I’ll admit it; the TTRPG that got me into this whole mess was D&D. 3rd edition, right as it was transitioning to 3.5, or thereabouts. And for the longest time, that was the only game I knew. It was what my high school friends were playing, and what we would do when we got together after school or on weekends to play. But one day, after we’d added some more people to the group, we tried a new game, Legend of the Five Rings. I remember the run didn’t last really long; we had trouble meeting up with the whole group, personal issues cropped up, usual teenage stuff. But I remember being really glad we’d tried something different, even if, for the next eleven years or so, it was pretty much only D&D as my main game.
Past those college years and into young adulthood, I learned about the Origins Game Fair. Kind of late to the party, as it had been in my home state for ages at this point, and even then my first time going was spent in the board game room. I did however get an event book that detailed all the different games that were being run at the convention, and I saw a lot more TTRPG systems on there than I knew existed. At that moment, I resolved that, the next Origins, I was going to come for more of the convention and experience more of those games.
So, a year later, and with a lot more knowledge about what the convention was and how to sign up for it, I spent HOURS sorting and resorting the excel spreadsheet listing out all the events that were being offered. I knew I wanted to make this trip one of new experiences, so the first thing I did was filter out all the D&D games. Even though the GMs and scenarios would be new to me, I knew the rules, and I wanted something more than that. So, locking those games out, I started my search. I settled on just a few RPGs for the days I was going to be there, sparsed in with some board games for good measure. Savage Worlds, Star Wars Saga Edition, Scion, Mutants & Masterminds and Champions all made the cut that year (why yes, I do have a spreadsheet with events I picked out for every year, thank you very much). The scenario descriptions drew me in; I was excited, if not a bit nervous, to be going to play with people I didn’t know game systems that I didn’t know. I was worried that not knowing the system could make me feel left out at the table, unsure of what I could actually do or how best to work my character within the rules. Those fears were unfounded, I am very happy to say. I sat at some wonderful tables where the players and the GMs were welcoming of people that didn’t know the game, and were willing to teach enough of it to get through a four hour session with just a bit of work spent up front to get me up to speed. Here was the other thing too; it wasn’t just me sitting at these tables not knowing the systems. It was true for some of the other players as well. And we all had a great time learning the game with each other.
And thus my Origins habit began; I’ve been to each convention since 2009 (except 2020, stupid pandemic). And each year, I have gone with the intent and purpose to try out one or more new RPG each year. That was relatively easy, at first, because I hadn’t experienced too many, but as time went on the offerings of systems I hadn’t tried started to dwindle. I still persist though, every year, to find that new system, that scenario that sounds really fun, and try it out. I’ve learned a lot of new systems because of this, if only at a functional, play a game for 4 hours level. New mechanics, new ways of looking at scenarios rounded me out as a role player, gave me the creative spark to put my hand back in the GM ring, not just for home games but for the convention as well. It was as if I’d unlocked a new level of myself as a TTRPGer that I didn’t know existed.
At this point you might be asking what the point of this all is? I promise you I’m not just reminiscing of games past. I’m illustrating a case in which I was only aware of, or at least had spent the majority of my roleplaying time, in one specific system. And that by branching out, I was able to broaden my views, spread my proverbial wings and take to the skies. And while this might not be the path for everyone, it was the path for me.
I’ll leave you with this, dear reader. If D&D has been your main RPG, even through it’s many iterations, take a chance the next time you get to go to a convention, or the next time your campaign ends, to try out a new system. If you like superheroes, several systems like Mutants & Masterminds or Champions can make you feel like an Avenger or a member of the Justice League. If you want to try your hand at an Indiana Jones or Lara Croft type of game, look for systems like Hollow Earth Expedition or Savage Worlds. Want to head into space and all its perils? The Expanse or Traveler systems might work for you there. The options are out there, if you want them.
If not, I think there’s likely to be a 5E version of any of the above options as well.
Cael Pelora, Human Cleric