I've noticed a lot of people have commented on the rise and fall of D&D in the 80s, especially where it relates to relgion so I decided to add my recollection to the pile.

 I taught Sunday school in the early 80s when D&D was picking up a lot of popularity.   This meant a lot of people were playing it, or tried it, or thought of playing it, especially teenagers as they are usually the first group to have time and money to give something new a shot.  Unfortunately teenagers are also the group that gets the most attention when they commit suicide.  So when a handful of teenagers decided life was too hard it wasn't so unlikely they would have D&D in common.   So like rock and roll in the 50s, drugs in the 60s (although this one holds merit), and the sexual revolution in the 70s D&D joined the ranks of the condemned.  It was condemned by people that never tried it, didn't want to try it and to be honest were too afraid to try it, but they were certain they understood exactly what it was about by flipping through a book.  Mainly the monster manual with an entire section devoted to demons and devils.  (Oh, and the spell list in the PHB.) 

I remember discussing D&D with the CCD coordinator.  And with my kids parents.  And Father Ray.  And Father Steve, who wanted to make sure Father Ray had it correctly.  They were all concerned with my spiritual well being and those of the little first graders whom I spent a hour teaching prayers, reading bible stories and coloring themed papers on a weekly basis.  Finally I pretty much demanded that they allow me to demonstrate the game and they experience it before passing judgement.  

Due to the whole false god thing and fear of casting a spell I ended up with four stalwart fighters.  They were champions of all things good and right.  So I sent them out to vanquish the goblin horde that was killing defenseless farm animals and causing much grief to the poor farmers.  So off they went and what ensued was a  very long discussion on whether or not the goblins were truly evil or just misunderstood.  Right up until they tried to negotiate with said goblins.  To give them a feeling of the game I had the goblins fire arrows at the  unprepared party. . Then I saw a bunch of very excited people eagerly having a shootout "old west style" until they managed to fell the vicious goblins.  Okay, they only became vicious when they dropped on and tried to tie it up.  I had it bite the ankle of my ccd coordinator who then really got into character and kicked it in the head.  She spent the next twenty minutes trying to ask its forgiveness.  Believe me, the next encounter was definitely handled successfully by diplomacy,  and the final verdict was that D&D was no more unhealthy than punching a bag in a boxing club (often recommended back then for troubled boys with excess energy) or writing a story. 

In my naivete I thought the ripple would run its course and die out quickly, but Pat Roberts picked up on it and had an entire 700 Club episode on it.  He featured a police officer that had written a book called "The Dungeon Master" about a college student who supposedly committed suicide over the game.  I bought the book and found out that a 16 year old, depressed, drug using COLLEGE student was having difficulties adjusting to his new circumstances and ran away.  The boy attempted suicide four times before finally succeeding.   Oh, and he hadn't played D&D for years.  But that MUST have been the catalyst.  

Now, I'm not going to say that D&D never influenced anyone's life.   Or that it might not have been a good influence.  I've read the acccounts that prompted the Mazes and Monsters movie and I'm not sure that LARPing or even tabletop rpging is the right hobby for someone with issues dealing with reality.  However, this is the exception and not the rule.

The 80s were a time where D&D took the hit for being the easy scapegoat, with its wierd attraction to the social ackward, the misfits of their time.  Twenty years later D&D has withstood the test of time, its social misfit enthusiasts are now the moguls of the new millenium.  D&D has held supporting roles in movies, tv shows, commercials, magazines; it spawned several dozen or more video games and has become the focus of several websites including this one.   Gone are the stereotypical nerds with pocket protectors and taped up glasses, replaced by overachieving teens in verbiage black t-shirts.  For those of us that stood and fought that fight it is a time that will forever be fondly remembered.   It was in its own way our rebellion, our revolution.  We threw our heads back and laughed in the face of convention,  stood strong against those that would oppress us and emerged victorious with our d20s held high.  

 

 

So, with days to go I’m pulling out my hair, getting completely frazzled, and all set to hit complete panic mode. So, basically, everything is right on schedule. My final checklist for OGC:

Badges printed – check

Tickets printed - check

Tickets cut and sorted – check

Pre-registrations done – not quite done yet

Swag bag material printed – ran out of paper tonight, so nope

Events assigned tables – check

Order product for table – check

T-shirts ordered – check

T-shirts finished - nope

Pack up product – nope

Laundry – nope

Boys packed for scout camp – nope

Groceries for green room – nope

Registration booklets finished – nope

Registration booklets printer – nope

Clothes packed for OGC – nope

Panic set in – check!!!!

