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A tabletop role-playing game involves a group of people telling a collaborative story. Often one person acts as the main storyteller while the other players take on the role of characters in the story.

Stories can last one or more game sessions. A story that lasts a single session is commonly called a one-shot while a story that lasts multiple sessions is commonly called a campaign.

During the story, the players will face challenges requiring them to make decisions and take action. A set of rules define the gameplay mechanics for actions. Dice are commonly used to provide some randomness when determining whether an action is successful although mechanics may vary depending on the system.

Gameplay styles may also vary depending on the system or player preferences. Miniatures can be used to represent the positions of characters during action scenes. Theater of the mind is an alternative gameplay style where the scene is entirely left to the players' imaginations.

The goal during gameplay is to overcome exciting challenges, participate in interesting scenes, and ultimately reach some conclusion that will bring the story to a close.

The VitalRPG system keeps the rules simple so that players can focus on having fun and moving the story forward. The simplicity of VitalRPG is well suited for one-shots but campaigns are also possible.

The core tenets of VitalRPG are:

The Core Rules explain how to play using the system and a variety of Resources are available to help in your adventures!

If you are looking for a good starting adventure, we recommend Raiding the Creepy Crypt which provides a quick intro to the system basics.