Gaming Hope Springs Eternal...

Me imagining I'm Conan brooding about roleplaying...

Yes, I actually do sometimes wonder why I keep shouting into this blog void. Thanks for theoretically asking, theoretical reader! 

Maybe I'm just stubborn. Maybe I have some instinct to never release my death grip on my desire to roleplay. Maybe this desire is some vestigial defense mechanism left over from my sometimes-garbage childhood, when books and roleplaying were escapes from abuse. Maybe this never-ending obsession with roleplaying is unhealthy, a crutch, something I should relinquish.

Maybe I will, someday. But not today. Not for the foreseeable future. Granted, I'm pretty myopic (a classic nerd trait) so my foresight is pretty limited, especially without my glasses. 

I've been soldiering on, keeping this here blog (is blogging dead? I'm sure my Gen Z kids don't even know what it is...) alive for...some reason. Maybe the reason is merely one effort to stave off thinking about the inevitability of death. Isn't that part of life? To defer thinking about mortality for as long as possible? 

I'm really not that nihilistic, though, I swear. Sure, I'm struggling with depression, but most of us seem to be in this current reality, amirite? When I feel overwhelmed by the sadness, I wander down to my basement lair (yes, not being ironic) and peruse my roleplaying bookshelf. As usual, I'm assaulted by simultaneous happiness and gloom (that's life, also). The implication of those rows of books never loses the bittersweetness: here is all the material for more than a lifetime of gaming wonderment, which I'm not doing. 

In case you haven't noticed (or even care, oh theoretical reader), I've been mostly posting images for years. I've been posting gaming art that inspires me to...well, to keep dreaming of gaming on a regular basis. Shit, I'd take even a semi-regular basis at this point in my existence. 

You may have also (theoretically!) noticed the number of posts since 2017 have been in the 40's. Since 2017, I've made the number of posts match my age. Clever, eh? Nope. No, it's not. But anyway, since I'm an English major and math is like occult magic to me, I decided years ago to match my age until I actually (maybe someday) post more blogs organically than my age in a given year. Alas, once again, this was not that year. 

SO, expect the usual annual barrage of end-of-year image posts, folks! I gotta hit 46 this time around! 

I started this blog over a decade ago because I...well, I got excited about roleplaying again. I wanted to add my voice to the chorus of the OSR, in whatever way materialized. But I've always been a scattered one (thanks, mental illness, much appreciated). And like most other efforts in my life, I gave it a lukewarm, half-hearted try. But perhaps I'll tell myself once again that there is honor in the trying. Maybe I'll let myself still believe that, too. 

So, I'll continue to consider myself a patron of gaming, and continue to spend money on supporting roleplaying Kickstarters and buying roleplaying books online and at the FLGS that still exists not far from my house (go eff yourself, COVID, and fight on, FLGS!). I'll keep adding to the growing collection of roleplaying books I'll probably never use to actually, you know, roleplay.

Perhaps dreams are enough to sustain me. At least for another year. Someday, the dreams may run out. After that...I'm not sure what I'll do. I dare not think about it. So I'll continue to be like the protagonist of The Raven, and continue to ponder, weak and weary, over all of my quaint and curious volumes of forgotten roleplaying lore. Until some dark bird finally tells me nevermore (okay, maybe I just stepped over the line of trite and maudlin emo territory but...there it is...)

Well, thanks for theoretically reading! I hope the new year is more conducive to roleplaying, even if it's just in our minds. 

End-of-Week What the Hell Happened to 2016?

"Whew, last year was ROUGH, man..."

Uh, hi folks.

Yeah, the end of 2016 got away from me...

Well, like an undead sorcerer-king, I'm rising from the dead and awakening to a new year...

How can I sum up the last bit of 2016 in terms of gaming?

Two words: unruly newbs.

Yeah, the newb campaign I started back in October...well, it fell apart.

Not really surprised by that development, actually. But what did surprise me is how quickly they seemed to become antsy about the pace at which the game was progressing.

Chalk it up to the accelerating pace of our society, maybe, but as of the second session most of the players were complaining about how slow the game seemed. I told them this was how table top roleplaying went, and it was being made even slower because two of the players were going full-on tactical planning and second-guessing over every decision point in the game.

Try as I might to encourage the players to not worry so much over every decision, things did slow down a lot.