Sleep deprivation – check!!!

Anxiety attack over con in four days – check!!!!

To everyone that is showing up this weekend, I look forward to seeing you and I hope you all have a wonderful time. For our awesome GMs and Guests, I appreciate everything you do to make us so fantastic. Thanks a million, you all rock!

Tags: OGC Panic Checklist

With the dawn of tomorrow comes a day of festivities for most of us in the USA.  A day where we might celebrate our independence by eating meat cooked over fire with our friends and family, to be followed by shooting off gunpowder in a brilliant display across the evening skies.  Although the rituals vary from region to region, even community to community the day is still the same in all the ways that matter.

I was thinking about this as I did some shopping and realized just how much of this should be in a roleplaying campaign.  How often do we make holidays that are special to one country?  If the pcs travel from one edge of the continent to another, how much of the world is really interacted with on a personal level?  I know that in the Forgotten Realms that in the older books there are religious and calendar holidays, however I wonder how many GMs bother to use these. 

How difficult might it be to stop an evil force with no magic in a city that is celebrating a day of peace and has declared that all fighting is illegal?  Or needing to purchase the ingredients to an important spell on a day where all shops are to be closed for a religious holiday?  Or perhaps just interject some humor into the session with a day dedicated to jugglers and mimes and the party needs to infiltrate and find a contact. 

In our world there are many fascinating customs and holidays that may never effect us unless we travel there at the right time.  Mardi Gras, the running of the bulls, the ninja parade, easter egg hunts – what might these look like in a fantasy world and how might the pcs choose to deal with them?  

So while you eat your burger and watch the fireworks, take a moment to imagine what your favorite character would think of this day.

 

 

Last week there was no game, due to birthdays and graduations, so I think they more than made up for it this week.  They began this week camping out on a savannah, and coming to a watering hole, they decided to ask an elephant to lug their stuff around for them.  The question was asked and the elephant asked for some fruit that grew about two days back along the trail.  They refused and got hosed with filthy water for their efforts.   After some trouble in the form of lions that ate 4 of their five natives, they went back and renegotiated.  The end of the game was their arrival at the foot of the mountains where the dwarves were rumored to live.  Approaching with an elephant they were greeted by a small band of goblins holding spears.  The ranger, who despises all things goblin, charged at them with the fighter on his heels.  They quickly dispatched them, their village, and two other local goblin villages.  Granted, the other two were just a matter of burning them as they had been evacuated.

 

Here are some of the choice quotes from the session:

 

 

I’m sorry but chasing down the native running for his life to kill him and offer his dead carcass to the next carnivore looking to eat you is not a GOOD act!

 

You know I think the gnome was the only one that could speak Dwarven. Maybe we should animate him so he can negotiate with them.

 

Longstrider, for when you absolutely have to escape from your party members.   You have a need for speed!

 

Mary, can you please help out my snake, it’s a little limp.  (This sounded like a personal problem)

 

I don’t think diplomacy is going to work after you’ve run roughshod through their village killing everyone down to the last woman and child you could find and then burned their village to the ground. 

 

(Out of game)  Once again it would just be bringing a katana to a gun fight.

 

Yes, yes, of course the Dwarven crafted goblin sized armor must mean the goblins are stealing from the dwarves.

 

This party should just avoid water.  Apparently the creatures here find you tasty.

 

Tags: Savannah Lions Elephant Goblins

To recap, my group is in Chult in the Forgotten Realms where many dangers had them arguing about their next course of action.  Now having voted in a leader they have decided on a plan to find the dwarves rumored to be somewhere in the southwest part of the peninsula.  I “hand wave” the few months sailing back and forth to the mainland to acquire some ale and other items to trade for Dwarven items and gold - so they can rent a boat, or build a raft, go a-pirating until they can commit mutiny, conjure up some permanent friendly dolphins – still not sure on this part.   Then they hire many natives to help them lug their offerings through the jungle. Yes, the same jungle they were trying to run away from in last week’s game session.

