Hugin & Munin Journal

Stories shaped by roleplaying games must decide where their mechanics belong. Should the rules recede behind character and consequence, or should they become part of what the fictional world contains? Actual Play and LitRPG often lean towards different answers, although neither form occupies a single fixed position. An Actual Play audience may hear dice, modifiers and tactical discussion, but the characters usually experience only the results: a missed attack, a sudden injury, a failed attempt at persuasion. LitRPG frequently moves the system across the fictional boundary. Levels, achievements, classes, damage values and system messages become things the characters themselves can perceive and respond to. The difference is therefore not that one form is storytelling while the other remains a game. Both draw narrative energy from game structures. They create immersion by directing attention differently. One can encourage the audience to feel the uncertainty produced by the rules; the...