By the end of the second session, it was clear from the "temperature" of the players' attitudes that the "magic" of roleplaying was wearing a bit thin.

Sheesh, guess it wasn't high-speed enough for them.

I was very patient with them, but have to admit to a bit of frustration. The group became somewhat combative and suspicious of my methods. I chalk that up to my attempts to be sinister and inscrutable. They took the bait, and were unnerved by it.

Mission accomplished, as far as I'm concerned. However, my players were all adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and unused to encountering a sly and wily DM. I don't think they liked it. For people who don't have experience with the good old fashioned DM-player relationship, it can be off-putting, I suppose.

Ah well, it was an experiment. And not all experiments are successful, right?

So, not sure if we'll be roleplaying again any time soon. C'est la vie.

In the meantime, I'm sorta bummed about things falling apart, so much so that I can't muster the energy or interest to finish my recap of what went down.

I know, you're devastated by the news...

There might be some roleplaying in my future with some veteran gamers this year. I might be putting myself back into the DM's chair again.

Stay tuned. Until then, happy 2017 and happy gaming!

End-of-Week Elmore (10/7/16): Warriors of the Night

I come back to the old dusty roleplaying blog after a month or so, and what do I see? My blog link widgets are gone! Anyone else experiencing this right now?

Great job, Blogger!

Anyway, a quick google and I find out that the crack Blogger engineers are working on doing...something to the widgets. But have no fear, they say, all the blog link widgets will return, with all blog links intact.

Yeah, well, believing is seeing in this case, for sure.

PLEASE, Blogger, give me my links back!

Oh, and happy October everyone! Best damned month every created!

The Year Without a Free RPG Day

Well, there was a Free RPG Day today, but just not for me. 

Maybe it's because my favorite FLGS (All Things Fun) closed its West Berlin, NJ location. I have to admit to feeling a bit of nostalgic despair at the thought of looking for a new game store to celebrate the day. There are a few within easy travelling distance, but my heart just wasn't in it. 

I also didn't want to remind myself that I'm not actually gaming right now. Got a lot of irons in the fire these days, but regular roleplaying isn't one of them. I've been tinkering with the idea of running some good old Basic D&D and a dungeon crawl using...well, one of the many resources I have on hand, namely Stonehell Dungeon. 

Meh, just wallowing in self pity due to lack of gaming and general disconnection from the roleplaying blogosphere. 

So, time to stop wallowing! I'm thinking that I've invested a lot of cash in Goodman Games and Dungeon Crawl Classics, so instead of running Stonehell with Basic D&D or Labyrinth Lord, I should be brushing up on DCC instead and using those rules.

Speaking of DCC, I'm a bit disheartened by the long wait for the new rule book for the 4th printing Kickstarter but I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Here's what I'm getting:

Nice and unholy, eh? 

So, hope springs eternal for the future of my personal gaming situation! 

Speaking of Goodman Games taking my money, I hear tell there's a little something called "Mutant Crawl Classics" that's about to hit Kickstarter! Obviously, it's going to be their version of Gamma World, just like Goblinoid Games came out with Mutant Future a few years ago.

Yeah, I keep telling myself I won't get in on this Kickstarter, but you never know what might happen. It's a crazy old world! 

Aaaand speaking of post-apocalyptic futures, I've been entranced by previews for a PS4 game called Horizon Zero Dawn (kind of a daft name, sounds like they randomly chose three words out of a dictionary). Here's the trailer for the game:

I don't have (and don't plan to get) a PS4 anytime soon, but OF COURSE my sick and fevered brain immediately started to think I could mimic the setting of the game using Mutant Future. I'm a wackjob and a glutton for punishment. 

Anyway, that's all for now. Have a great Father's Day tomorrow, all you male Dad gamers out there!

Of Gaming, Raging, and the Dying Light

Did you ever watch professional wrestling, especially the old WWF?

Do you remember those matches were the "good" wrestler (aka the Face) would be nearly defeated, on his knees, being beaten down by the "bad guy" (aka the Heel)?

Do you remember how the Face would suddenly get a burst of defiance that made him seemingly invulnerable, shrugging off the blows of an unbelieving Heel? How the good guy would rise to his feet again, eyes wide with righteous fury as he shook his head at the now-ineffectual attacks of his enemy?

I want to be the Face. Only instead of wrestling, my arena is roleplaying.