 

To help out their natives they create a small barge that is pulled along in the river.  They get most of the day out before they come upon a problem, namely the giant crocodile that grabs the gnome tinkerer, Vyddyn off the rivers edge and pulls him underwater.  At this point Evandur, our wizard, retreated from the water and used all his magic missiles, the cleric jabbed at the tail end until it started attacking back, the fighter refused to get into the water fearing that he would drown in his armor, and it was only subdued when their druid, the Mighty Sir Wyn, cast entangle and the ranger stabbed it to death.    Unfortunately this was about 30 seconds too late for our little gnomish friend.  (Timely demise apparently as in 4^th ed he would be a monster – rawr).  Once they pried his cold dead body from the croc’s teeth, they cast gentle repose and added his body to the pile of stuff to be carried, followed by the crocodile hide and meat, as dwarves could enjoy it and hey, its food.

 

The heat of the day, exhaustion of the battle and the despair over losing a comrade had them agreeing to stopping early.  So they chose to travel about an hour distance before setting up camp, hoping they were far enough from any scavengers that would show up.  The jungle falls into deeper darkness and they settle in for the night.  A few hours later Drorain, the ranger, hears something wandering through the jungle and it sounds like it is getting closer so he sneaks off to check it out.  Lo and behold the skinned skeletal remains of the very now undead crocodile is headed in their direction.   He runs back into the camp at breakneck speed and awakens the Mary Moonbeam, a cleric of Chauntea, with a “Holy Symbol!  Holy Symbol out now!”  

 

She lurches to her feet holding aloft her requested symbol and attempts to turn this thing from its path. Urgently and repeatedly with no avail.  At the top of her lungs so everyone else is awakened, and they can see the one lesson they forgot in this place.   With a rogue and extremely powerful necromancer in this land, you always, always burn the dead.

 

Fortunately this time it was more easily dispatched and burned with no fatalities.

 

(Now, as a GMs note, as the gnome was dead, but his player was not at the table this week, I made the decision that if you have gentle repose cast that you are immune to being animated.  It is one thing to have to tell someone their character is dead, and a whole other to then say that he went on to kill other people.)

Tags: Undead Crocodile Gnome Death

It is with great sadness that I post the passing of a great American fantasy/sci-fi author.  Robert Aspriin passed away on May 22, 2008 while reading a novel by Terry Pratchett (talk about the best endorsement).  He was awaiting a ride to a convention when he was found by a friend. 

Robert was the author/co-author/editor if the Thieves World seres, the Myth Adventure series, the Phule's series as well as many others.  His talents and imagination will be greatly missed.

Tags: Author

You would think some of these are self explanatory, but I have run or been in games where these have occurred .  So, to help out I have extracted nuggets of useful information from past decades of gaming and come up with a few choice bits:

1.  In Anauroch, where the Phaerimm play, do not cast Commune with Nature

 

2.  When in the gladiatorial ring in Hillsfar, do not cast necromantic spells and attract the attention of Zhentarim in the audience unless you are making a bid to join their organization.

 

3.  No nude sunbathing on Elminters roof

 

4.  Never ask Khelban to hold something important in his tower if you think you will ever need it in a hurry.

 

5.  Never call Zass Tam “Old Bony Face”

 

6.  Never allow a kender to come with you from any other dimension

 

7.  Do not, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for the care and well being of an ancient artifact capable of destroying the known world.

 

8.  Never eat toasted elf flesh if said elf is a member of your adventuring group.

 

9.  The reason they are called “bad guys” is not because they are bad boys.  They are evil and should not become your love interest.

 

10.  If anyone asks if you are a God, say "No" and teleport far away from there.  Chances are they are either going to kill you immediately, kill a god in the vicinity (and catch you in the effects) or, even worse, make you a god.  Run, run now.

 

11.  Never use a miracle spell to make ice cream.  You become Mr Frosty and lose all credibility.

 

12.  Never make a deal with a dragon, thayan zulkir or a god.

 

13.  If there is even a possibility of a dragon, thayan zulkir or a god in the area follow directions for #10 above.

 

14.  Never go to a new place without doing a little research about it ahead of time.

 

15.  Never rent out or sell a party member. 

 

16.  Never go off on your own, there are dopplegangers everywhere just waiting to pounce.


I'm sure some of my old players will come up with more, as these are really just a few of them.

Tags: Tips Dragons Gods

I ran my game again this week and again their plans have changed.  I have almost stopped doing any long term planning for the game as they are like a group of 4^th graders with ADD.   Originally I was asked to make a dungeon crawl, something completely different from the previous campaign that lasted about 5 years. 

