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A TTRPG (tabletop roleplaying game) is a collaborative storytelling game where one person describes a world and its characters, the other players say what their characters try to do, and dice or another randomizer decide whether those attempts succeed. You can start with just a rulebook, a set of dice, a character sheet, and two or more people — no board, miniatures, or digital tools are strictly required. The rest of this article explains how a session actually runs, what to buy first, how to choose a system, and how to find a group.

What makes a TTRPG different from a board game or video game

In a board game, the rules define a fixed set of legal moves and a win condition. In a video game, a programmer has pre-built every option the engine allows. A TTRPG has no board and usually no winner: the rules exist to resolve uncertainty, and the "content" is whatever the group invents at the table.

That difference has three practical consequences:

• Open-ended actions. If you can describe it and the group agrees it's plausible, your character can attempt it. There is no menu of allowed moves.
• One player has a different role. The GM (Game Master, also called Dungeon Master, Referee, or Keeper depending on the system) runs the world, the NPCs, and the opposition. Everyone else runs one character each.
• The story is the output. A session produces a shared narrative, not a score. Progress is usually tracked through character advancement (levels, skills, gear) rather than points.

The core loop of play

Almost every TTRPG session cycles through the same four steps. Understanding this loop is most of what "learning to play" means.

1. The GM describes a situation. "You're standing at the mouth of a flooded cave. The water is chest-deep and moving fast."
2. Players declare actions. "I want to wade in and check the far wall for a passage." Players state intent, not dice rolls.
3. The GM calls for a roll if the outcome is uncertain and failure matters. "Roll a Strength check." If an action is trivial or impossible, no roll happens.
4. The dice resolve it, and the GM narrates the result. Success, failure, or a partial outcome changes the situation, and the loop restarts.

Two habits make this run smoothly. First, describe what your character does, not which rule you want to use — the GM maps your intent to a mechanic. Second, accept failure as content: a failed roll should push the story somewhere new rather than just stopping it.

A concrete example

A player wants to bluff past a guard. They say: "I tell him I'm here to fix the boiler and flash my toolkit." The GM decides this is uncertain and consequential, so they call for a Charisma-based check. The player rolls, adds their character's modifier, and compares the total to a target number the GM set. If it beats the target, the guard waves them through; if not, the guard gets suspicious and the scene escalates. Note that the player's description shaped which check was used — that is the whole point of the format.

What you actually need to start

If you want custom battle maps rather than hand-drawn ones, dedicated map editors exist for this. DUNGEONFOG, for example, describes a vector-based editor with a library of over 3,000 high-resolution assets, and lets you either play inside the tool or export and print maps — useful if you run tactical encounters and want consistent visuals. It is one option among several; a wet-erase mat and markers cover the same need for far less setup.

Choosing a system

Pick based on the genre and tone you want, not on which game is most popular. The three most common entry points:

• Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) — heroic fantasy, tactical combat, d20-based. The largest player pool, which makes finding a group easiest. Best if you want swords, spells, and dungeon crawls.
• Pathfinder — also heroic fantasy and d20-based, with denser character-building rules. Best if you enjoy mechanical depth and lots of character options.
• Call of Cthulhu — horror and investigation, percentile dice (roll under a skill score). Best if you want mystery, dread, and fragile characters rather than power fantasy.

A practical rule: for a first game, choose the system your prospective group already wants to play. Learning a system is far easier with experienced players at the table than alone.

How to find a group and run a first session

Finding players:

• Ask friends, coworkers, or classmates — a first game needs three to five people total including the GM.
• Check a local game store; many host open tables and beginner nights.
• Use online platforms that match players for voice or text games, or join a Discord community built around the system you chose.

Running your first session:

1. Use a starter set or free quickstart rules. These include pre-generated characters and a short adventure, which removes the two hardest first-time tasks: building a character and writing a scenario.
2. Set a fixed time box. Two to three hours is plenty. Announce an end time so nobody feels trapped.
3. Start in the middle of action. Skip the tavern introductions and open with a decision the group must make.
4. Expect to look up rules. Pause to check a rule when it matters, or make a temporary call and look it up after the session. Both are normal.
5. Debrief briefly. Ask what everyone enjoyed, then plan the next session around that.

Common first-session snags:

• Nobody wants to be GM. Rotate the role, or run a pre-written adventure so the GM has less to invent.
• A player freezes when asked "what do you do?" Offer two or three concrete options to react to.
• Rules arguments stall the game. Agree in advance that the GM's ruling stands for the session and gets revisited afterward.
• The group can't meet in person. Voice chat plus a shared character sheet and a virtual tabletop or map image works fine.

