Should You Base Your Novel on Your RPG Camapaign?

Many fantasy writers got their introduction to the genre not through books but through Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPG), or more recently, through computer Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). It is not uncommon to see a new fantasy author’s first attempt at writing being a translation of their TTRPG campaign or an adaptation of their MMORPG experience. This has generally not been seen as a great idea, but a new genre is turning that advice on its head.

Why you don’t want to turn your TTRPG or MMORPG into a novel

TTRPG campaigns, while fun to play, often lack the narrative structure novels need. A TTRPG isn’t designed with a three-act novel structure in mind. That’s not the intent. Unless the author relentlessly edits the campaign, this can lead to muddled middles, and wandering plots.

Sometimes experienced TTRPG players create amazing characters, but even well designed TTRPG characters and MMORPG characters can lack for well defined wounds and inner arcs. The main character in an MMORPG is not driving the story the way a great protagonist will. The story is happening to them, and they are along for the ride. This can also be true to a lesser degree in TTRPG characters.

Enter LitRPG, Isekai and GameLit

My current work in progress is a Portal Fantasy and in doing research into comparable novels, I discovered a relatively new subgenre of Portal Fantasy. You’ll see the terms LitRPG, Isekai and GameLit all used to describe it. Many of the available works are translations of books originally written in Russian, Japanese, and Korean where the genre was born.

The main idea is the entire book happens inside the virtual reality of the game. It’s a mashup of Matrix, World of Warcraft , and Jumanji, with a dash of Ender’s Game. The idea of going inside a WoW-style MMO as a major plot element is hardly a new idea. You’ll see this trope in Daemon by Daniel Suarez, Halting State by Charles Stross, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and Reamde by Neal Stephenson.

The key element in LitRPG books that differs from those novels is the game play mechanics are explicit both for the reader and the characters. In LitRPG, you’ll see actual lines like this in the prose:

Damage taken. Hit Points reduced by 5: 11 (weapon damage + strength) – 6 (armor). Total: 35 of 40.

Buff gained: Strength +1, Energy loss reduced by 50%. Duration – 12 hours.

You’ve been hit by Messenger Gnoll! Damage sustained: 16 points. Life 44/60

LitRPG/GameLit/Isekai is a sub-genre of the sub-genre of Portal Fantasy. It features a protagonist from one reality transported to the game world by some means. In the game world, they have some sort of progress – usually tied to the concept of experience points. They receive gear from defeating their enemies and may or may not join up with others to overcome obstacles. GameLit books tend to be lighter on the actual game mechanics part than other LitRPG novels.

Why do LitRPG novels work?

Reading one of these books can feel like a guilty pleasure, and they can be surprisingly addictive. Similar to how mystery readers love to solve the crime along with the detective, many authors and readers of LitRPG enjoy having the characters strategize within the constrains of the game rules.

The protagonists in this genre can be bland and nondescript, but that’s part of their appeal. It makes it easier for reader to see themselves as the protagonist. Your previous place in life whether as a lovable loser or a Type A overachiever no longer matters. Now, only your knowledge of the game and its mechanics is important.

These MMO-in-book-form allow the reader to experience an RPG in a way they may no longer be able to. As MMO and TTRPG players mature, they may no longer have the large blocks of time needed to devote to these games. Through LitRPG, you can level fast, find hidden secrets, talk to illusive NPC characters, and defeat the most difficult encounters. All on your own time table.

Most of us have given up on finding the Ring of Power, or lifting Mjöllnir, or getting a letter from Hogwarts. But video games are a real part of our world. Long after we’ve abandoned the games in favor of work and family responsibilities, we can still be the hero of a virtual world as we follow along with the protagonist of our LitRPG. But, if you’re going to write one of these, remember readers also want empathetic characters, stimulating plots and intense drama. Those aspects of LitRPG/GameLit, like with any books, are the still most important.

Ted Atchley is a freelance writer and professional computer programmer. Whether it’s words or code, he’s always writing. Ted’s love for speculative fiction started early on with Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and the Star Wars movies. This led to reading Marvel comics and eventually losing himself in Asimov’s Apprentice Adept and the world of Krynn (Dragonlance Chronicles). 

After blogging on his own for several years, Blizzard Watch (blizzardwatch.com) hired Ted to be a regular columnist in 2016. When the site dropped many of its columns two years later, they retained Ted as a staff writer. 

He lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When not writing, you’ll find him spending time with his family, and cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers. He’s currently revising his work-in-progress portal fantasy novel before preparing to query. 

Ted as a bi-montly newsletter which you can join here. It’s a roundup of links about writing, Star Wars, Marvel, and/or the Panthers with brief commentary from him. Think of it as a kind of ICYMI (In Case You Missed It). Eventually, you’ll see info about my his books, and even receive free short stories.

• Twitter: @tedatchley3
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