Abstract:
This thesis explores the role of rule systems in the rhetorical creation of meaning in
Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TRPGs). It posits a new analytical framework, fusing
Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad with Bogost’s Procedural Rhetoric within a variation on Gary
Alan Fine’s Frame Analysis of the TRPG play session. Five selected TRPGs are
examined through close reading, observation of play, and talk-aloud protocols, focused
on the creation of TRPG characters. The framework demonstrates how rule systems serve
as a symbolic bridge between the player and the character, and how the selection of
symbols shapes and alters player exigencies and character outcomes.
