Note: Completely non-gamer interest related but this made my day so I had to share.

Brief background: My father's native language is not English (though mine is, and we both live in the U.S. so it is the common language spoken around here). So growing up I heard my fair share of silly cross-cultural and cross-language weirdness. Such as my father asking me for a torch (flashlight) and I get a mental image of pulling this tar-tipped flaming stick from my pocket, or telling me to put stuff in the car's dicky (that's trunk). Or, other times, he will hear a word that day and, thinking it sounds smart, he'll use it but in a completely wrong way. He is also quick to raise his voice when he's frustrated.

So I am in the car with him, talking over some travel plans. After 5 minutes of discussing basics, he turns to me and asks and odd question. What follows is the gist of our conversation

Dad: So, do you have your travel rooster?

Me: (silent pause thinking I miss heard him) Sorry I didn't hear you because of the traffic. What was that?

Dad: Your rooster, do you have your travel rooster?

Me: I'm sorry, I am not following what you're asking for. (rolling up car window for the least distractions possible) my what?

Dad: Your rooster. (voice raising slightly) Your travel rooster!

Me: (speaking in his own native language, so that you would also change language and perhaps be able to convey his meaning more clearly) I really don't know what you're asking for. I'm sorry. Could you describe what it is?

Dad: (not following my lead and still speaking in English; voice raised high as if the level of his anger would some how make it more clear) I said your travel rooster, (he then switches to his naive language to call me an idiot, then switches back to English), do you have it?

(Followed by ten minutes of awkward silence)

Me: Do you mean travel roster?

Dad: Yes. Do you have it?

After I got out of the car, and my father wasn't standing there, I burst out laughing. My mind kept racing with all the possibilities of what a "travel rooster" could be.

Could it be a pocket-sized rooster bred especially for traveling as carry-on luggage. "Please stow your rooster in the bin above you or under the seat in front of you."

Could it be a hefty plump rooster that you ride like a horse?

What ever it is, I plan on having travel roosters in my next D&D campaign. What do you think of when you think of "travel rooster?"

fba827

As the 827 in my screen name might suggest, today (Aug 27) is my birthday.

Happy Birthday to me!

fba827

One problem with having a lot of players who have real lives is scheduling.

In hindsight, I really should have stuck with my initial plan to make this more episodic (several loosely strung together adventures... think Justice League) so that we could pick up and go with whomever was free at the time - be it 2 players or 5.

After all, the purpose of this was to be "filler" in between our main campaign with the other DM. I guess part of me was swayed by what I presumed the players would enjoy more.. and, truthfully, I think they are enjoying serialized style more, but I have to wonder if the extended breaks between sessions makes this a worthwhile style or not for the current situation.

I have to say, I haven't been this anxious to run a game in a long while -- I am very curious to see where the players will go with the story from where they are. It's already been almost a month, and it looks like it will be another month before we play my campaign.

Of course, if I was actually working these days, then I would have other stuff on my mind and wouldn't be as mentally consumed about my campaign as I am now... so I guess it's good that it's slow now because if I do get a job then I'd have to slow it up to compensate... this way, everything remains "status quo"

fba827

Mixing worlds with other DMs....

As a random comment, our group's main campaign DM asked if we wanted to combine the worlds upon which our two games ran... since it seems we have a similar power-hungry figure.

I was about to say sure, but then I realized, my entire campaign is based on the effects that this power-hungry figure had on the world, and the PCs dealing with the effects or cleaning them up, so to speak.

So I thought it would be a little tricky if he did one thing I can't easily accommodate, or if I did something that he couldn't easily accommodate...

If my campaign was less focused around this particular figure, I would have said yes, without question -- seems like it would be fun and less work since we could share some maps and what not. Plus, in theory, our creativity could further each of our campaigns (some feature he adds that I figure a new use for, and visa versa).

I wonder how well it's worked for other people ?

Yes, I know it's mentioned in the DMG, just wondering in terms of actual practice what others' experiences may be/may have been.

fba827

After dealing with a particular player, for my own catharsis, based on actual experiences with a humorous spin, it's time for an episode of Good Idea / Bad Idea :-D

Good Idea: Stating the reason you want to do things is to have a little in-character conflict
My PC will still not trust this other PC to hold the all-powerful artifact. Therefore, my PC will plan to challenge his PC for the right to hold the artifact as they take it to safety

Bad Idea: Stating the reason you want to do things is to annoy certain players
My PC will do (action) because I want to see the look on (player's name) when I piss him off, and then I'll keep doing it because it's what my PC would do... but it will just tickle me to see (player) be pissed all the time and not be able to do anything about it because it was the character's actions

Good idea: Having personal goals and ambitions for your character
I want to start a store

Bad Idea: directly stating that you want your personal goals and ambitions to be the focus of the entire game (that makes a better book rather than group game).
They can keep doing whatever, but for the whole campaign i want to stay in the city and build up my store...so who is a good tailor to talk to in town about drapes for the windows of the store?

Good Idea: wanting to be active during the game session
oh, what's this and what's going on? and i was a little unclear on this point ...

Bad Idea: constantly interrupting the DM or other players when they are in the middle of sentences
I know my PC is doing this for an hour, and I know you're in the middle of talking to someone else to explain important things, but what color eyes does the guy I'm flirting with at the bar have?

