January 1, 2024
Text: Markus Metallus Busted Mølgaard & Levi Karstens Brandt - Photo: Helle Bjerre Christensen
Orcs, elves, dwarves and lots of free imagination reign in the Pump Station's role-playing workshop, where a group of children form friendships over their common interest: playing role-playing games and painting characters. Børnereporterne spoke to Peter, who built the workshop from scratch, but is now passing on the baton.
What is your offer for the children in your workshop?
"My offer to the children is that they can come and play board games, they can play role-playing games, they can paint characters, and they can play these big character games such as Warhammer and Lord of the Rings. These are the different "branches" that are in the role-playing workshop. If you take one of the four big "branches", for example role-playing games, then from that there are some new little "branches" - it could be character painting or the story of the game itself.
"What is your favourite role-playing game?"
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, ed.) is probably my favourite role-playing game because it's the one I know best. There are a lot of different systems that all do something different. If you want to make a story with kids who have to survive zombies coming from outside, you can use the Dungeons & Dragons rules for that. They're like a skeleton that you build rules on top of."
"There are also some games that focus more on a specific universe. For example, there is a Star Wars role-playing game and a Lord of the Rings role-playing game."
How do you get started role-playing in the role-playing workshop?
"There are two ways you can do it. You can come to me, who is the Dungeon Master, and I help the kids get started. And then I sit and tell the stories and the kids are the characters in the role-play."
"The other way is for you kids to play tabletop role-playing games. You don't need me as Dungeon Master, just in case one of the kids wants to be one. But I'm always happy to help you get started and give some feedback on how to get started."
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Can you join without knowing anything about role-playing games?
"You can easily do that. You just have to want to and you just have to turn up. You don't need to know the rules or anything. We'll pick it up as we go along."
"It's also the easiest way to get started with tabletop role-playing games. A lot of people can get a bit scared when they see all the books on the shelves down here, rulebooks and monsters and everything. But don't worry, I'm the one who has to sort all that out."
How quickly can you get started playing tabletop role-playing games if you haven't even tried it before?"
If I told you that we're going to play, but first you have to read 200 pages, and you have to watch this video, and then you have to go to this website, you'd probably find the game boring straight away. So that's why I usually say that we have to play right away, and then I explain the rules while we play. And then I might have printed out some characters. And then I ask you if you want to be someone who can sneak, or someone who is good at fighting with armour and swords, or maybe someone who knows magic. And then you have to think: What do I want to play? What sounds exciting here?"
What's the difference between playing role-playing games and playing games like Ludo or Monopoly?"
Role-playing is a narrative storytelling game where you create a story together. In role-playing, you empathise with the character you are. Sometimes you might feel like a ludo dot that gets knocked home. But Ludo is more of a competitive game where there is a winner. In role-playing games, on the other hand, there is a very free interpretation of rules. If you're playing Monopoly, you can't just say: I'd really like to try to jump over and buy the Town Hall Square. You can't, because in Monopoly you have to follow the rules very specifically."
Can you explain to me how to play a role?"
You need to have an idea of what role you are. For example, are you a character who is good at fighting or good at magic? The great thing about role-playing games is that you can play something completely different from who you are. What if you're the quiet type who sits in class and only raises your hand when you know exactly what the answer is? Then in role-playing you can say something like this: Now I'm playing someone who is really funny, or quite cheeky, and who always says the first thing that comes to mind and tries to throw out a joke."
What is your favourite character game?
"I think Lord of the Rings is the best character game. I really like how the game works, it's easy to get started and it's over quickly. We also play a lot of Warhammer in the role-playing workshop, and it's also a good game, but I think Lord of the Rings has the best rule system. It's a bit more fair and there's a bit more going on."
"Warhammer is a game with lots of big characters jumping around. It can seem a bit heavy, and it takes a really long time to get through one turn. So the person you're playing with can quickly get bored because you have to sit and watch the other person rolling 200 dice while you're just standing there removing dead characters."
Can you name three good things about role-playing?"
Number 1, you can be creative. You can be and play whoever/whatever you want. And when I'm the Dungeon Master, I can also decide what story I want these players to go on. Are they going to solve a murder mystery? Are they going to try to break into a bank? Or are they just trying to save an old woman who's about to lose her farm? It's a free-for-all, so both the players and the Dungeon Master get to use their imagination a lot."
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Print and paint your own character
There are also other activities in the role-playing workshop besides role-playing games. For example, there is a 3D printer so you can print out your own characters. And of course you can also paint them. It costs nothing, but you have to finish painting your character before you can start a new one.
"Number 2. There's a lot of teamwork in role-playing games. It's not a game about being the best. It's more a game about working together. And those are always the games that I think are the best. Those are the ones where you have to help each other."
"Number 3. It brings people together. You have a lot of fun when you play it. If the right atmosphere is that you're sitting around a table and have brought some snacks, then it's really cosy to sit and play. Also because the competitive element is removed. And you also learn a little about each other and a little about yourself along the way."
Do you have to be smart to role-play?"
I'm living proof that you don't have to be. You have to want to open up your imagination and be creative, and you don't necessarily have to be smart to do that. Maths is really, really easy, thankfully. It's not often that you have to add more than two numbers together. And the highest number you need to add is 20 plus a one-digit number."
How much does role-playing mean to you?
"It means a lot. When I play with my friends, we have something fun to play together that we always enjoy. Especially when you get a little older and you have kids and boyfriends and everything, it's maybe not so often that you see your friends anymore. So getting together for some role-playing games can be really, really nice."
"It also means a lot to me because it's my job. I role-play and paint and play board games down here with you kids, and I think it's great that I get to do something that I find exciting and fun with you here. So it means a lot to me."
How much money have you spent on role-playing games?
"I want my lawyer present, and you have to promise me that my girlfriend will never, ever hear the answer to that. I really don't know. Several thousand kroner. That's a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of money. But I've also been role-playing for a long time. In fact, ever since I was your age."
Unfortunately, you're leaving on 1 February because you've got a new job in another club. What will this mean for the role-playing workshop?
"Now a role-playing culture has been created here, which is being passed on to others who also have a passion for role-playing. It's great that I've been able to inspire the children, and even if there isn't a dedicated role-playing workshop, role-playing will live on. Role-playing is a great alternative for kids who aren't into e-sports or football, but who think fantasy and science fiction are the coolest."
5 character games you can play, for example
1. Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game - Lord of the Rings
2. Warhammer - Age of Sigmar
3 Warhammer Fantasy Battle - The Old World
4. Warhammer 40,000
5. Warcry