Once you've played one session, the loop becomes self-explanatory, and the main decision left is which system and which group to commit to.

Chaosium is a tabletop roleplaying game publisher best known as the home of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, 7th Sea, and Questworlds. If you are new to its catalog, start with Call of Cthulhu for horror investigation, or choose another line based on the genre you enjoy. For most first purchases, a Starter Set is the lowest-friction entry; move to a Core Rulebook when you want the complete rules, and consider a Slipcase Set only after you know you want a full collection.

What Chaosium publishes

Chaosium describes itself as "the home of mythic adventure" and lists five main game lines alongside Basic Roleplaying (BRP). The table below matches each line to its genre so you can pick by interest rather than by title recognition.

The system underneath: Basic Roleplaying

Many Chaosium games share a common engine, Basic Roleplaying (BRP). It is a percentile-based system: characters are defined by skills rated as percentages, and you roll d100 to see whether an action succeeds. This creates a consistent feel across the catalog—characters tend to be capable but mortal, and outcomes are easy to read at the table because the target number is printed on the sheet.

A practical example: if your investigator has a Library Use skill of 60%, you roll d100 and succeed on 60 or less. That single mechanic carries across many Chaosium titles, so learning one game gives you a head start on the others.

Starter Sets, Core Rulebooks, and Slipcase Sets

Chaosium organizes its store around three tiers, and the site's navigation makes the intended progression explicit: "Begin your Journey with our Starter Sets," then "Continue with our Core Rulebooks," then "Or go for our full Slipcase Sets."

• Starter Sets are designed as the beginning point. They typically give you what you need to run a first session without committing to the full line.
• Core Rulebooks are the complete rules for a game line—the right purchase once you know you are continuing.
• Slipcase Sets bundle a line's core material into one collection, which suits groups that have already decided to go deep.

The site also lists individual products, such as Age of Vikings: Companion - Hardcover at $47.99, so you can buy supplements à la carte rather than only in sets.

Which game should you start with?

For most newcomers, Call of Cthulhu is the most common entry point: it is the line Chaosium is best known for, and its investigation-focused play is easy to explain to a new group. Choose differently if your group's taste points elsewhere:

• Pick RuneQuest if your table wants a richly detailed fantasy setting rather than horror.
• Pick Pendragon if Arthurian knights and generational play appeal more than monsters.
• Pick 7th Sea for fast, cinematic swashbuckling.
• Pick Questworlds if you prefer a generic system you can reshape.

Once you have chosen a line, buy its Starter Set first, run a session or two, and only then decide whether the Core Rulebook or a Slipcase Set is worth it for your group.

AdventureQuest is a free-to-play, browser-based single-player RPG from Artix Entertainment, hosted at battleon.com. You can create an account and start a character without paying; the optional Guardian upgrade (linked from the site's Upgrade page) adds premium content but isn't required to play. If you want a long-running RPG with two decades of quests, weekly events, and no download required, this is the direct path: make an account on BattleOn, log in, and pick a class to begin.

What AdventureQuest actually is

The site describes it as "an ever-expanding RPG with two decades' worth of adventures" where you "step into a world beset by peril and monsters" and "rise as a hero." Key traits:

• Single-player, browser-first. You play in the browser, or through the Artix Game Launcher if you prefer a desktop client.
• Free to start. The homepage markets it as an online RPG you can "play for free," with new adventures every week.
• Long-running live content. News posts cover limited-time shops, seasonal events, and item packages — the cadence is weekly, not a one-time release.
• Part of a larger family. BattleOn also hosts AQ3D, AQWorlds, DragonFable, EpicDuel, MechQuest, OverSoul, and others. AdventureQuest is the original; the others are separate games with separate characters.

AdventureQuest vs. the other Artix games

If you specifically want the classic single-player experience, choose AdventureQuest. If you want multiplayer or 3D, one of the others fits better — they are not the same game or the same account progression.

How to start playing

1. Go to battleon.com. The homepage is the entry point for AdventureQuest and the other Artix games.
2. Create an account or log in. Account management lives under "Manage Account" in the site navigation. You need an account to save a character.
3. Launch the game. Either play in the browser or install the Artix Game Launcher, which the site promotes with a "Get Launcher" link.
4. Create your character and choose a class. The site's game section lists Classes, Quests, and Events as core areas — class choice shapes how you fight.
5. Follow the weekly content. Check the AdventureQuest News section for what's live, including limited-time shops and events.

Expected result: you land in the game world with a persistent character, and new content appears on the site's news feed each week rather than requiring a reinstall.

The Guardian upgrade: what it is and whether you need it

The homepage says "Guardians needed in the land of rising evil!" and the site links to an Upgrade page labeled "Guardian." That's the paid tier.