I'm being eaten alive, folks. From the inside out. Sound dramatic? Perhaps. I AM indeed a dramatic person, and I'm not ashamed of it. What is life if not spiced with a dramatic flair, I ask you?

The Curse of the Collector

Over the last few months, I've become increasingly worried about myself. I've taken to staring at my RPG and board game collection longingly. I never wanted to become one of those sad ex-gamers who just collects games but never plays them...but I fear I AM becoming one after all.

You see, I'm still collecting RPGs. I just invested in two more games in the last week or so. One of them is the latest incarnation of the Lone Wolf Adventure Game box set (just the words "box set" make me incredibly happy and tingly with excitement...no sweeter words exist for an old-school gamer than box set, IMHO...) The other game is the new edition of Warriors of the Red Planet.

What made me buy these latest games? When it comes to Lone Wolf (which I just featured in my first-ever unboxing video), the justifications leaped through my mind: "It's very rules light, you could get a game up and running in no time! Come on, man, let's play SOMETHING already! Let's play with your kids, with your old friends, with SOMEBODY! Call that FLGS a few towns over and tell them you want to use their space and get some new players! Gimme a fix, man!"

Yes, a fix. I'm in withdrawal. The simpler the game, the more likely I could fit some sessions into my schedule! I love everything I've seen of Warriors of the Red Planet, but seriously I don't think I could handle even the relative simplicity of those rules (which I would say are no more complicated than Basic/Expert D&D).  Lone Wolf seems my most likely path!

Farewell to All Things Fun in West Berlin

I've also been depressed by the fact that my beloved All Things Fun game store in West Berlin, New Jersey has closed its doors. There are so few of those incredible FLGS havens in my neck of the woods, the closing of one is a huge blow to the gaming community here. 

During the several years I was gaming there with friends on Wednesday nights, a grand time was had by all! I hadn't played an RPG for years, and ATF was the perfect place to return to the hobby and meet new gamers. It's also the place where I got to game with some of my favorite game creators, the Troll Lords!

Fare thee well, All Things Fun! I salute you!

The Gamer Shall Rise Again!

But forget all the hand-wringing, the gnashing of teeth, and the lamentations you just read! I'm determined to rage against the dying of the gaming light! As the roleplaying gods are my witness, I'll never go gameless again! 

It's time to rally like the Ultimate Warrior! 

It's time to kick ass like Ragnar Lothbrok (did I mention a new season of Vikings starts tonight)! 

It's time to fight on! To roll on! TO GAME ON!

Thanks for indulging me. If you're feeling something similar to what I'm experiencing, I'd love to hear from you!

I already miss the holidays...

Like the "Gingerbread" Princess pictured above, I'm lamenting the passing of the holiday season! But I should not despair, because I got a lot of gaming product goodness over the last couple weeks. Not only did I get a copy of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Rules & Magic hardcover, but I also received my Chained Coffin box set from Goodman Games! I'm going to make myself feel better by delving into those goodies this week! Stay tuned...oh, and happy new year!

Belated End-of-Week Elmore (6/13/14)

"Ouchy! That looks real painful! And gross! I threw up in my mouth a little..."

Ugh, folks. Just ugh. I feel like the "snake arm" guy in the illo above: under the weather with a serious ailment. But instead of, er, snake arm syndrome, I've got a fever for success. It's taking up a good amount of time, but it's all worth it. I know I've been singing this same old song for some time now, but the price I'm paying for my current strivings has a sting that won't go away: I've had to all but eliminated my roleplaying time.

Anyway, just feeling a bit "lamenty" after a long and busy work week last week. I was so wrapped up in a deadline that I missed my Friday Elmore post last week. So, to rectify, here is my Elmore post for last Friday, the 13th no less!

Have a great week, one and all!

End-of-Week Elmore (11/8/13)

*sigh* I really miss roleplaying. But it's my own damn fault. I won't go into my sob story again. I don't want to bore you, because I already wailed, moaned, and gnashed my teeth about it last week.

 

I'm still firmly on the path of change and self-discovery that I've set myself upon, of course. The path that has hobbled my roleplaying career. I know it will be worth the sacrifice. But I can't help but feel a bit of unhappiness when it comes to cessation of most of my roleplaying activities, not to mention being able to participate in the RPG blog community.