 

To be honest, I am not the best at the non character storyline plots. Give me a good villain that I can have the party chase, someone that can taunt the players and I am in a good place.  I particularly hate the linear plot line adventure, so I don’t like to write them.   I had to come up with a great way to get the directions in their hands (you just can’t begin an adventure outside a dungeon if you are over the age of 21, imho) that would leave them interested in pursuing the treasure.  I had them stop in a little village during a caravan run and find Timmy (well okay, Bobby) stuck in a well.  The towns well had almost dried up and he climbed down to fill the pitcher for his mom, when the end of the rope gave way and he fell six feet and got stuck.  Fortunately our stalwart adventurers could hear his cries of help from their inn, and came out to rescue the poor young soul. 

 

Once out, the plight of the village was discovered and the group decided it would be a good idea to find out what has happened to the water.  There is plenty of it in the stream that feeds the well by an underground stream, so they figured something was gumming up the works.  A climb down into the well and a little poking around later they unearthed a parchment wrapped up and stuck in the passage.  It contained a treasure poem and a letter describing how it was stolen from a zulkir to prevent him from gaining power, and that the treasure seems to be on the Mother of Mist Island off the coast of Lantan and Chult.

 

Months later they arrived in Chult planning on earning enough money to hire a ship and crew.   One dinosaur egg hunt, night of the living dead, and killer plant later they are considering becoming merchants and doing some trading between here and the mainland instead.  The druid has found himself a nice native wife and is trying to convince them to settle down.  The fighter wants to go find things to hunt and kill in the hopes there will be magical items strewn about the jungle floor waiting to be picked up.  See my dilemma?

 

To get everyone on the same page they decided to vote in a party leader.  Great idea, as this will be the single person making plans and I can start doing some intricate plotting.  After all, if you have someone steering the ship, so to speak, the GM has a little more influence in where it goes.  Eight pieces of paper later they have a new leader.  Now I just have to figure out a way to influence a barbarian/swashbuckler to go where I want to.  Fortunately I already have ideas….

Tags: Party Leader Treaure Map Planning

I have a wizard in my game that is somewhat of a neat freak so, naturally, the party has gone off to adventure in the Jungles of Chult.  For anyone that doesn't know, Chult is a peninsula in Forgotten Realms that is really like the land that time forgot.  Think Amazon meets Jurassic Park with a hefty splash of Africa thrown in.   Big bugs, jungles, wild cats, hippos, giant snakes, dinosaurs and tribal hunters doing their best to survive. 

Evander, our stalwart mage, has been quite the trooper about getting on a ship and travelling to a land that doesn't offer a hot bath on a daily basis.  He has even managed to handle the fact that his laundry won't get done any time soon, taking the stand that prestidigitation will do for now.  When the rest of the party went off in search of food, he opted to stay in the port at the only hotel and endure sleeping under netting with bugs all around him in a state of abject misery.  However, they have decided that there is a Fort to the north that absolutely needs to be visited and they are not going to let Evander stay behind spending their hard earned gold at the hotel.  So he has been tromping through the deep jungle for many, many hot and sweaty hours when they decide to set up camp.   The tents are up, the food is eaten and they are all settled for the night when things start to happen.  The Ranger on watch hears something moves nearby.  She stealthily moves to check it out when the jungle attacks and grabs her.  A vine had twisted around her ankle and another was winding its way toward her.  Screaming out an alarm the party stumbles from the tent and with minimal loss (their guide) they dispatch the man eating plant to its demise.   Once dispatched the rest of the evening is tense, but uneventful.

Carefully traversing the jungle for the next day, they avoid some of the more dangerous creatures and survive the day.  Setting up the tents they begin to discuss how best to organize watches.  Since the magic users didn’t need to expend their spells it is discussed letting them take a turn at watch so they can camp for less time.  As the druid is trying to expand upon this idea a nut falls from the tree and brushes against Evandur.  He screams “Nature is touching me!” and lets go a volley of magic missiles at this poor (and now very dead) squirrel that dropped his dinner.  Two seconds later another volley hits the bush nearby where a rabbit had rushed to take cover from the falling dead squirrel.   Needless to say, the party ate pretty well that night and the wizard has never taken a watch.

