Strange Connections
You never know where you are going to meet other gamers. The other night, my son's band was playing their first professional gig, and they did a cover of the Deaf Pedestrians "Hail to the Geek." In the second verse, they sing about playing D&D. Of course, I had to cheer. Stand up and represent your hobby, yo!
Anyway, while I was cheering, one of my son's classmates was cheering just as loud. She looked at me and asked, "Do you play?" I responded with a "Hell yeah!" She cheered once again and gave me a very enthusiastic high-five.
After their set was over, I asked her if she really did play. Rather than simply say, "Yup" she launched into a description of her character (dark elf Rogue, level 12). As we continued the conversation, I learned that she gamed with her dad, who was also at the gig. I quickly picked up the conversation with him, and from the scattered bits we could understand (the second band was playing then), he sounds like a guy that wouldn't be too bad to sit at the table with. We made an agreement to try and get something together after the Holidays. I just have to make sure I follow up.
I may have finally found an adult gaming connection down here, which is great. The manner in which I found said connection blows my mind, however.
Labels: Gaming in General
A Smaller Party
One of the things I've really tried to get back into is regular gaming sessions with my kids. Since my oldest is in a phase where he's just not interested in playing, that drops my players to three. My wife is pretty busy, and not an avid player, so she's kind of out. That drops us to two. It's a different challenge, especially when you are used to 4+ players, but I'm learning to scale my encounters and make better use of NPCs.
We played a session about two weeks ago, and I was blown away by the creativity and ingenuity of my 11-year old daughter. As we played, I presented plot hooks and options to her and my son in a fashion I was used to (as would most gamers be) doing. While she may have nibbled at such hooks, she never fully bit. She instead really pushed her own agenda. Example? After taking care of some necessary business, and using her magic (she plays a sorcerer) to try and earn some cash, she wanted to check up on a riding horse they had acquired from a previous session. Once she saw the horse was fine, she simply wanted to find a place in the city where she could ride the horse around. Just ride. That's it. That was all she was really looking forward to.
My 13-year old son? He kept waiting for the next fight.
That I can handle.
I did finally get the plot on track, and we may be playing this weekend. Also looks like the wife will be joining in, so it should be fun. They'll actually be taking on their first dungeon crawl. Still, I got an inkling into how my daughter thinks and what she is looking for. I'll have to make sure I keep things balanced.
I'll let you know how it goes.Labels: DnD, Family Campaign
Back to the Old (Weird) West
Gaming With Blake
So, Blake & I are getting ready to start a old school Deadlands game. We'll be using the original rules, rather than the Savage Worlds rules. I'm okay with that, but eventually, I plan to try and get him to convert over. We'll see how far it goes.
I'm kind of excited to run this for him. He seems to really enjoy reading the rulebooks. I helped him make his character, an Indian Brave, but left the naming and background up to him. No background yet, but he settled on the name, "One with Buffalo." Quite frankly, it blew me away. I've made a preacher character, and my wife may join in with a character as well.
We'll see what happens.
Since this is my first post here about Blake, I'll take a moment to explain why I'm planning on singling him out. Blake is 13 years old and has Aspbergers Syndrome. He definately has the book smarts, but Blake lacks in areas of Common Sense and general sociability. With RPG's being the social vehicles they are, I think it will be an interesting experiment to see how he adapts to the challenges that face him. He's done okay in previous sessions of D&D that's we've played as a family, but this will be a first solo test.
Labels: Gaming with Blake
A Gaming Evangelist
Expanding the Hobby
The other night, my wife and I were out with another couple, and the conversation eventually found itself on the topic of Gen Con. Being the only one of the four of us ever having attended (and also the only regular gamer), I had the opportunity to talk about the convention, as well as the hobby itself. This, of course led to talking about the games I played, notably Dungeons & Dragons. As I have done in the past when this conversation comes around, I extended the invitation to show the other couple how to play, and run a session for them. They expressed an interest, beyond the normal courtesy given in such matters.
