ICv2 Top Five Roleplaying Games, Fall 2015*

1. Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast

Classic fantasy adventure with swords and sorcery

2. Pathfinder, Paizo, Inc.

More classic fantasy adventure with swords and
sorcery - and pirates, among others

3. Star Wars, Fantasy Flight Games

Sci-Fi adventure set in Lucas famous universe

4. Dragon Age, Green Ronin

Fantasy adventure based on the popular Bioware
video game

5. Fantasy Age, Green Ronin

Slightly more generic fantasy adventure that you
can write your own world for
*ICv2 (icv2.com) is a website that reports on geek culture for retailers (and
libraries!). It has lists of the top selling card games, board games, RPGs,
comics and manga, along with analyses of trends and reviews. They also
publish a semiannual trade magazine, Internal Correspondence.

Martha and Steven Recommend:

The Big Three: Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, by Wizards of the Coast; Pathfinder by
Paizo, Inc.; and Star Wars by Fantasy Flight Games. These three best-selling games have broad
appeal and substantial fan bases, so its easy to find other gamers to play with!
Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, Chaosium. A horror-themed roleplaying game based on H.P.
Lovecrafts Cthulhu mythos stories. Much of the play is investigative, with players rooting out
conspiracies and confronting horrific cults, monsters and more.
Fate Core System and Fate Accelerated, Evil Hat. Fate is a simple, elegant game system that
blends narrative elements into the rules. Players can use Fate to play in their favorite fictional
worlds, or to bring their own creations to the game table!
Legend of the Five Rings, Fourth Edition, Fantasy Flight Games. A definite must for libraries
with samurai film aficionados, or with an anime or manga fan base. This game takes place in a
fictional feudal Asian setting, combining mythological elements from Japan, China, and Korea.
Mutants & Masterminds, Third Edition, Green Ronin. Become your own original superhero!
M&M takes elements from all eras of the supers genre, from Golden Age to pulp to noir.
Qin: The Warring States, Cubicle 7. Qin is a historical fantasy game set in Chinas Warring
States period. If you love wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, or House of Flying
Daggers, then this is the game for you!
Shadowrun, Fifth Edition, Catalyst Game Labs. A game that has something for everyone,
blending the races and magic of traditional fantasy with cyberpunk, street warriors, and heists. Be
an elf hacker, a human street samurai, a troll mage, and more!
Savage Worlds Deluxe, Explorers Edition, Pinnacle Entertainment. An easy, customizable
system that can run almost any kind of game. This system emphasizes fast and loose game
playing, for a more freeform playing style.
Traveller, Second Edition, Mongoose Publishing. What Dungeons & Dragons is to fantasy,
Traveller is to science fiction! Characters can be space marines fighting for their lives on distant
planets, explorers discovering new worlds, new life, and new civilizations, or free traders trying to
earn a living and keep flying.
Vampire: The Masquerade, 20th Anniversary Edition, White Wolf. Players take on the role of a
vampire, navigating between the need for blood to survive and the morality of acquiring it. The
game is more dramatic than combative.

Free RPGs
Rule sets and supplements available right now,
on the Internet, for free!
FANTASY:
Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, Basic Rules: dnd.wizards.com/articles/
features/basicrules
Robert E. Howards Conan Roleplaying Game Quickstart: http://
www.rpgnow.com/product/174829/Robert-E-Howards-CONAN-RoleplayingGame-Quickstart?term=conan+quickstart
Labyrinth Lord: http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html
Swords & Wizardry: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/86546/Swords-andWizardry-Complete-Rule-Book?term=swords+and+wizardry

SCI-FI:
Star Wars (D6 System): http://d6holocron.com/downloads/
Mutant Future: http://www.goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html
Star Frontiers: http://starfrontiersman.com/remastered.php
Stars Without Number: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/86467/StarsWithout-Number-Free-Edition

CUSTOMIZEABLE SYSTEMS:
FATE System: http://fate-srd.com/ and http://www.faterpg.com/resources/
Risus, the Anything RPG: http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm
Additionally, dont forget about Free RPG Day, an annual event celebrated by
hobby and games stores everywhere! This years date is Saturday, June 18,
and you can check to see if there will be a participant near you at http://
freerpgday.com/.

