FOR ALL THE COOLNESS OF TODAY'S COMPUTER GAMES, there's not quite anything like rolling dice and moving around something you can touch: Fans of fantasy board games passionate about their pastime.

Although I was never a big player of tabletop wargames such as these, I did spend a lot of time playing "paper & pencil" role playing games as a kid. And, um, I still do a bit with my own kids. There's nothing quite like using your imagination instead of letting the XBox, Play Station, or personal computer do all the work for you.