I fully intend to follow through.
This exchange got me thinking about what we, as gamers do to pay the hobby back. It's given us plenty of enjoyment over the years, and we owe it to the hobby to encourage and enlist new gamers into the ranks. Take a moment to think about what you can do to expand the "player base" in your area. Is it offering to run demos at your Friendly Local Gaming Store? Is it starting a club through your local library? Teaching people how to play a certain game via Community Education? Just offering to show some fellow employees how to play? There is a lot that can be done.
Pay it back.
Labels: Gaming in General
Gen Con 2007
To any gamer, Gen Con is a Destination, but also a Journey. Very few gamers can get to Gen Con easily, without a tale or two to tell.
This was my first time going to Gen Con in several years. Every other year involved a Road Trip with friends, but not this year. This year I took the bus. Yes, a big 'ole greyhound. So, come along...
I'm traveling through eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. It's not the interstate, it's not even a major highway. It's winding roads, through cattle farms, cornfields, and small towns that seem almost forgotten by modern world.
My iPod is my companion.I listen to Superman's Song by the Crash Test Dummies, All the Wild Horses by Ray LaMontagne and I Pray For You by Big & Rich as my shuffle feature seems to know what to play to match the scenery.
My bus is about half full, filled with a good cross section of folks; old & young, mother & kids, poor and almost as poor, and me. Mrs. Doubtfire plays on the in-bus video system. Robin Williams is supposedly a Warhammer player, so I find this strangely appropriate.
Our driver, a woman with a happy disposition looks like Sam Kinnison.
We stop in the middle of Illinois-nowhere for a smoke/bathroom/McDonald's break. I opt for a piece of beef jerky and a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, because it's cheap, yet the siren smell of fries is tempting. I remind myself of the junk food I'll be eating for the next four days or so, and the temptation goes back to its naughty corner... for now.
We get stuck behind someone who views the speed limit on this single lane road as something optional. Suddenly my looming three hour layover in Chicago seems not so long.
My daughter calls me. It's obvious she misses me (though only gone for a few hours), and I am unnecessarily short with her. I recover, but become worried about the life of my crappy cell phone battery. We still share a pleasant exchange.
I turn back to reading a book about advertising given to me by boss. It is interesting, but the road monotony makes me sleepy.
We stop in Dubuque, Freeport (a real town, not the Green Ronin product, though I find it game-ingly appropriate) and Rockford, IL to pick up more people. By Rockford, the bus is pretty full. My discomfort starts as a guy sits down in front of me and promptly puts his seat back into my knees. I spend the rest of the trip at an angle.
Finally we reach Chi-town. The skies are stormy dark, and the bus depot is a scene of chaos. Hundreds of people talk in a variety of languages, as they wait in queue for their bus. A modern-day Babel. After ordering a double hamburger from the bus station greasy spoon, I join them.
I stand for a welcome two hours, people watching. Mothers with their kids close by (or not), Old folks, businessmen, families. I watch group of Amish waiting in chairs. They eat Doritos and drink from large thermos coolers. I change my perception of them. I am pan handled. Some guy gets into an argument with security. I'm asked more than once to watch someone's place inline or bag. I must have that kind of face.
Finally we board. It is a capacity bus, and Fate places me in an aisle seat, my chances of sleeping become virtually nil. I talk to the guy next to me, and learn he's traveling from Marquette, MI to Gainsville, FL. A 3-day trip. Yow. I also learn about his recent history and how he came back home to Michigan only to find his girlfriend in bed with another man. He tries to sue her, and loses. Through various twists and turns in his saga, he loses 10K. He's going to Florida for a new job and a new life.
We reach Indy and I make my way to the hotel. I am panhandled... twice more. I finally make it to the hotel, meet Daniel Perez for the first time in person. He's just and genial in person as he is in forum posts and e-mails. I settle down on some couch cushions and get 2 hours of sleep before I'm up again and off to the Con.
Labels: Gen Con