RPG Resources
ConTessa: Tabletop Gaming by Women, for Everyone!
ConTessa focuses on womens involvement in playing, running, and creating
roleplaying games!
http://www.contessa.rocks/

Gnome Stew: The Game Mastering Blog:

Interested in how to run roleplaying games for your friends (and patrons)? This
website has the articles you need to read! Also, check out their series of books
on game mastering, including advice including how to improvise and prepping
for, running, and managing your games!
http://www.gnomestew.com/

RPG Now
RPGNow has the biggest variety of RPGs in e-book format, for free and for sale.
http://www.rpgnow.com/

Beginners Boxed Sets:

Many games have a beginners boxed set or start-up kit available for less than
what the core rule book will cost you. These boxed sets contain everything you
need to get started: rules, dice, character sheets, adventures, and maps. This is
a great way to try out a game, and have a ready-to-go set available for reference
or check-out kits for your collection. Some of the options for beginners boxes
include:
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box
Star Wars Beginner Games
Three different boxed sets for playing three different kinds of campaigns: Edge of
the Empire, for Han Solo style smuggling and adventuring; Age of Rebellion, for
fighting the Empire; and Force and Destiny, for bringing Jedi and Sith
characters into your games.

Tabletop Gaming, Education Standards,

and STEAM Programming
Desired Reading and Literacy Learning: identification of narrative structure; building
literacy skills through reading; plotting, storytelling, and improvisation; reading
comprehension
Examples from the Common Core: English Language Arts and Literacy

Includes the subgenres of adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, myths,

science fiction, realistic fiction, allegories, parodies, satire, and graphic novels. (English
Language Arts Standard 10: Range, Quality, and Complexity)

Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or
reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense
or humor. (Character Development and Involvement--CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6)

Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the
action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3)

Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or
reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense
or humor. (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.6)

Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot
or develop the theme. (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3)

Desired Mathematics Learning: reinforce basic mathematics skills; reasoning

quantitatively; descriptive modeling; calculating probabilities
Examples from the Common Core: Mathematics:

Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems--define appropriate quantities for
the purpose of descriptive modeling. (CCSS.Math.Content.HSN.Q.A.2)

Use probabilities to make fair decisions (e.g., drawing by lots, using a random number
generator). (CCSS.Math.Content.HSS.MD.B.6)

Analyze decisions and strategies using probability concepts.

(CCSS.Math.Content.HSS.MD.B.7)

STEAM Program Connections

In addition to basic math and literacy, tabletop roleplaying games encourage awareness of
spatial relationships, and applying concrete rules to abstract concepts. Art, engineering,
drama, and other kinds of programming fit easily with an RPG-based program.

Tabletop Gaming and Illinois Social and

Emotional Learning Standards
Tabletop roleplaying teaches teamwork, leadership, creative problem solving, and gracefully
handling success or failure. Because team play is essential to the nature of tabletop RPGs,
kids either learn to be a team player or risk being ostracized in the game--cause and effect
of a players actions can and should have a big impact on the game and the story.
Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve success.

1.A. Identify and manage ones emotions and behavior.

1A.5a. Evaluate how expressing ones emotions in different situations affects others.

1A.2b. Describe and demonstrate ways to express emotions in a socially acceptable

manner.

Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive
relationships.

2.C. Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.

2.C.1.a. Identify ways to work and play well with others.

2.C.3.b. Demonstrate cooperation and teamwork to promote group effectiveness.

2.D. Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in

constructive ways.

2.D.3.a. Evaluate strategies for preventing and resolving interpersonal problems.

2.D.4.b. Analyze how conflict resolution skills contribute to work within a group.

Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible

behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

3A. Consider ethical, safety, and societal factors in making decisions.

3A.4a. Demonstrate personal responsibility in making ethical decisions.

3A.4b. Evaluate how social norms and the expectations of authority influence personal
decisions and actions.

3B. Apply decision making skills to deal responsibly with daily academic and social situations.

3B.4a. Evaluate personal abilities to gather information, generate alternatives, and

anticipate the consequences of decisions.

3B.4b. Apply decision-making skills to establish responsible social and work

relationships.

Questions? Contact us!

Steven Torres-Roman, DeKalb Public Library: steven.torres.roman@gmail.com
Martha Sullivan, Forest Park Public Library: marthabuehlersullivan@gmail.com