RPGaDay 2019 Day #2 Unique

The theme today is "Unique."

I love uniqueness. One of the main things that draws me to RPGs is that every session is unique. The combinations of dice rolls, decisions and banter that make up any gaming session are astoundingly unlikely to ever happen again.

Though I admit that one thing that keeps me from being as unique as I might like to be is my use of modules, pre-written scenarios. I've gotten into the habit of writing my own material for other RPGs, but I will only run D&D from a module. The added step of treasure placement and trying to make it work in the context of the setting and story is a headache. And thanks to the proliferation of modules, it's an avoidable headache.

Which brings me to "module culture." The modules produced for original D&D by TSR have been played and replayed by gamers over the decades, eventually achieving iconic status. Nowadays, Paizo's Adventure Paths have a similar role, encouraging gamers to play through packaged full campaign-length storylines rather than rely on their own imaginations.

There are people who consider modules a “crutch” and sneer at the gamers who have run through the Tomb of Horrors a dozen times or are prepping for their next play through of Rise of the Runelords. I don’t, and not just because I am a module user myself.

One of the things I noticed is how neatly this fits in with video game culture. Rather than just discussing the rules of the game, modules create experiences of play that can be shared. Just like video gamers can discuss the plot points and details of Assassins Creed III, so to can tabletop gamers share their experiences with the Hoard of the Dragon Queen.

A unique experience is very difficult to share. When I’ve tried to share an experience from one of my unique tabletop adventures, I must build up so much context that the story is the smallest part of the telling. But if I were to share my experiences of a published adventure, the context I must build becomes less. “Remember Against the Giants? I played through that last week and that one fight with the bugbear was pretty darned awesome!”

Streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch also make It easier to share those experiences. People can watch a group play through the Iron Gods Adventure Path and decide that that’s an experience they want to have for themselves, just like a video of the latest Call of Duty game can inspire someone to pick that up.

Overall, while rarity and uniqueness make an experience more exciting, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be when it comes to sharing our hobby with the world.