[Comic] Friends, parents and girl/boyfriend reactions to RPG

[MadLuke]

Hi guys,
I propose a sort of poll that I've already done among the companions of my group: usually people close to you who DO NOT play rpg, how they react when they see you're busy updating your character sheet, roll dices, to browse a manual, or send an email to the DM with "arcane" contents?

They're looking disconsolate air, they ask you if you joined a cult, what else?

My experiences:

1) last week, my girlfriend after she read a post (PBF), where my female bard flirted with two rangers: I'm getting bored, you do the bitch at any time but without never get a ! Tell the DM to wake up a bit!

2) And then always, when she needs something but I'm busy in my room: could I disturb you or are you getting in with your "dragons and witches"?

3) the mother of my friend at whose house we were used to play D&D, sometimes she went into the kitchen for her business, and before leaving: "May the force be with you!" We dumb, so: "has nothing to do, is not it?"

Bye, MadLuke.

 

[Sekhmet]

My family has has been playing for 30 years, so no surprises there.

When I told my (now) wife about it years ago, she was very curious.
Every single one of her friends thought it was weird or stupid.

My favorite quote regarding the situation is when I met a group of her Navy buddies a few months ago. Walk in, hand them a bottle of 28 year old Glen Moray, have a wonderful evening. While I was in the head, I hear the following.

Wife: So, what do you guys think?
Friend 1: He's cool.
Friend 2: Are you sure he plays that weird Satan game?
Friend 2's husband: He seems so normal!

 

[Duke Arioch]

When I met my wife, she was already a metalhead and played P&P RPGs, including D&D, Vampire: The Masquerade, Star Wars d20, and others. So, no strange reactions there.

However, my parents couldn't simply grasp the idea of me not leaving behind "childish games". And, the funniest reaction I got from them is when my mom found my FCII Tot9H while she was visiting (I was at college then), and asked me if I was a cult follower, what with the music I am listening (death and black metal) and all. Took me some effort to dissuade her of that notion.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

My wife is in no way interested in playing, and has listened to me and friends talk about it enough to get the gist. She's a general fan of fantasy as a genre, but has never taken to becoming immersed with it in any fashion.

She says it takes too much math and takes way to long to prepare, citing a time she left to go grocery shopping when my friends came over, and returned from shopping more than an hour later in time to hear us say we were all ready to get started.

She has no objections to me playing, and is glad I have something I enjoy.

My sister used to play 2nd edition when we were kids, and I occasionally bounce conceptual ideas of her since she's not familiar with the details of 3.5 rules but she's imaginative enough to help with ideas.

My father is a fan of fantasy, but not really into complicated games. I don't believe my mother and I have ever talked about the subject, she'd likely not get it and possibly would be concerned.

My wife is due to give birth to our first child in 7 weeks. My son will grow up with D&D, I decree it!

 

[kitcik]

My wife played with us back in the day, but gave it up. She is more of a board-gamer, and likes train games (all those 18XX games).

Our friends have known us long enough that they either play or are used to it.

My daughter, now 9, is in my D&D group and is really starting to "get it." She plays a Druid with Knowledge Devotion and that improved summoning feat - she likes to roll a lot.

Where we get the strange reactions is from my daughter's friends' parents. Like one of them will ask Jenny if she wants to have a playdate with their daughter on Friday and Jenny will say she's playing D&D and this weird look comes over their faces.

 

[Gilladian]

My parents played DnD with us for years. My older brother introduced us all to the game just shortly before 1st edition came out...

When we moved to Texas I remember the first thing he told us was that there was a game shop in town where they played DnD.

The next year, I met my now-husband there, and our first date was to a DnD game at a friend's house.

To this day, I play DnD with my brother online, and my husband face-to-face, nearly every week.

At work, my co-workers turn to me for all fantasy and gaming related issues. It helps that I'm the Teen Librarian, so the gaming blends in with the anime, manga, steampunk, and crafts...

 

[Herzog]

I must say, it sometimes makes people curious, most notably when I was reading through my (then new) AD&D monstrous manual in the train.

However, since I'm also a LARP-er, the reactions to D&D seem mild compared to people wondering what you are doing when you are creating a chainmail in the bus and on the bus.

I have friends that warn their not-LARPing friends when I and my LARP buddies are to be present on their birthday party. I have experienced birthday parties quite litteraly splitting into two groups because of the radical different subjects of discussion.....

Most of my friends play D&D and/or LARP, and those that don't tend to avoid the subject. I think the period my mother expected me to stop D&D and LARP has passed (39 now) but she still thinks I spend way too much time on it. Given my 2 weekly campaigns, one biweekly campaign, two monthly campaigns and three whenever-we-can-agree-on-a-day campaigns she might be right.....

 

[Noumenon]

The thread title says [comic], I was expecting a webcomic like Order of the Stick. Did you mean it's a [comedy] thread?

 

[MadLuke]

The thread title says [comic], I was expecting a webcomic like Order of the Stick. Did you mean it's a [comedy] thread?

Yes, you're right.

Sorry for my bad english, maybe [Funny] would have been better, and after all I don't if there is a list of available tags for this forum.

Bye, MadLuke.