 

In other words, I have the feeling that, after three years or so, my adventure "once more unto the breach" of roleplaying has come to an end...for now. I still feel so newly returned to the hobby, and yet another hiatus looms ahead. It's scary.

 

I know, I'm a grown man and I'm talking about a hobby here, right? But still...I've never been able to shake the feeling of missing out, of not having the social and creative outlet of roleplaying.

 

Ah well. I believe I'll come back to the table-top now and then, and perhaps even make a triumphant return someday. Until then, I'll keep my fingers on the pulse of the hobby as best I can.

 

Until next time, happy gaming all, and role some dice for me.

End-of-Week Swanland (10/18/13)

Lack of focus is my great nemesis in this life.

 

Perhaps it's Adult ADD. Perhaps not. I've never been formally diagnosed.

 

But, here I am today, having jumped onto another book in my library...having jumped away from my long, slow reading of Jack Vance's Dying Earth. It was back in May that I vowed, after Mr. Vance's death, to finally finish reading his Dying Earth tales.

 

Sooo, yeah...now it's October. And I'm not done reading Mr. Vance's seminal work.

 

Oops.

 

I'm also jumping around between various other fiction and non-fiction works.

 

Oops again.

 

So, I've resolved to give myself some reading structure. I'm going to push myself to start reading all the books I haven't read in my collection, using my bookcases at home as a guide. Meaning, I'm starting with the books on the top of my bookcase, and reading only what's on that shelf until all the books there are done. Then I will move down to the next shelf, and so on.

 

I am DETERMINED to do this! I am determined to find the time to read again. If this means less TV and other distractions, all the better, right?

 

Wish me luck. Oh, this brings me back to the cover art for the Chronicles of the Black Company omnibus. Surreal art by Raymond Swanland. Initially, as I saw Mr. Swanland's work begin to grace fantasy book covers, I was a bit turned off by his pieces. But his work has grown on me.

 

Folks, I hope you have a great weekend! If you're going to be gaming, roll some dice for me!

So, I got Playing at the World from the library...

...you know, that book about the origins of wargames and RPGs? Well, I borrowed it from the Texas A&M University library, to be precise. The funny thing is, I live in South Jersey.

Welcome to the wonderful world of interlibrary loan!

 

Or maybe it's not so wonderful. Because, well, you'd think that they'd give me, oh, at least three weeks (the usual timeframe for checking out a book) to read the thing. Note that the book (correction: TOME!) is over 600 pages of dense, dense text. How dense? Here's a typical two-page spread:

Wow. I really didn't know how, um, scholarly (text book-y?) Playing at the World was going to be. Oh well, I'm going to get through as much as I can before I need to give it back.

 

Oh, right, speaking of giving it back...well, how wonderful is it that my local library system has a delightfully cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all lending policy with regard to interlibrary loan? Meaning that no matter how big or dense a book may be, all you get is two weeks. So, you can get Playing at the World or, let's say, Oh the Thinks you can Think by Dr. Seuss (a personal fave). It doesn't matter that one dwarfs the other. You get two weeks.

 

Nevermind how much it must have cost the library to ship Playing at the World to my local branch for pick-up, etc. Right? Two weeks. Makes total sense.

 

Some of you might already be saying "go buy the book you cheap bastard if you want ample time to read it." Sure, sure. Of course I could do that.

 

Or, you know, libraries could start making sense in how they lend books.

 

Enough bitching, I have reading to do...wish me luck.

"Two weeks!"

 

End-of-Week Elmore (8/30/13)

Hmm, decisions, decisions...

Well met, folks. We're on the cusp of the Labor Day holiday. Over the long weekend, I plan to meditate and reflect on my roleplaying situation and aspirations. I want to go through the bounty of books in my lair, get them organized, and perhaps dispel a bit of the gamer ADD that's come over me again of late. I find that reading through the RPGs that are calling out to me often silences the siren call I hear.

 

I have to say, I'm not sure if my ADD is limited to just gaming, but that's a whole other conversation. Regardless, I felt like my gamer ADD was in check for a while. But, it's starting to creep back into my system. I'm feeling frustrated with myself, to be honest. I am trying to be happy and thankful for my very good gaming situation. I have a good group that I roleplay with on a pretty regular basis. I have a cool collection of game books to inspire me.