Good idea: coming up with creative ways to do things
i will mage hand the sunrod to the ceiling so everyone can see the whole room

Bad Idea: coming up with creative ways to do things, asking for exceptions so that it will work the way you want it to, and then asking if you can do certain exploits on the exception you just asked for
I will mage hand the sunrod to the ceiling, i know you said the ceiling is low but can there be a little nook for it to get higher? Yes? okay, I then start shooting at that nook since it must be a weak spot in the ceiling in order to make the room cave in

Good Idea: asking for details to make your game experience more fun
I like writing down NPC info so that I can keep track of who our contacts are ...

Bad Idea: not listening to the DM when he says that is too much unnecessary detail, and still asking the exact same question over and over
Okay, that many names isn't necessary to keep track of? fine... but can you then tell me the occupations of the 30 people at the bar at least... and since we're at it, names and descriptions?

Good Idea: having whatever creative background you want, whether it be happy or gloomy
My PC was in a city that was attacked by the tyrant's army. everyone except my PC was killed, instead she was kept in a side tent as a "prize" for one of the patrolmen. After being raped, she was able to barely escape ...

Bad Idea: choosing to go for a gloomy background and then giving 4 pages dedicated solely to fictional rape scenes including body part names, how much semen was excreted, and descriptions of positions the PC was held down in along with how much blood drained out by having a cherry popped.
I'm from a small town that was attacked by the army. (followed by 4 pages of erotic fiction with a rape fetish here) followed by one sentence "and then after 2 weeks of running she made it to the city. -- I don't care if that's what you're in to.. but, for this game, really, 99% of your 4 page background shouldn't be the details of your rape scene and how you clutched the bed with each thrust and only 1 % about being from a town and then escaping.

Good Idea: Being excited about the game even when not at the game
oh, it was cool when this happened...and Sigfried, what a pudgy halfling NPC! he had a lot of spunk for an old guy, jumping down in to the sewers after us like that despite his high position

Bad Idea: Being so excited that the DM's stomach turns at the thought of opening his email from you with 30 unnecessary questions

Worse Idea: Being so excited you acknowledge, and then ignore, it when the DM tells you he's kind of busy this week but will still answer your questions if you can focus them down a little and save the rest for the game day

Good Idea: Wanting your character to grow and get stuff
Oooooh, we gained experience points and found a lifedrinker +1!

Bad Idea: Telling the DM all the reasons you are owed experience and items during your first level.
So we just started.. but I'm a rogue and I want to get my +5 dagger of ultimate doom and destruction now. let's see, since she has been in city for a month, she probably has a sugardaddy by now. a sugardaddy would want to dress up his prize in nice clothes and jewelry. so i want to go sell the jewelry he gave me in order bribe some people to get the blueprints to the houses in the rich district. then i can start breaking in to them until i find the +5 dagger of ultimate doom and destruction that i want. oh, and all that flirting i did in the bar was some serious roleplaying so that's got to be worth at least 500 experience points.. i am adding that to my sheet. Let me know if it's more than that, 'cause I may level up again!

This concludes this episode of Good Idea / Bad Idea. Happy Gaming!

fba827

I know this really depends on the player, but, geez, how many times do I have to run in to a male player who insists that his female character is a slut that uses sex to get what she wants?



Really people, we're not ten years old. Let's grow up a little.

fba827

I am in that special kind of (hades' domain) that only some other DMs can fully understand.

There is a person in the group that is so exceptionally demanding on time and detail both in and out of the game.

He is a nice enough person, so I am trying my hardest to be patient and accommodate... but, all I can say is, I better be on some list for sainthood.

I'll leave out the details since I guess in the end it won't matter. I just needed to vent...


Aaarrrg!


To all DMs that know my pain, you have my sympathies.

Okay, thanks for reading. Carry on with your day.

fba827

I admit, at first I disliked the series. Not based on it's merits, but rather only by seeing the commercials -- the animation style just seemed like a style that generally does not appeal to me (the lead character has arrows drawn on him for goodness sake!).

Shame on me!

On a random whim, I gave an episode a try... before I knew it, I was watching all the episodes to catch up! I love interconnected plots, consistent worlds, and complex evolving characters -- this show had it all.

So, I wanted to go on public record to apologize for my hasty judgment based on the commercials alone.

The series finale aired this past weekend. I thought it served well as a finale: it tied up all sorts of story lines, it had epic-level action and conflict, and it made reference to all the past episodes and characters that they met along the way.

So, for what it's worth, I give this series an A.

---
This is the part where a G.I.Joe team member walks out from behind the computer screen saying

GIJoe: This is why you should never judge a book by it's cover.

To which I would reply: And now I know

GIJoe: And knowing is half the battle

(start up music theme here... )

fba827

Our game group has a non-regular meet up schedule, which probably averages to about once a month now (some months we met more often, some months not at all).

This weekend, since some of us can get together, I (for whatever reason that can only be explained by insanity) offered to DM a side game.

This will help me scratch that itch I've had to roll dice, and I feel good that it will give our regular DM a chance to play. But, wow, I'm feeling so.... nervous and excited at the same time over the prospect of DMing my first 4e game.

Last time I DMed was 10 years ago with AD&D and my campaigns were heavily detailed, interconnecting plots. I feel so rusty and my head is already swarming with all these things I feel like I must do (for instance, my brain doesn't let me put in a monster/encounter/treasure without there being reason for it to be there for the purpose of the adventure/dungeon/etc, and I must have backup plans in case the players don't follow the leads to the preplanned ideas).

At the same time, it will be exciting as a creative outlet and to see how the story in my head plays out at the table...

Ah well, wish me luck ...

fba827