Article:
How to Win at Roleplaying: Part 1

RPG vs Competitive RPG

Competitive roleplaying is not a misnomer. A roleplaying game is a simple enough concept with one GM (Games Master) at the head of the table spinning a tale and a number of players around the table taking the part of the heroes of the story, directing their characters through the different events hopefully to some sort of conclusion. Sometimes a roleplaying game can last for a few play sessions and sometimes they can go on for years forming a campaign.

A competitive roleplaying game is almost the same, with a few interesting differences. Firstly a competitive game usually takes place in a specific timeframe, usually over a single day and usually at a convention or competition. The other part goes with the competitive part, at the end of the game the GM takes some time and judges who the best roleplayer was, and in extreme cases second and third.

This is a guide about how best to get ahead as a player at competitive roleplaying events and it’s gained from my observations and common sense over many years of playing at these events, and was used as the guide for judging at a national event in 2009. Before I get into any details I’ll tell you what I tell anybody else. You will disagree with some of what I have to say, and that’s fine. Disagreeing with me means you have your own opinions and have thought about one or two things, hopefully there will still be enough in here for you to get something out of it.

Now, it might not be an easy job to tell who is the best roleplayer around the table, though it’s usually an easy job to tell who the worst player is. Yep, there’s almost always that guy. In fact, most of what I have to tell you stem from trying to not be that guy as much as possible. OK, you’re done, see you next time.

The point being that to win a competitive roleplaying game you don’t have to complete the most kills or be too invested into your character, the stats, the weapons, those things can hurt a game, basically you have to get something out of it while at the same time allowing everybody around the table to get something out of it.