Tags: Wizard Jungle Chult

I'm not sure if this is a blog - it seems more an announcement - but I have started a group called Of Blood and Wine for fans of LKH.  It is in the literary groups area.  I noticed several people have her as a an author they read and I would like to know what people think about her stuff.  So feel free to come and join, tell us your favorite series/character/complaint.  I'd like to get some discussions underway before Blood Noir is released.

Like most GMs I run a game to entertain my players.  On occaision this also ends up being entertainment for other people floating around the room/apartment/store.  Most of the time it is gamers who for one reason or another have nothing to do and just want to listen in.  In some manner or other they wander/hover around the table listening and watching with minimal vocal input.   If they recognize the creature being fought or hear something that is just wierd the random squeak/laugh/cough will erupt.  Enough to get the table's attention, but not enough to completely distract the group.  I appreciate these, as it means I am doing my job and have made the day fun for someone.

Sometimes though, the spectator gets carried away and enters into the inner sanctum.  They do the unthinkable by engaging players (or the GM) in a conversation or even sit down at the table.  Now sometimes there is a lull in the game and you just need to take a break, and talking at that time is perfectly acceptable.  Being invited to sit at the table and perhaps run a NPC is another way to insinuate yourself into the fun without interrupting.  And there are just times when the interruption can't be helped due to time constraints, emergency situation or something that just needs to be done at that moment.   But as an overall rule, watch don't engage please.

Many years ago I had the pleasure of playing in a BTVS game.  The GM was probably the biggest fan I have ever met and the rest of us were avid fans as well.   After some way of determination (I forget now) I was given the honor of playing a slayer.  We decided the timeline was after Buffy died the second time and it seemed no slayer had been activated.  This was my opportunity to really get creative, and in some ways I probably went overboard. 

My creation turned out to be Lotus Blossom, a young homeschooled girl raised on a commune in Canada that raised organic foods for high end restaurants.  Her father was a vietnam protestor who ran away with his high school sweetheart to live in a commune north of the border.  As time went on eventually he ended up as the owner of the land.  It is still a commune, but due to their diligence with keeping it organic they got a reputation and now are quite wealthy. 

At this point Lotus Blossom had been given some unique opportunities and an interesting set of values.  Because her parents could they did some upgrades in the commune, which is more of a social homestead including a computer and the internet.  This was to expand Lotus Blossom's education with the result being that she wanted to attend public school.

I figured this would be quite the opening for roleplaying and allow me to bring everyone else into the fun.  After all, how much fun can teenagers have with someone that has never been to a mall or on a date?!?  Lots of fun and even more problems.  As it turned out, the first obstacle was to have the watcher tell her she was a slayer (shades of the movie) and convince her it was her duty to kill things.  Major obstacle as she was a pacifist.  The logic of they are technically already dead finally won out.  Well, right after they almost killed her friends.   Then came the issue with transportation.  Cars, after all, just pollute the environment and rely on a fuel that is overpriced and taxed by the government.  Unfortunately the game fell apart due to external forces before that issue was ever resolved.  Although, she did ride in them when it was a matter of emergency.

The entirety that is teenage boys was a game session or two of rollicking fun.  Let's leave it with she was no Buffy and ended up with the gym teacher.  

The system is a fun and easy one to play, but I recommend if you use the Buffyverse that you play with people that are not only fans of the show but who will take it with all the tongue in cheek humor the series involved. 

Peace out!

Tags: Buffy Vampires Commune Slayer

Some years ago I was running a game that seemed to have more than its share of issues with druids.  Our first one originally entered the game wanting to play a good aligned drow monk/rogue/assassin.  When we explained that there was not such animal, he argued until it was shown straight to hs face that to be an assassin you needed to be EVIL.  Once being thwarted on that plan he decided on a druid (not sure where this leap came from, but at least it conformed to the "no evil pc" rule). 

His playing style was a little aggressive, but we attempted to share with him the joys of diplomacy and tact, with pretty much no success.  However, the point of the game is to have fun so we all made do.  That is, until the caravan ambush.  You've all probably been there, doing caravan duty through the plains, and failing the spot check.  A strategic ambush had been planned that began with entangle spells to stop the caravan.  This proved to be successful as the pcs were left with ranged weapons, except the druid who charged out by himself into the fray, accompanied only by his wolf. 

