books based on that same “World of Darkness” series followed (a darker, bleacher and more gothic version of our reality), allowing the players to become werewolves, ghost, mages and even changelings.

4 - Humour

‘He who laughs, LASTS’
“Humor Digest - July 1990”

Like for instances, “Project A-Ko”, based on a series of Japanese animated films, where the peaceful Graviton City is in-vaded by bikini-clad female aliens (who look like male earthlings), determined to rescue their long lost prince, who happens to be your best girlfriend. Or where you solve your rivalries in an all-girl school by unleashing the entire arsenal of a 6mt robot upon your rival, blasting her into the stratosphere. On a slightly different tone, it is also possible to recreate Monty Python’s hilarious adventures in “The Holy Grail”, where King Arthur’s quest is mercilessly criticised, or even to take part in modern-day quests with “The Knights of the Dinner Table”.

In short, humour RPGs are similar to other RPGs, except their goal is to give an enjoyable time to the players through amusing situations and even through some nonsense.

5 - Warriors

‘He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our Antagonist is our helper.’
E. Burke

Since we were children, we have always dreamt of being stronger than we are: police officers, detectives, cowboys, secret agents, super heroes. In short, we wanted to be the modern day warriors, who fought the ‘bad guys’ and defeated evil, just like we saw on TV. Later, we would start to admire the fighting prowess of the street fighters that filled the arcade games which we usually played with our friends. A few years later, we would leave those nigh super-human powers behind, and envied the abilities of humans who were mentally and physically superior to the average, of great leaders such as Napoleon or Alexander the Great, or even the fabulous tales about ninjas and samurais.

In these RPGs, the objective of the players is to be warriors, either by waging battles behind a desk or on the battlefield - games such as“Legend of the Five Rings” unveil the secrets of ninjas and their clans to the players. It is possible to play as a fighter or a consort, a leader or a spy, as in most of the games that belong to this category. They all have in common the fact that the player assumes the part of a warrior, whose abilities can range from fencing to love-making or even strategy.

6 - Others

Obviously, the list of RPGs is almost infinite. Therefore, it is impossible to list all of them, as well as all the categories, specially because many are so unique that they require their own category.
 

It suffices to say that there is hardly any theme that has not been turned into an RPG. The series we see on TV, (cartoons included), Hollywood blockbusters, periods of the history of mankind, books, and so on, ‘ad nauseam’, have been sources of inspiration for RPGs, often more than once. RPGs search for inspiration everywhere, and perhaps that is the secret for their success - there is always something for everyone.