Another post about another role-playing milestone. I started playing DND 30 years ago this year.
I know that I started in 1979 because my grandmother Annabelle gave me my 1st ed. ADND books that year for my birthday. Whenever my grandmother gave a book as a present she signed and dated it.
Earlier that year in the summer, the kid from across the street (we were 11 at the time), asked me if I wanted to play a game called Dungeons and Dragons.
There were weird dice. I was a half-elf. I had a magic sword. In an underground cavern next to a lake I fought a terrible monster. I slew it and got a magic ring. It turned you invisible.
I remember walking across the street to go home that evening. A thousand fantastic thoughts raced through my head and one real-world concern, "How was I going to get to play again?". For the next four years of my life that would be my central preoccupation. If I wasn't playing DND I was trying to figure out how I would get to play again.
In the years since, that overwhelming urge to play has waxed and waned. I have gone many years without playing at all, while at other times been completely immersed again.
These days I am playing regularly and starting to share the game with my children. Despite all my years spent in fantasy land, that's something I never dreamed of.
2009-10-10
Changes
I made some changes to the blog today. While exploring various things I found that some old Blogger features had been improved. I decided to take advantage of the updates and streamline some things:
The Labels tag cloud is now just the default Labels widget with the cloud option turned on.
I added the search widget (actually did that a while ago).
I removed the Blogger Navbar since it's functionality was now redundant.
I changed the colors of the title area.
Overall I think it looks a little cleaner.
The Labels tag cloud is now just the default Labels widget with the cloud option turned on.
I added the search widget (actually did that a while ago).
I removed the Blogger Navbar since it's functionality was now redundant.
I changed the colors of the title area.
Overall I think it looks a little cleaner.
2009-07-19
20!
My D&D character Walker made 20th level last game. It is the first time I have played a character straight-through, legitimately, levels 1-20 in the thirty years that I have been playing D&D. Through version 3.5 level 20 was the final "regular" level of D&D. Guidelines for levels beyond that were generally considered optional or expansions.
To people who don't play the game, well I am sure they could care less (lol), but if they did care, some of them would probably be surprised. I think they would be surprised because they are used to games that have a single goal or objective, that you "win".
Most role-players will probably not be surprised. D&D is not such a game. You could have myriad goals for your character, acquiring certain items or getting certain abilities that have nothing to do with leveling. They might be role-playing goals or they might be mechanical. You might start your character after first level. You might end the campaign your character is participating in before 20th, the edition of the game might change or you might get interested in a different role-playing game. Your character could die. Your gaming group could split up.
Staying with the same campaign and characters for so many levels takes a long time and a lot of commitment. We have played consistently once a week for the last 5 years. We took some breaks along the way, maybe as long as 6 months, but we kept going. Notice it's all we. This is a commitment that has to be shared by about 5 or 6 people, come hell or highwater. No matter how much people want to play it can be hard to make the time to play.
I didn't really think about it much up until the last few months when it became clear it might happen. Then it started to seem like a great achievement.
I am happy and proud that we made it. Seeing these characters live has been a great thing.
To people who don't play the game, well I am sure they could care less (lol), but if they did care, some of them would probably be surprised. I think they would be surprised because they are used to games that have a single goal or objective, that you "win".
Most role-players will probably not be surprised. D&D is not such a game. You could have myriad goals for your character, acquiring certain items or getting certain abilities that have nothing to do with leveling. They might be role-playing goals or they might be mechanical. You might start your character after first level. You might end the campaign your character is participating in before 20th, the edition of the game might change or you might get interested in a different role-playing game. Your character could die. Your gaming group could split up.
Staying with the same campaign and characters for so many levels takes a long time and a lot of commitment. We have played consistently once a week for the last 5 years. We took some breaks along the way, maybe as long as 6 months, but we kept going. Notice it's all we. This is a commitment that has to be shared by about 5 or 6 people, come hell or highwater. No matter how much people want to play it can be hard to make the time to play.
I didn't really think about it much up until the last few months when it became clear it might happen. Then it started to seem like a great achievement.
I am happy and proud that we made it. Seeing these characters live has been a great thing.
2009-07-05
Log of the Domeknockers
Our new adventuring group in E's campaign decided to call themselves the Domeknockers. I scratched out a minimal recounting of their deeds just so we won't forget.
The Log of the Domeknockers
The Log of the Domeknockers
Spike
Spike is a new character for E's Forgotten Realms Campaign (which I am tagging loudwater).
He's a pretty straightforward elf/rogue. He's basically my attempt to recreate a borrible in DND.
Due to the mechanics in 4E I felt the time was right to give it a try. It would be nice if there was Paragon Path that made slings really shine, but overall I think the "feel" is right. In the first session he was a blast to play.
Character Sheet
Back-story
2009-05-06
Red Hand Undone?
Long ago a paltry handful of adventurers stood before a horde of evil and turned back the tide. Those "Dawn Raiders", held fast and eventually faced down an Aspect of Tiamat, but evil never ends and new dangers stalk the land.
The follow up to the Red Hand of Doom, Scales of War kicks off tonight!
Isaac sent the following summary of the Fifteen years since RHoD.
Link
In the very recent past events are happening quickly. Our group effected a Rescue at Rivenroar and now we have been alerted to an impending Siege of Bodrin's Watch.
Link
The follow up to the Red Hand of Doom, Scales of War kicks off tonight!
Isaac sent the following summary of the Fifteen years since RHoD.
Link
In the very recent past events are happening quickly. Our group effected a Rescue at Rivenroar and now we have been alerted to an impending Siege of Bodrin's Watch.
Link
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