Confessions of a guy that plays D&D

About Me

My first exposure to Dungeons and Dragons was in 1977 by other members of my Boy Scout troop. I was 10 and it was love at first sight.

I played AD&D until the end of my first year in college, when I was introduced to GURPS. I mostly played Magic-Users. I didn’t get back into D&D until 2003, when I opened a small FLGS called Blue Dragon Games. I had been playing mostly GURPS, Hero System and Storyteller, including the Mind’s Eye Theater stuff. I had to learn 3.5 so I could sell it. To be honest, I thought all the best development was happening elsewhere in the industry. In order to get more people interested in roleplaying in the store, I started two sessions of World’s Largest Dungeon. It was enough to get me back into D&D, both as a player and as a GM.

I’ve always had a thing for games and roleplaying games in particular. I was eight when I created my first board game – a dice racing game where you had to move around a tree to collect fruit. A grand total of four people played it. The only card game I’m aware of that I don’t know how to play is bridge and that’s because my experience with the kind of people who play bridge is that they are all jerkfaces who have no business playing games. Given how harsh and outspoken a critic I can be, I’m sure the same has been said about me.

This was our logo.

I think it’s sad that people who enjoy a hobby that consists of watching passively as people drive around in a circle until they screw up and pile into a wall are generally considered more cool than people who play roleplaying games. Twice a week, I get together with my friends to laugh, talk and murder things. What could be better than that?

Read enough of my work and you’ll come to the safe assumption that I neither need nor particularly care about the validation of random people over the internet – or especially the lack thereof. A compliment or criticism that lacks anything beyond “you rock/suck” is of about as much use to me as an unmatched sock. Why then do I write this blog? I do it because I like ideas. I like talking about and sharing ideas. I like it when someone finds value in the things I have shared. I like it when someone shows me something new or changes my perspective. So feel free to comment and feel especially free to tell me when you think I’m wrong.

 

About this blog

This is a D&D blog. It’s not an “X game is better than Y game” blog. I may reference other games from time to time, but that will mostly be in the context of how that game handles something or the relationship that publisher has with Wizards/Hasbro. Actually, the only reason I’m likely to mention another game or company is because I think they’re doing something better.

I’m not particularly interested in edition wars. I like 4e.  I think the way it was developed is one of the more important innovations in the hobby, despite Hasbro’s best efforts to turn it into crap. Make no mistake, though, much as I enjoy this edition, I’m more than aware it has flaws. Discussing 4e’s weaknesses and failures is a large part of the reason I write this blog. If you come here hoping to debate which edition is better, I’m simply not going to play. Not because I secretly suspect that you’re right, but because I genuinely don’t care. If you enjoy an earlier edition, more power to you. I’m actually glad you’re having a good time.

I refer to myself as an “Evil GM” because I approach the art of game mastering deliberately and because I run a very challenging table. There’s something special and sublime about fusing improvisational storytelling with a tactical board game. Ours is a hobby rich with potential.

Some quick rules:

• Moderation is on, in that I have to permit the first reply you make, but from there you are considered “trusted.” I take a very dim view of people that like to crap on internet communities. Learn how not to be a jerk before you post.
• I don’t mind the occasional profanity, blasphemy or adult conversation, but there are lines. Respect them.
• Logical fallacies are bad for you. They rot your brain and cause cancer in kittens. Avoid them, especially false dichotomy and appeal to authority.
• The purpose of this blog is to analyze and discuss roleplaying with an eye towards increasing peoples’ enjoyment. I would prefer comments that are positive and helpful.