 

But I think I have some hiccup in my mentality toward RPGs that makes the proliferation of RPGs (both in my personal collection and out there in the world) into a major distraction for me. I try to sit back and tell myself that there's no rush for me to try out the different systems on my shelves. There's no "deadline" that will herald the end of my gaming career (that I know of). But assurances such as this just don't seem to stick.

 

Thus, the Elmore illo above - which depicts what appears to be indecisive adventurers - seems appropriate. Ah well, let's be real: I could have much bigger and real problems. So it's really no big deal, in the end. Talk about a First-World "problem." So, of course, this is all mostly self-deprecation, as is my habit.

 

I think there's going to be a longer post coming soon, where I might just ask you all to be a gestalt therapist for yours truly! Until then, I'm going to try and find some peace!

End-of-Week Elmore (8/8/13)

Another busy Friday, folks. August in general is always a hectic month for yours truly. Today, I am feeling a bit blue, perhaps as a result of how busy I am. Maybe I'm not quite as blue as the peeps in the illo above, but I can relate, you know? ;-) Unlike them, however, my "blueness" will eventually wear off! 

 

Anyway, there have been some developments on the campaign front for me and my regular gaming group, but I don't have time to get into all that at the moment. Details on the changes are forthcoming. Stay tuned, and until then, happy gaming!

(Belated) End-of-Week Elmore (7/5/13)

Um...no thanks.

 

Hi, kids. Sorry I missed posting my EoWE last Friday. Fourth of July, and all that jazz. Blame the founding fathers. Anyway, I'm sure nobody was devastated by the delay.

 

Sooooo...there's some stuff on my mind...where to start? Let me just get into it:

 

I'm getting more and more frustrated with myself, when it comes to roleplaying. I'm getting tired of the little pestering voice inside my head that continually insists that I must stick to D&D and all its incarnations. I'm getting sick and tired, folks.

 

I mean, forget Gamer ADD. I think I have a serious case of Gamer OCD. I'm not kidding.

 

OK, time for some self-brainstorming:

• I think I need a break from high fantasy (the illo above screams high fantasy to me...and is giving me the shakes from the overload!)
• Despite the little D&D voice inside, I'm getting tired of (what I consider to be) the clunky-ness of D&D's mechanics. This even extends to the Troll Lord Games flavor of D&D (i.e. Castles & Crusades), which is arguably a more streamlined version of the rules (with a unified, "roll-high" mechanic).
• I need to keep chanting some sort of mantra regarding how I shouldn't be fixated on needing the old-school art to inspire me. I just need to streamline that statement into a non-awkward mantra!
• Seriously, I'm really feeling dumb when it comes to my obsession with art and roleplaying.  
• I need to stop letting all the fiction I read (especially fantasy fiction) influence what I want to do with games I am running/want to run. I mean, I can get ideas from what I read, but I shouldn't feel like "I need to run a game in this novel's world!" I have a tendency to do that...a tendency that extends back from my present all the way to my first days of roleplaying as a teenager.

All of the above, to me, are tell-tale signs that my nostalgia is shifting over to the "bad" kind. The kind that is stunting my enjoyment of roleplaying.

 

I am primarily a GM by nature. I am most comfortable and happy when running games. But I think it's time that I give myself over to my yearnings to run something other than D&D or any of its clones.

 

That's why I was so intrigued when, during a recent conversation with the proprietor of my FLGS, the topic of Dragon Age RPG came up. I've talked on this blog about my strong interest in Dragon Age. Well, my recent conversation involved the possibility of running some Dragon Age in order to drum up interest in the system. Color me intrigued, to say the least...

 

Man, I really want Green Ronin to put out a non-setting-specific version of their AGE System. I really like the system. It hits some good mechanics spots for me, it seems. Reading them, I feel like they would be fairly easy for me to adjudicate. I think this is all a function of my current life situation. For me, D&D requires more mental jujitsu to adjudicate things on the fly. C&C is much easier than traditional D&D and clones like Labyrinth Lord when it comes to rulings. But, Dragon Age appears to make things even easier to rule when players do what they do best: throw you curveballs. I want a system that allows me to look forward to those curveballs, rather than worry about how I'm going to handle them. I think Dragon Age will help me love the curveballs again.

 

Anyway...this is all not to say that I'm washing my hands of D&D-type games forever. Perish the thought. BUT, I do think I need to take a break from them.