For some reason he must not have been paying attention, as the player was visibly upset to learn he rushed into the path of the incoming band of ogres.  Unfortunately his wolf was knocked unconscious in the first round.  The party decided to back him up and shoot at the ogres (well, back him up and try to take out the enemy) and after careful consideration he came to the conclusion that his best chance of survival was to become a big tree.  A big tree that the ogres now took cover behind.   This was not considered the best action by his party, and he soon left their company after the battle had been won and the prarie burnt.

Our next one fit in really well, wanted to explore all the fun things a druid could do and was a true credit to his class.  His claim to fame was more the great intellect he brought to the table by asking the GM (me) all kinds of questions.  Questions like:

If you awaken your animal companion and then awaken his mate and she gets pregnant will the cubs also be awakened?

If I summon a huge earth elemental can I get it to stick its butt into that doorway and block off the enemy?  (This was by far the easiest to answer)

Of course, once the bard got involved things really got interesting.  Our loveable lech of a bard was given a rare opportunity to speak with the wolf.  As it usually did with him, things got around to sex and what to look for in a mate.   The druid got a little taste of my side when he was asked  if he truly suckled at his mate's breast like a pup. 

After that the relationship between the druid and his wolf was never quite the same. 

Now I have a druid that speaks with an Australian accent and comes up with some rare bits of information on animals that I'm sure would spin the heads of zoologists everywhere.  His animal of choice is a snake and that lends itself to a whole new set of issues.  The ranger has the dog.

Tags: Druids Evil

For every four miserable game widows there is the polar opposite - a game spouse.  These elusive creatures share the same passion and understand the crazy schedules.  Most of these relationships began either playing in the same game, or, in rare occasions someone starts as the date of the gamer and gets drawn into the game.   If you ask most of the females about how they met their spouse, or why they married them the answer is usually something along the line of this was the best GM or player they ever met and wanted to guarantee a seat in future games.  No word of a lie.  Because seriously, there is a vast ocean of male players to choose from and (unfortunately) a distinct lack of female gamers.  So from the female perspective it is easy to find a date, but more difficult to find a mate.  Because, let's be honest, the gamer stereotype was not plucked out of someone's imagination. 

So let's pretend Suzie is a typical gamer chick.  Sad to say but she is not runway material, nor does she try to dress like it.  (That is not to say Suzie isn't cute, funny, intelligent, or any other kinds of attractive, but just not a fashion model).   So Suzie is in college and likes to game so she joins the gaming club on campus and signs up to play.  Her first encounter is the GM (let's go with it being a guy) who immediately notices she is a girl, as they are usually observant people.  If he has a girlfriend he may check her out for the future, and if he doesn't she will probably get preferential treatment. The next step for Suzie is to come to her first game and figure out where is the best place to sit.  Close enough to the GM and then far away from anyone that drools. 

So, seat acquired she meets the rest of the group.   I love gamers, but we all know that they typically are not a whole table of gorgeous models either.  And, since it is college, many if not most of them will be single.  So Suzie is immediately set upon by the lech to her left while the very sweet nerd on her right begins to tell her all about the campaign, especially the parts involving his character.  Now I am not picking on anyone or even saying all teenage male gamers are like that, but I am betting most of the females out there that gamed in college are laughing their pants off. 

Eventually Suzie will find Mr Right.  Hopefully he games, and perhaps he was the best GM she ever had.  Now Suzie and Mr Right - let's call him Dave - beign their life.  No gaming widow as they find groups where they can join together, perhaps with other gaming couples.  Hopefully this will continue, but there may come a time where Dave decides he prefers historical miniatures and Suzie decides she likes live action gaming.  So they end up gaming on different days and find they are both game widows on a part time bases.  While this may seem like a bad thing, Suzie may find out that, at least for a little while, she prefers to have something that is separate from Dave.  A little time apart.  Dave may find that just hanging out with the guys has its advantages.  That doesnt' mean that Suzie and Dave are headed for divorce, it means they reached a point in their relationship where they want different things.  At least until the next mutual game comes along. 

All in all, spouses that both game have it made.  There is no confusion on what exactly it is the other is doing when they go out.  They can share stories on their characters knowing the other isn't just smiling and nodding.  And long after they are too old or sick to take care of themselves they can run games in the nursing home.