• Not required to play. The game is presented as free to play; Guardian is an upgrade, not a gate.
• What it signals: Guardian status appears tied to premium access and recognition — the site's navigation includes Guardian-specific areas like "Top Guardians," "X-Guardians," and "Guardians" listings.
• How to buy: through the Upgrade link on battleon.com. The site does not publish a price on the pages reviewed here, so check the Upgrade page directly for current cost and terms.
• Related currency: the site references Z-Tokens and Artix Points, which appear in shop and package contexts (for example, "20K Z-Token Package" and "50K Z-Token Package" news items). Treat these as in-game purchase currencies, not free grants.

If you're unsure, play free first. Upgrade only if you want the Guardian content and perks.

Finding weekly and seasonal content

AdventureQuest's content model is event-driven. From the news feed:

• Weekly drops. Posts like "COMING THIS WEEK!" announce new packages and shop rotations.
• Seasonal shops. Example: the Fall Seasonal shop returns with autumn-themed items, including the Lantern of the Equinox.
• Holiday events. Example: the Talk Like a Pirate Day Event sends you aboard the ship Red Betty for Captain Rhubarb's Pirate Quiz, with a Pirate Scholar Shop and Pyrerat Contracts as rewards.
• Limited-time packages. Example: the Zombie Hunter Set (armor, 3 weapons, shield, title) is explicitly limited — "only available for a limited time."

Practical habit: check the AdventureQuest News section on battleon.com before a play session, since limited-time items can disappear.

Getting help and redeeming codes

• Support: the site navigation includes a Support link for account or gameplay issues.
• Redeem codes: a "Redeem Code" link is in the site navigation — use it if you have a code from a promotion or purchase.
• Account management: "Manage Account" handles login, credentials, and account settings.

Common snags

• Confusing the games. Buying or progressing in AQWorlds, DragonFable, or AQ3D does not carry into AdventureQuest. Confirm you're on the AdventureQuest page before creating a character.
• Assuming Guardian is mandatory. It isn't; the free game is the default experience.
• Missing limited content. Seasonal shops and packages rotate out. If an item is gone, it may return in a later season rather than being permanently unavailable.
• Expecting a price on the homepage. The reviewed pages don't list Guardian pricing — go to the Upgrade page for current details.

Basic Roleplaying (BRP) is Chaosium's generic, setting-agnostic tabletop RPG engine built on percentile (d100) dice rolls. You use it when you want one flexible rulebook to run adventures in any genre—fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical—rather than committing to a game tied to one setting. If you already know you want Lovecraftian horror or Glorantha fantasy specifically, a dedicated Chaosium game is usually the easier entry point; BRP is for groups who want the underlying system and will supply their own world.

The Core Idea: Roll Under a Percentage

BRP's central mechanic is simple: every meaningful capability is rated as a percentage, and you roll d100 trying to land at or under that number. A character with Spot Hidden 65% succeeds on a roll of 65 or less.

This one rule covers combat, skills, and most contested situations, which is why the system is easy to teach and easy to hack. Characteristics (things like Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity) generate the starting values for skills, and skills improve through play rather than through level-ups.

How Outcomes Are Resolved

Most rolls produce more than a pass/fail:

• Success — you roll at or under your skill.
• Failure — you roll above it.
• Special and critical results — very low rolls (often a fraction of your skill) represent exceptional outcomes, and very high rolls can represent fumbles, depending on the edition and optional rules in use.

Contested actions typically compare the quality of each side's result rather than just who succeeded. This graded-outcome approach is what gives BRP its reputation for grounded, believable results instead of swingy binary luck.

BRP vs. Chaosium's Specific Games

BRP is the engine; Chaosium's flagship games are complete vehicles built on it. The relationship matters when you're choosing where to start.

The practical rule: choose BRP when the setting is yours; choose a Chaosium game when the setting is theirs. A group that wants to run a gritty modern espionage campaign or a homebrew sci-fi setting gets more from BRP than from bending Call of Cthulhu to fit. A group that wants to play investigators facing cosmic horror gets more from Call of Cthulhu, which packages the sanity mechanics and scenario support that BRP leaves you to assemble.

Deciding Whether BRP Is Right for You

BRP fits well if most of these are true:

• You like percentile skills because players can read their odds directly off the sheet.
• You want one ruleset for multiple campaigns instead of learning a new system per genre.
• You're comfortable doing setting work—deciding what skills exist, what equipment costs, and what the tone is.
• You prefer competence-and-attrition play over rapid power escalation; BRP characters tend to grow steadily rather than level up dramatically.