 

OK, time to go meditate...

End-of-Week Elmore (6/14/13)

"Oh my god! He killed Aleena!" "You bastard!"

 

I think I'm shallow. At least, when it comes to Dungeons & Dragons. Or maybe I'm not.

 

Perhaps I'm just nostalgic. Or maybe I'm not. Or maybe I am, and that's just friggin' fine.

 

You may be wondering what in the world I'm talking about here. Well, I know I've talked on this blog before about a yearning to run some Basic D&D action using the original rule books, specifically the Mentzer version of the game. At the moment, I'm running the Moldvay/Cook/Marsh analogue that is Labyrinth Lord. And while I'm having a good time, there's still something missing.

 

Once again, I'm thinking that I have a nagging, internal insistence that I use the Mentzer-era books I own to run/play Basic D&D. Note: when I talk about my Mentzer books, I'm referring to spiral-bound print-outs of the Basic and Expert books, and my old cherished copy of the Rules Cyclopedia.

 

You know, for a little while I was feeling sorta ashamed to say that my yearning is perhaps born, at least in part, from nostalgia. We all know that the n-word is indeed a dirty word to some members of the OSR community. But you know what? I don't give a damn. Who the hell am I trying to impress? I'm not trying to win a popularity contest here. I'm trying to play some f-ing Dungeons & Dragons (and who plays D&D to be popular, anyway)?

 

Why do I want to use the original rules, Mentzer in particular? Here's why:

• I want to see Elmore's art while I'm flipping through the books (unless I'm using my copy of the Rules Cyclopedia, which means I'll be seeing Terry Dykstra's art, which is also just fine by me). His art is closely tied to my gaming origins, and I get a deep-seated, positive visceral feeling when I see his work. Nostalgia, perhaps, but I don't really care.
• I want to read the game in Mentzer's vernacular, and experience the "archaic" layout (and damn the vaunted streamlined organization of retroclones!). Nostalgia, perhaps, but I don't really care.
• I have the old books (or printed PDF versions, at least) and want to use them.

Ok, so there, alright? Screw it, I want to use the old books and it's probably from some sort of nostalgia as well as a bit of practicality, since I want to use what I own.

The only real reason I'm not running a game with the old books right now is the fact that I'm running games at my FLGS, and the proprietors want people to run games that are in print (and therefore can be purchased from the store). I respect this requirement entirely, but it doesn't mitigate my desire!

I want the "gravitas" and the "warm and fuzzies" that come from playing Classic Dungeons & Dragons with the actual books from days of yore! And I don't care who knows!

End-of-Week Elmore (5/24/13)

Greetings, folks. I know, I know, it seems that all I've been doing of late is posting these End-of-Week things. I apologize profusely for my lack of blogging fecundity (not that I've ever been all that fecund).

 

Like the handsome fellow in the illo above, I hope to return from the "dead" soon, when it comes to roleplaying and blogging. Getting acclimated to the new job is taking up most of my time these days. So, I've been missing game nights as well as posting my Elmore-worshipping blog filler.

 

Please believe me when I say that I want to turn things around ASAP!

 

With regard to the blog, I've been looking back over things and I realized that I haven't done a lot of product reviews on this blog. I would really like to do some of those, especially for products that haven't been reviewed to death already (such as the OOP D&D stuff or the more high-profile OSR stuff). For example, I'd really like to give a detailed review of what is probably a hidden gem at the moment: Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures by Flatland Games. Do yourself a favor and google that, when you get a moment. I'd also like to review some fiction and maybe some film (again, perhaps the more obscure offerings).

 

As for roleplaying itself, I think I'm almost ready to sit back down in the GM's chair (I really, really miss it). Once that happens, I would definitely like to start blogging about what happens at my sessions, both in terms of play reports as well as thoughts that occur to me pertaining to the GMing craft.

 

That's all for now, good people! I hope you have a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

End-of-Week Elmore (4/12/13)

Yes, I know it's really the 14th, and I missed the 12th. But, better late than never. 

Anyway, I miss roleplaying. A lot. I've been taking some classes and getting into some other activities that have taken me away from my Wednesday night game for some time now. I really am down about it. Also, I'm really considering getting out of my current job, due to excessive bullcrap they're pulling on me. But, my current work is near my favorite FLGS, and if I no longer worked there the trip out to said FLGS would probably be too far to justify. Bummers all around.

