D&D!

[blackjohn]

The movie Gamers 2 came out a few weeks ago. Really funny stuff

Ok, next stop is Netflix. Considering the amount of gaming we've been doing lately, I really should see both.

Heh heh... new D&D 4e books came out today! Adventurer's Vault... one of the best I've seen! And the missus gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for our 18th wedding anniversary!

[William Brand]

There is one other con that I'd like to attend... TravellerCon! I missed the first one, and chances are I'm going to miss this one too, unless I go up on Sunday. But Traveller was always one of my favorite games. And Lancaster PA isn't tooooo far away. So, we'll see.

Nice. Well, you're about a 6 hours drive from the only East Coast convention I attend. I need to broaden my travels.

[blackjohn]

As do I.

What con is it that you hit here in the East?

[Rogue Mermaid]

Sadly the game I'm in is hitting a frustrating spot and I don't think the DM realizes it.

Nothing like putting your 18th level Ranger and 16th level Druid up against a cavern full of 15 Mind Flayers, then arguing about every spell we'd try cast to defend ourselves. I'm all for problem solving, but when every other second the DM looks at you and says, "Make a Will Save", it tests your patience.

[William Brand]

I've attended Running GAGG out of Geneseo, New York a number of times. It's a much smaller convention then most, being a college-based con, but my favorite group for comradery and gaming.

http://gagg.geneseo.edu/pages/runninggagg/

[Stynky Tudor]

What a bunch of weirdos. You D&D people have some serious issues.

I mean I’ve never heard of such a thing – grownup adults playing pretend . . .

Oh wait . . . never mind.

[blackjohn]

I've attended Running GAGG out of Geneseo, New York a number of times. It's a much smaller convention then most, being a college-based con, but my favorite group for comradery and gaming.

http://gagg.geneseo.edu/pages/runninggagg/

What genres do you run? Do you have a favorite system?

[blackjohn]

What a bunch of weirdos. You D&D people have some serious issues.

I mean I’ve never heard of such a thing – grownup adults playing pretend . . .

Oh wait . . . never mind.

LOL... yeah, or so Jack Chick thought...

It's a weird world... grab as much weirdness as you can and hold on tight!

[blackjohn]

Sadly the game I'm in is hitting a frustrating spot and I don't think the DM realizes it.

Nothing like putting your 18th level Ranger and 16th level Druid up against a cavern full of 15 Mind Flayers, then arguing about every spell we'd try cast to defend ourselves. I'm all for problem solving, but when every other second the DM looks at you and says, "Make a Will Save", it tests your patience.

Yeah, that takes the fun out of things. Getting bogged down in those sorts of situations takes you out of the moment. Thus far, we've been able to avoid that in our 4e game. It is a shame you are on the other side of... Baltimore... the state even, because I'd love to have you join our game. I could use a second female gamer.

[Mad Woman Cheryl]

Wow! 4th edition.....The last time I played was 9 years ago before my son was born. Have been thinking about when to start up again and include him....

[Stynky Tudor]

This is hilariously refreshing!

There was a software company I worked for that was part owned by D&D and a lot of the people just took themselves way too serious.

This is wonderful - thanks John!

It's a weird world... grab as much weirdness as you can and hold on tight!

[blackjohn]

Wow! 4th edition.....The last time I played was 9 years ago before my son was born. Have been thinking about when to start up again and include him....

That's cool. I want to get my kids into it too. I think they'll be ready in a couple years. When I first started playing back in the mid-70s my group included two 9 year olds and a 7 year old. The 7 year old was a little on the young side, as I recall, but the 9s did a great job.

Yep, 4th edition. Having tried each, I think I like this version more than any previous version except the first. They've changed quite a bit to make things easy, but in so doing they haven't dumbed it down, just made the way the system works more logical. Previous versions were rules heavy. This version seems light, but that is because more things make sense.

Rules are good. Fewer exceptions to those rules is very good.

[blackjohn]

This is hilariously refreshing!

There was a software company I worked for that was part owned by D&D and a lot of the people just took themselves way too serious.

