First Published 12 June 2016

A tabletop role-playing game (or pen-and-paper role-playing game) is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Players determine the actions of their characters, and these actions succeed or fail according to a set of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise - and their choices shape the direction and outcomes of the game.

In typical games, a specially designated player called the Game Master (GM) - also known as the Dungeon Master (DM) in Dungeons & Dragons - creates a setting in which each player plays the role of a single character. The GM describes the game world and its inhabitants, while the other players describe the intended actions of their characters. The GM then describes the outcomes. Some outcomes are determined by the game system, and some are chosen by the GM.

Most games follow the pattern established by the first published role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons.

• Participants usually conduct the game as a small social gathering.
• The GM purchases or prepares a set of rules and a fictional setting in which players can act out the roles of their characters.
• The players each create characters whose roles they will play in the game. As well as fleshing out the character's personal history and background, they assign numerical statistics to the character; these will be used later to determine the outcome of events in the game. Together, these notes tell the player about their character and his or her place in the game world.
• The GM created setting includes challenges for the player characters to overcome through play, such as traps to be avoided or adversaries to be fought. The full details of the setting are kept secret, but some broad details of the game world are usually given to the players.
• Stories can be played in one session of a few hours, or across many sessions of many hours, all depending on the depth and complexity of the setting.