BRP is a weaker fit if you want a campaign handed to you with maps, factions, and a metaplot, or if your group expects character classes and levels as a familiar scaffold.

Getting Started

1. Get the core BRP book and read the character creation and skill resolution chapters first—those two chapters carry most of the system.
2. Pick a genre and write a one-paragraph setting brief (place, tone, what characters do). This is the step BRP expects you to do that dedicated games do for you.
3. Decide which optional rules you'll use—the book presents modular options, and choosing up front prevents mid-session rules debates.
4. Build characters together so the group agrees on which skills matter for your setting.
5. Run a short scenario and check whether the graded-outcome rolls feel right for your table before committing to a long campaign.

Common sticking points: groups often skip the setting brief and then find skill lists don't match their genre; and newcomers sometimes treat special/critical results as optional flavor when they're central to how BRP combat and contests feel. Settle both before play.

For current BRP products and editions, check Chaosium's own catalog rather than relying on secondhand summaries, since the line is actively supported alongside Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, and 7th Sea.

Call of Cthulhu is a horror-investigation tabletop roleplaying game published by Chaosium, in which players take on the roles of ordinary investigators uncovering cosmic horrors inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's mythos. To start playing, pick up a Starter Set if you're new to the game, gather a group of players, and run one of the included scenarios. If you already know you want the full rules, go straight to the Core Rulebooks.

What Makes Call of Cthulhu Different From Other TTRPGs

Most fantasy RPGs cast you as powerful heroes who grow stronger by defeating monsters. Call of Cthulhu inverts that: your investigators are ordinary people — journalists, professors, detectives — who are fragile, and the more you learn about the mythos, the more your sanity erodes. The game is about survival and discovery, not power fantasy.

The Core Play Loop

Play follows a repeating cycle:

1. An investigation begins. The group receives a hook — a missing person, a strange death, an old letter — and starts asking questions.
2. You gather clues. Investigators search locations, interview witnesses, and read documents. Skills like Library Use, Spot Hidden, and Psychology drive this phase.
3. You confront the unknown. Eventually the clues point to something unnatural. Combat is dangerous and often a last resort; running away is frequently the smart move.
4. Sanity is tested. Encountering mythos entities or forbidden knowledge costs Sanity points. Losing too much leads to temporary or lasting madness — a core mechanic that distinguishes the game from heroic fantasy systems.

The tension between "I need to know what's happening" and "knowing will destroy me" is the engine of the game.

Choosing Your Entry Point: Starter Sets vs. Core Rulebooks vs. Slipcase Sets

Chaosium's own site organizes its Call of Cthulhu lineup into three tiers, and the right choice depends on how committed you already are.

How to decide:

• Never played a TTRPG before, or unsure about horror? Start with a Starter Set. It's designed to get a group playing quickly with minimal prep.
• Experienced GM who wants full character creation and campaign play? Go with the Core Rulebooks.
• Already know you'll run an ongoing game and want the extras? The Slipcase Sets bundle the core material with supplements, which is more economical than buying each piece separately.

Chaosium is the official publisher and the authoritative source for the game, so buying directly from them or a retailer carrying their products ensures you get current editions. Note that the site lists products with prices (for example, a hardcover companion listed at $47.99), but check the current listing for exact pricing and availability before ordering.

How to Start Playing: Step by Step

1. Get a Starter Set. This gives you the rules and at least one scenario ready to run. You don't need the Core Rulebooks to begin.
2. Gather 2–5 players plus a Keeper. One person acts as the Keeper (the game master), who presents the mystery and controls the world. The rest play investigators.
3. Read the included scenario before the session. The Keeper should know the clues, the key locations, and how the mystery resolves.
4. Create or pick investigators. Starter Sets typically include pre-generated characters, so you can skip character creation for your first session.
5. Run the scenario. Play proceeds through investigation, skill rolls, and Sanity checks as described above.
6. Debrief and decide on next steps. If the group enjoyed it, move to the Core Rulebooks for full character creation and longer campaigns.

Common Sticking Points

• "My players want to fight everything." Make clear up front that combat in Call of Cthulhu is lethal and often avoidable. Frame the game as investigation first.
• "Sanity loss feels punishing." That's intentional — it's the genre. Lean into the tension rather than treating it as a failure state.
• "Which scenario should we run first?" Use whatever scenario comes in your Starter Set; it's chosen to teach the rules. Don't homebrew a mystery for your first session.

Quick Answer Recap

Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium's horror-investigation RPG where ordinary investigators solve mysteries at the cost of their sanity. New players should buy a Starter Set, gather a Keeper and a few players, and run the included scenario. Move to the Core Rulebooks once the group is hooked, and consider Slipcase Sets if you want the full package in one purchase.