This is wonderful - thanks John!

It's a weird world... grab as much weirdness as you can and hold on tight!

My pleasure sir.

Yeah, we don't take ourselves too seriously. At times, our games probably have more in common with a Bugs Bunny cartoon or Monty Python than Rona Jaffes' Mazes and Monsters.

The whole object of a game is to have fun, and if I get some good belly laughs out of a session then I've had fun.

[blackjohn]

My first mini... probably purchased and painted circa 1976.

http://www.piratebrethren.com/dnd/my1stmini.jpg

That's another reason why I like gaming. It provides my artistic side with an outlet. And I have to admit I miss painting minis. I have a whole boatload of pirates that I need to paint someday.

[William Brand]

What genres do you run? Do you have a favorite system?

I've played strict fantasy games in the past, and I love a good zombie game, but I lean towards hard sci-fi now, having been the lead artist on a project called Universe. Not to be confused with the much older game of that name. Here's some of my work...

http://www.towerravens.com/

[Rogue Mermaid]

That is very cool William!!!

[Rogue Mermaid]

Speaking of female gamers, this is the trailer for Gamers 2

Around 25 seconds it perfectly sums up being a female gamer in a gaming store....

[Mad Woman Cheryl]

Wow! 4th edition.....The last time I played was 9 years ago before my son was born. Have been thinking about when to start up again and include him....

That's cool. I want to get my kids into it too. I think they'll be ready in a couple years. When I first started playing back in the mid-70s my group included two 9 year olds and a 7 year old. The 7 year old was a little on the young side, as I recall, but the 9s did a great job.

Yep, 4th edition. Having tried each, I think I like this version more than any previous version except the first. They've changed quite a bit to make things easy, but in so doing they haven't dumbed it down, just made the way the system works more logical. Previous versions were rules heavy. This version seems light, but that is because more things make sense.

Rules are good. Fewer exceptions to those rules is very good.

Son has been getting into the Warhammer 40000. Has a bunch o' miniatures, likes the Blood Angels he does. I think it has to do with the word "blood". I do think that maybe in about a year or two he should be ready for D+D. He could prove me wrong though.

[blackjohn]

That is very cool William!!!

Seriously. For that matter... it is beyond very cool!!!

I'm envious; I'd give my left arm for talent like that.

Uhhh... except... yeah...

I've admired your stuff for awhile. I think you may have posted a link to it years ago. Maybe in a "what is it that you do thread.

As far as the game system Universe uses... pretty neat. Percentile systems are nice. And ye gods... I like action point systems, but I can't even think of the last action point based game I played. Probably FASA's Star Trek RPG. That was mid-1980s. But still, it works. Especially if you have a mechanic that handles interrupts.

Recently, I've been looking at Spirit of the Century. Once D&D 4e gets a little stale, I want to do something less crunchy. Spirit of the Century is designed to be light on rules, with portions of the rules emphasizing the part the players take in the story, giving them ways to actually change the storyline through a mechanic called Fate Points. I think that's pretty neat.

[blackjohn]

Son has been getting into the Warhammer 40000. Has a bunch o' miniatures, likes the Blood Angels he does. I think it has to do with the word "blood". I do think that maybe in about a year or two he should be ready for D+D. He could prove me wrong though.

40K. Never got into it myself. But I know lots of people who are. I love their LotR minis. If I had spare cash, I'd be buying those things left and right.

[blackjohn]

Old school D&D dwarf... made of *gasp* LEAD! by Minifigs, probably around 1980.

[Stynky Tudor]

Gorgeous stuff William!!!

[William Brand]

Gorgeous stuff William!!!

Thank you. That is one of my few pencil works in recent years.

[blackjohn]

The movie Gamers 2 came out a few weeks ago. Really funny stuff

Wow. You are right. I'm impressed. Rarely have I seen a film that hits the nail on the head of a subculture. That movie gets it exactly right. And is funny too, at least to a gamer. I suspect non-gamers will miss most of the jokes.

[Rogue Mermaid]

Did you catch that the DM named his cat Guenhwyvar? That cracks me up.