Chapter One : Introduction
What Is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying games are completely unique when compared to other kinds of games. If you are unfamiliar with rpg's, click here for a very well-written explanation.
Who Can I Play?
One question most likely going through your mind is, "Do I have to play the character Dick Tracy?"
The answer is, only if you and the other participants want to go that route. In most cases, it's better to create your own characters in the spirit of Dick Tracy. Just because the game is called the Dick Tracy rpg, you aren't forced to play him. Let your imagination go wild and create a character all your own.
As far as what kind of characters you can create, there is no limit. If you want to play a Tracy-esque detective, go for it! If you fancy playing a beat cop, jump to it! If you'd get a kick out of playing a free-lance investigator, get to work. You could even play from an entirely different perspective....as a criminal.
Stuff You Need
In order to play the Dick Tracy rpg, you'll need to have a few things. You'll need the rulebook, a few six-sided dice (referred to as d6's), some paper and pencils.
The last, but most important thing you'll be needing is an active imagination. It's real handy.
Glossary
This section of the book is a short list of definitions to words you'll see all throughout this book. Consider this a one-stop reference point whenever you come across a word you don't understand.
Attributes : Abilities that all characters have, each with their own Attribute Rating, reflecting how gifted the character is in those areas. There are four Physical Attributes and four Mental Attributes.
Character : A fictional persona in an rpg. It is an imaginary character that "exists" only in the shared fictional world created by the players and the Narrator. In the real world, these characters take the form of stats and information recorded on a Character Information Sheet.
Character Information Sheet : A sheet (found in the back of this book) that is laid out for you to record character information on. It's a handy thing to have, but it is optional. Many players prefer to simply use regular paper for the job.
Character Knowledge : This refers to what the characters know as opposed to what the players know. Think of it like this; in a real comic strip, the readers are all aware of Eliza Vicious's nefarious plan to murder her husband...but the
characters in the story probably have no clue whatsoever. The reverse is, naturally, referred to as "player knowledge".
Cut To : This term is used primarily by Narrators, indicating a change in scenes. Example : "...and with a mighty shove, the villainous Tommy Gunner sends his former employer careening off the roof top toward the city street several stories below. Cut to....Police HQ, where your characters are trying to piece together the connection between Tommy Gunner and crime boss Andrew Percival."
Damage Roll : A Task Roll used to determine whether or not a character has taken damage in a harmful situation, and if so, how much damage he suffers.
D6 : This term refers to a 6-sided die. Likewise, if we say to roll 3d6, this means you should roll three 6-sided dice and add the results together.
D66: This term refers to a particular way of rolling 2d6 and coming up with a number between 11 and 66. Simply select one die to be the high die and the other die becomes the low die before rolling. Roll them and read them as percentile. For example, if the high die rolls a "2" and the low die rolls a "6", the result is "26".
Encounter : The word used to indicate an event in an rpg where characters interact with one another, in some manner.
Experience Points: As characters become more experienced, they gain Experience Points, which are treated the same as Option Points in every respect. That is, they can be spent to gain advancements for the character.
Game Session: Every time the players and the Narrator sit down to play the game, it is called an episode.
Non-Player Character (NPC) : Any character in the game not played by the players. They are controlled by the Narrator for however long they are present in a scene.
Option Points (OP's) : Points gained during character creation that can be spent in various ways to increase Attributes, gain new Skills, etc. Characters also gain Option Points as they become more experienced. These are also known as Experience Points
Player Character (PC) : A character controlled by a player.
Series : Often referred to as a "campaign". An ongoing trilogy involving (for the most part) the same cast of characters. This is much like an actual comic strip.
Skills : Abilities or knowledge learned by characters. Unlike Attributes, characters may or may not have certain Skills. Each one has a Skill Rating, measuring how proficient the character is at that given Skill.
Traits : There are two types of Traits; positive and negative. Positive Traits represent certain advantages a character might possess (such as "Rich" or "Eidetic Memory", whereas Negative Traits represent various disadvantages (such as "Physical Problem", "Enemy" or "Hatred".
Task Roll : A method enabling you to determine whether or not an action is successful. Only actions with a real degree of difficulty should be rolled for. Walking across the room, for example, needs no Task Roll. Trying to con someone, however, most certainly does. There are two kinds of Task Rolls; Normal Task Rolls and Opposed Task Rolls.
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