The Lost Art of Pencil and Paper Role Playing Games

With PC and home console games becoming more and more popular over the last decade, the traditional pencil and paper role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade, and more have become extinct in the eyes of many. However, some diehard role players from all across the globe and all walks of life wish to remain true to the genre, and keep the diminishing hobby alive with weekly or monthly meetings in basements and living rooms all over the world.

Small, locally owned hobby shops specializing in pencil and paper role playing game accessories and materials have been all but replaced by video game rental chains. Most of these smaller shops often times offered material that was hard to find or in some cases, even out of print, amongst the traditional core books, dice and miniature figurines that were needed to get started in the game. Because of this, the world of pencil and paper role playing gaming is not as easily accessible to today's young, and many of the more popular lines have vanished.

The internet gives new hope to the traditional pencil and paper role playing game, but adds it own twist as well. Where players were once limited to playing the game with friends and family from around the neighborhood, the game can now be played via online message boards and forums, with little or no modification to the original style of game play that has come to be loved and enjoyed by many.

People have also created specialty software that can be used to add a little extra flair to your face-to-face role playing games. There have been programs designed to keep track of stats, weapons and rounds of combat, and even map-making software, as well.

One can also find all of their gaming materials, accessories, and even some books that may be out of print online, too. Some people set up trades through online communities, or buy and sell individual pieces and in some cases, entire collections on internet auction sites. There are even some hobby shops that have taken their business completely online, as opposed to offering their goods at a physical store location.

While traditional pencil and paper role playing gaming is indeed a dying art form, there are still many who remain dedicated to it. Whether they do the majority of their playing online, or if they are continuing in the once common form that consists of friends gathering around a table and rolling dice, pencil and paper role players are still out there - you just may have to look a little farther than your local college campus to find them nowadays.