A Game in Seven Pieces: A Structural Analysis of the Pencil and Paper Role-Playing Game

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a new angle to the research of role-playing games by providing a structural analysis of the functionality of role-playing games themselves. By approaching role-playing games as a published set of rules, the game mechanics of role-playing games become the forefront of the study. Though many role-playing games deviate greatly from the original design of Dungeons & Dragons, at least seven characteristics are shared by each of them. Some games focus on one or many of these characteristics, while others have chosen to alter or shift the context of certain characteristics. Either way, every role-playing game contains one or more of the following: (1) Players: the people playing the game; (2) System: the body of rules and regulations of the game; (3) Conductor: the referee in charge of maintaining smooth gameplay—sometimes known as a “Dungeon Master;” (4) Characters: The fictional personas the players adopt in-game—and sometimes out; (5) Setting: the fictional environment or realm the Characters exist in; (6) Theme: tone or mood of gameplay; and (7) Narrative: the combination of plot, metaplot, and story, and the ultimate goal of Role-Playing (but not necessarily the players). What follows is an elaborate breakdown of each element, and the effects those elements have on gameplay and narrative.