Editor’s note: This is the second in an occasional series of stories on games adults play. The first was on Bunco.

The rattle in 20-year-old Jeff Bean’s hand means something is about to happen. The other young men around the table are waiting eagerly to see the outcome of his roll.

The fate of Bean’s fantasy character and, potentially, that of the others in his group, could lie in what the die turn up.

Will they be able to easily gain entry into a locked residence? Or, will they have to resort to sneaky tactics? Is there danger lurking behind the closed door?

The answer lies in the hand of Bean who, along with the other men, is engrossed in a role-playing game called “Vampire: The Masquerade.”

With the flick of his wrist, 10 multicolored, oddly shaped dice hit the tabletop. Almost immediately, shouts of amazement and disbelief fill the back room of Zimmies Comics on Main Street in downtown Lewiston.

Based on Bean’s roll, the game leader, or storyteller, determines that one member of the group will attempt to persuade the owner to let them in. He’ll also work to distract the owner, enabling the other group members to investigate other means of entry.

Bean and fellow gamers make up just one of the local groups that gather weekly to enjoy a session of their favorite role-playing game.

Each player gets to create his or her own character within the world of the game that is being played. There are no game pieces. No game board. Just characters to be created by each individual player and stories to be told. The progress of the game is based solely on the luck of the roll – and the players’ creativity.

Shane Lewis, an 18-year-old Lewiston resident, shows off his character sheet for “Vampire: The Masquerade.” Character sheets are incredibly detailed including, but not limited to, a character’s personality, physical features, intelligence, strength and charisma. Points can be earned and then allocated to each trait, making the character a constant work in progress.

“Every character is different,” Lewis explains. “You can model the character after yourself, or create someone or something totally different than you.”

Players use no ordinary die. They could be eight-sided, 20-sided and all the way up to 100-sided; and each has a different function. Some determine the weapon a character will use. Others dictate how well a character uses a weapon, determining, for example, aim and strength of hit upon an enemy. Effectively, the die are used to build upon and bring to life the specific traits and skills a player has given his character.

Role-playing games have been around for a while. In fact, the original game, “Dungeons and Dragons,” is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Back in January 1974, when David Arneson and Gary Gygax published the rules to their game, they didn’t expect much. As Arneson said this year, in an interview broadcast Aug. 19 on National Public Radio, “War games and smaller general games at the time were pretty small-audience. I mean, you had a successful game if you sold 1,000 copies of it.”

However, D&D soared way beyond that. According to the RPG World Web site, more than 20 million people have played the game, and worldwide its game merchandise has grossed more than $1 billion. Multiple versions of the game are available and have inspired other companies to develop their own games, such as the “Vampire” series.

In Maine, people who are interested in role-playing games either gather in homes to play or in businesses that are tailored for game nights, such as Zimmies, Dragon’s Lair in Farmington, Casablanca Comics in Windham and Crossroads in Standish. Also, gaming supplies such as guidebooks, dice and other items are available at local bookstores like Waldenbooks.

What’s the appeal of a game that has no board, no pieces to move and can’t be completed in one session?

Always changing

Erich Buck, a local 25-year veteran of these games, says it’s the variety. “It’s never the same. You can play the same game over and over, and it is totally different. So much depends on the people you play with. The creativity is what makes it great.”

Creativity is what keeps the game moving forward and makes it exciting. Each game – no matter the title – has a leader. Some games call the leader “storyteller,” while D&D has its “dungeon master.” The storyteller or dungeon master sets the stage for the group of adventurers, but the actions are usually determined by the roll of the dice and the characteristics of each individual player.

The power of the dungeon master/storyteller varies from game to game: Some games allow the leader free rein over the characters, giving him the ability to affect the outcome of the game, while others have the leader merely as a guide through the fantasy world. The characters interact within this world, fighting off monsters, dragons and sometimes even themselves, as they struggle between the forces of good versus evil. Most game sessions last four to five hours, and the story lines can go on for months.

“Each week, you pick up right where you left off,” says 15-year-old Ryan Getchell of Auburn. “You’re able to just jump into the world of the story and be someone else. It’s a great escape from reality once in a while.

This escape from reality was the basis of controversy over the origins and meanings of the game. Once role-playing games took hold in popular culture in the mid-1980s, a backlash arose from conservatives who claimed that the games advocated Satanism and other forms of the occult.

“For 15 years, there was a dark cloud,” notes Scott Turkington, one of the regular players of D&D in New Gloucester. “But there were still lots of us who played. I started playing about 10 years ago, and it wasn’t very popular. Today, you can find the stuff at Wal-Mart. That’s how much things have changed.”

Ring cycle

The games’ popularity seemed to ride the tide of international success of the Harry Potter series of books and movies, along with “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. As popular culture embraced these forms of fantasy, games like “Dungeons and Dragons” were no longer considered taboo.

“I think Harry Potter and ‘Lord of the Rings’ had something to do with RPGs becoming popular again, or at least OK to play,” observes Dave Cobb of Auburn. “But really, it was the players who kept it alive over the years. It never went away.”

Just like the group at Zimmies, Dave, Scott and their buddies meet weekly for a few hours to play. “It’s our guys’ night out, but instead of going out to the bar or wherever, we come over here and play. Instead of Friday night out, it’s Monday night for us,” said Steve Cobb, Dave’s brother and frequent host of the group’s game nights.

For potential newcomers, role-playing games can seem intimidating with the guidebooks, character sheets, dice, time commitment and ability to be creative in front of a group of people. Yet players stress that it’s not as hard as it looks.

“All you have to do is come in here or one of the other places where RPGs are played,” said 22-year-old Ian Ashland, a Zimmies’ regular and designated storyteller in the “Vampire” game. “Even if you don’t have a thing, just go on in, sit down, watch and ask questions. Most groups around here are really welcoming and are willing to share what they have.”

Fellow Zimmies’ player Lewis agrees. “It really is a kinship. That’s why I love to play,” he said before returning to the game in progress. “It’s the interaction that got me started, and the relationships are what keep me here.”