The Elmore piece above makes me think fondly of some good old fashioned adventuring in far away worlds. 

I'm still crafting my Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day blog post, so that at least is cheering me up!

End-of-Week Elmore (1/18/13)

Chaos! Argh! This illo gives you an idea of how I'm feeling at the moment. I'm in the middle of a battle involving work deadlines! So just a short note this week. Blech! Yes, the image above is one that Larry did for Everquest. Note the iconic scantily clad elf wizard lady. I know, an Elmore illo with alluring ladies in revealing outfits?! How unusual! Well, enjoy, hope your week wasn't as busy as mine, and happy gaming! 

End-of-Week CALDWELL (1/4/13)

"Welcome back to work. Now that you're safely chained to your desk again,
I want that proposal by close of business today. Or your soul is mine!"

Thank the good spirits this is a short work week! I'm definitely not ready yet to return to work after time off for the holidays, so I've had to slog through the last three days. Fake it 'til you make it, right?

This week's art selection is from Clyde Caldwell instead of Mr. Elmore. This is because the Caldwell illo above illustrates how I feel at the old workplace today. I should probably see this new year as a chance to reflect on my dissatisfaction with my overall career "choice." I put "choice" in quotes because, upon reflection, I sort of meandered into my current career rather than taking an active approach to finding a career that I really enjoy. I've just sort of followed a path of least resistance, in my estimation.

It might be time to correct my wandering career path, and take some steps to redirect the trajectory of the rest of my working life (which, based on current Social Security projections for the future and the pitiful 401Ks in this country, will probably be the rest of my natural life).

Who knows, maybe someday I'll have a career that will eliminate my hatred of Mondays. I was going to say "one can dream" but that's probably one of the roots of my dilemma: too much dreaming, not enough doing.

Status Update: I don't know how to quit you, Dungeons & Dragons!

 

Greetings and salutations, fellow RPG-philes. Thought I'd check in with a good-old status update.

 

I've almost managed to shake a lingering monster-cold. Still have a bit of a cough, but the most annoying thing is the sore throat that's still hanging on. Seriously, you don't know how effortless swallowing is until the time when it feels like you're trying to ingest sharp-edged Legos. And I just don't get the sheer "physics" of sore throats. In the space of a few minutes the soreness can move from one side of the throat to the other, while you're just sitting there and not even swallowing. And sometimes the pain extends into the tongue. Ah well, it's almost gone, so whatever.

 

The good news is that I'm actually going to make it to my Wednesday night game at the FLGS tonight! I haven't run my current C&C campaign since the 24th of October (due to Superbitch Sandy and her crappy aftermath as well as my bout of plague). So I'm finally going to scratch the gaming itch!

 

Speaking of the itch, let me elaborate on the title of this post. As I lamented in a prior post, I'm still a victim of an unrelenting obsessive attachment to Dungeons & Dragons and its many clones. I'm still dreaming about running other systems and other genres besides fantasy (using Savage Worlds to run a cyberpunk or space opera game is still high on my RPG bucket list, and I'm reading through my copy of Heroes & Other Worlds and liking it a lot.) BUT there's always this rogue thought pattern that comes crashing back to the front of my mind, screaming "How dare you even THINK about running anything but D&D?!"

Yes, it does seem like my subconscious is totally fine with me being a player of other systems and other genres. It's me thinking of running something besides D&D that seems to induce an involuntary brain malfunction. Really strange. I'm trying to ruminate on this personal phenomenon but haven't made any headway. Might be time to head back to the shrink. Just need to find one willing to talk about Dungeons & Dragons. ;-)

All joking aside, I hope to return to some more substantial posting someday soon. As is the case with most folks this time of year, the holidays mess everything the hell up, so who knows when I can make good on that promise. I'll be in touch. Until then, happy gaming to all, and to all a good day!

Laid low by illness...

This is just a short post to apologize for my silence over the last few days. I've been afflicted with the mother of all colds, it seems. Right now I am experiencing the wonderful sensation of pain radiating through my cheeks and teeth, courtesy of some inflamed sinuses! Awesome-sauce, as the kids say these days.

Anyway, I hope to be able to post something of substance soon. I got my hands on a copy of Heroes & Other Worlds and would like to post something about it this week, health permitting. Stay tuned...