I'm sure everyone knows someone who loses their spouse during some sports season.  They live on the couch yelling at the tv weekly until the championship games are done.  These widows are luckier than they think, as Gamer widows never get the championship game.  It takes a very special person to marry a gamer and not ask/insist that they stop gaming.  Week by week these people stay home watching the tv/kids while their spouse goes off and lives epic battles (in their mind anyway).  The Superbowl of gaming might involve a trip to GenCon (or even a local convention) where the widow is left behind while the gamer goes away to a hotel for several days of non-stop playing only to return home excited and pumped up to continue playing with their friends.   Like the sports aficionado they return with memorabilia (mostly in the form of heavy books) that they want to prominently display.   Walking into a gamer's home you can identify it easily by the bookcases that line their living rooms, dens, bedrooms and every other nook they can fit one. 

So, to all you game widows out there, I say thank you for not trying to change your spouse.  For understanding that we are out having fun until the wee hours of the morning and you don't have to worry about excessive bar tabs, gambling debts or hidden motel bills.  You make the ability to go out and slay trolls a glorious and wonderful thing. 

A few weeks ago I got a chance to roll up a character.  As I usually GM, this is a treat, and as a fan of rolling dice it was wonderful bonus.  Of course this is the one week I forget my dice. so I had to use borrowed dice.  No matter, it was a minor thing. 

Remember the first time you got to roll a character?  Did you use 3d6 in order, 4d6, or some other combination?  It doesn't matter how you do it, there is just something magical about the sound of dice on a table.  The whole anticipation of letting the dice go to see what your first number would be, followed by the almost holding your breath worry that it will be followed by all single digits.  After all, if your first number was bad your GM would usually be nice and consider it a practice roll.  My first number was a 16, so I was off to a good start and when it was all said and done I had a respectable set of numbers and Katherine, Cleric of Baccob was begun.

 

 

Has anyone come into the situation where a new player is a veteran video game player but has never done table top?  I have been blessed with this in the form of a young player (we'll call him J) who has joined a large group of somewhat older and more experienced D&Ders.  In one of our first sessions we got to see the difference.  The mighty adventurers were making their way through a mountain pass when they came across a frozen party.  From the look of horror on their frozen faces, and the fact they were upright, the party took this as a warning and quickly took to scanning the skies in search of danger.  That is, everyone except J.  He opted to look over the frozen guys and then asked the mage to detect magic.  Seeing no harm the mage proceeded to and found something magical on the belt of one of the men.  The loud noises he made had everyone watching in surprise as J cleaved the body in half.  Their expressions turned to incredulity as J then tied the halfbody onto his horse, then into horror that night when he defrosted the now decomposing body in front of the campfire.   Thinking they would teach him a lesson they refused to help him fight off the scavengers that were attracted by the smell of rotting flesh.  I'm not sure if it taught him anything, but I certainly have learned a lot. 

This isn't much of a blog, more of a memory with a link, but it is a classic and needs to be shared.  For anyone that played the older versions of D&D and remember the Hand and Eye of Vecna here is the Head of Vecna:


http://www.blindpanic.com/humor/vecna.htm

If you haven't read it, you should.  Enjoy!

It inevitably comes - the first time your child wants to sleep over someone's house.  You know you have to allow them to go, but the worry is still there.  That is pretty much how I am feeling.  I have a new "baby" that is going to require a lot of attention and I have to let someone else take over raising my firstborn child for a while.  Five years just isn't long enough and the nerves are already getting to me.  I think sometimes the parents are more worried about things than the kids.  Well, right up until the other parents call and say your kid wants to come home.  I know this time it won't happen, but I will stay awake all night awaiting that phone call.

I was approached this week by an Event Manager at a 3000 person venue and asked to run a rather quick one day anime event.  We are still discussing details, but if I do this I will be temporarily stepping away from OGC and handing some of the reins off to Kelly.  It is wonderful to know I have someone I know will do a great job, but I will worry anyway.  Parenthood is never an on/off thing.

Ever have one day where no matter how much you get done there always seems to have someone adding "just one more thing" to your list?  I think I'm having one of those years.  Something just fell into my lap today that is a fantastic opportunity, but it may mean I have to drop other things that I hold near and dear.  If I give it up I am handing off possibly the chance of a lifetime and if I take it I may be taking on something that doesn't end up worth what I had to hand off. 

Wish I had a crystal ball, but then again, if I did I would probably just take on just one more thing...