Does your Spouse/Significant other game with you?

[thud13x]

I am asking this question because my wife and I will be joining a campaign in about a months time, and I was wondering how many people and their spouses/SO's game together, don't game, met their spouses/SOs during a game, and why. I have known a number of couples who have gamed together and a lot of gamers who had what you would call a hard time justifying their hobby to said spouse or significant other.

Opinions, experiences, rants are welcome. Just remember, be kind, rewind.

 

[ancient_ones]

Yes my girlfriend games with me she enjoys playing so it's never been an issue with us.

 

[mythago]

Not so much anymore, due to babysitting requirements. But we have in the past. Hell, we've played <I>Amber</I> in the past, so you can imagine how well this relationship works!

I did have an unfortunate situation with an ex who just couldn't handle being outwitted in <I>Warrior Knights</I>. Boy, was that ever a red flag.

What you have to avoid, IMO, are two pitfalls:

1) Not separating the PCs from the players.

2) Using roleplaying as a cover for real-life issues.


I hope that makes sense. IOW, one shouldn't get mad because the SO's cleric treats you as just another member of the group, and an unbeliever at that. But you do have to watch out for personal stuff getting expressed with a thin veneer of roleplaying. I've seen unfortunate situations where players grasped at roleplaying straws and rules-lawyering to "explain" their PC's behavior. You know: I let his character die because he didn't show bravery in battle! It has nothing to do with us having a three-day argument about whose job it is to mow the lawn!

 

[kengar]

My wife started gaming about two years ago. I usually DM our group but not always, so we've gamed together as players & as DM-player.

 

[thud13x]

See I knew I forgot to add a sentence...

The reason I ask this is because... well how to put this nicely... wait, my wife does not read this... My wife will starting this new campaign as being her second one so far. Our first campaign together was back home in Iowa City with a friend from work, his wife, and two other guys. It was a FR campaign with some changes done by the GM. My wife loves animals and being her first campaign, I tried to very helpful. So after a while she choose to be an female elven druid of Eldath named Ella Moonflower. Great! Good first character starting at 7th level, right? Well, my wife knows how I love to add to the character by having a back story, a reason for adventuring. I told it could anything she wanted. Now, the jury is still out on if this was the best thing to say because she decided to play a lesbian character. No problem there. The whole group is pretty liberal, as am I on this. The "interesting" part came when she decided to give her character a chastity belt that just happened to be cursed by a dark evil god! Of course the evil smile that came across the GM's face did kinda of scare me.

Please don't get me wrong, it was a fun, mature yet at times silly game. For example my wife decides in the middle of a fight with about 10 ghosts to flash them with her chastity belt. Well they ended up being all sucked into a jewel on said belt. She also melted a Red Dragon with said belt and was on its way on becoming a dracolich if not for some divine intervention. Since we were moving to the DC Metro area, our GM took over our characters and from what I hear her character is now a pain in the party's side. But, hey she has to be cool, she married me after all.

I am looking forward/dreading to her ideas for this next campaign. Love, what a wonderful thing!

 

[Silver Moon]

Yes, big time. She was one of the founding players in our group, 21 years ago, before we even started to date. There were even times after we "broke up" that we were not speaking to each other, but did not let that enter into the role playing at the weekly game. We've now been married for 13 happy years. We used to alternate gaming locations, but now with three youngsters we play at our house all the time. The kids bedtime is the same as the game start time, so that does not become an issue. I would strongly encourage your to bring your significant other to the games.

 

[Airwolf]

Mrs. Airwolf plays with my group. I DM about a third of the time, the rest spent playing so we have worked as DM/PC and PC/PC.
I even killed her character once (try to avoid this if possible ).

We finally found a character just right for her, a bard. She loves to break out in song IRL, so she is a perfect fit for the bard class. She sometimes brings her old recorder from grade school and plays it while we game.

 

[Garmorn]

Yes, my wife games. I was going to quite at one point. She is far more hooked on it then I am. I have to be carefull when I DM or she would have me answering background questions 24/7.

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

Yep, my wife games with our group.

Her character has even "slept" with a couple of the characters during different campaigns (in game, mind you )

Doesn't bother me. Most of my group I consider family, and so does she. (does that make it incest??)

Anyhow, she loves to kick some ass....

Thanks!

Taren Nighteyes

 

[Utrecht]

Not yet, but she wants to - I have bought the WotC Started kit to teach her the game......

Now all we have to do is find the time.