Gaming in Phoenix, AZ

[RaZZer99]

Mana Werks sounds like it is a bit too far for me. I am coming from the bottom of the 101/202 junction

I'm actually a bit wary of playing at an actual gaming store. Don't have many fond memories of the last time I tried that heh.

Ravenloft sounds cool. Never tried that setting before. Anything D&D or Shadowrun or Call of Cthuhlu is alright with me and would be most interested in playing.

 

[tylermalan]

Dang... so, down in Chandler? If you're in that area, you should definitely check out a couple of the stores, except that groups you meet in stores only ever play in the stores. And really, its not that bad. If you find a store that's set up for it, it's not bad at all (IE, a store that focuses mainly on RPGs). It's actually really good for a couple of things, namely keeping focused on the game. I've found that it's easier for me to focus on the game if I'm not lounging on a couch, falling asleep or something

Right now, the group that I mentioned is playing at one of the players' house, but its on Luke AFB. They could be persuaded, I'm sure, to meet at a more central location. It's too bad that there aren't really any stores that are dead inbetween West and East Phoenix... everything is either really west or really east or north.

 

[Arkhandus]

Don't know anyone out in Chandler, and I don't think anyone else in this thread lives around there, Razzer (though I could be wrong). So you'll probably have to try looking for some game stores in your area and ask around or post a note asking for folks to get together for a D&D or RPG group.

Avondale, where Tyler is, is almost the opposite end of town from Chandler, so that's probably no good. And yeah, ManaWerx and other stores in Phoenix or Glendale are probably rather far for you as well.

Actually, I think it's even farther than coming from Tempe, isn't it? You're probably like a 1 or 2 hour drive away from any of us in Phoenix or Avondale, I'd guess. So you'll need to find a gaming group in your own area. If you post something in a local game store with your phone # or something, you might be able to get some people together for a gaming group. Check the phonebook or whatever for the addresses of any game stores near you.

If you have trouble finding any game stores or gamers in your area (I certainly don't know anything about Chandler), you might do what I did when I moved here. Look for a gaming group over the internet, downloading OpenRPG and joining groups over that virtual tabletop program.

Tyler, aren't you running games with your wife and her friends from work? So what's any of it matter to you?

My group still meets each week at ManaWerx, and for now at least Joe's running an adventure there on Saturdays. For reference, last Saturday was just a busy one because they had a Magic tournament or somesuch. This past Saturday was fairly quiet and half-empty.

 

[RaZZer99]

Hmmm, I don't need something directly in Chandler. I'm happy to drive a reasonable distance for a good game. I just don't want to drive as far as Glendale. Anything in the Chandler/Mesa/Snottsdale/Gilbert/Tempe or possibly even Central Phoenix location would be peachy. I guess the I-17 is kind of where I'd draw the line.

Thanks for the advice though. I'll keep looking online. I'm patient But if any of you have a game on the weekends in the above areas and need another player, please feel free to drop me a line and we'll give it a try.

 

[tylermalan]

I'm not sure, I guess... I mean, I've only played with these guys once, and I'm not actually running the game in this group. Two of the guys are leaving in two months, anyway, so we will need more players, or the remaining players will need a group.

For me, off of Dysart and the I-10, I'm a half-hour drive from Tempe (I work out in Tempe, around McClintock, so I make the drive 3 nights a week), but traffic can make it worse. In that area, I highly suggest that you check out Game Depot and Gamers' Inn. I may end up coming down to Gamers' Inn occasionally for their gaming. Inn has a website, Depot does not.

Unfortunately, I don't think that there are any gaming shops in the Central Phoenix area at all. If you're interested in coming out to my area for a game, which is around 107th, let me know. My email is tylermalan@gmail.com

Or, if you get anything going in your area, or decide to put anything together, let me know!

So, Arkhandus, what did you guys end up doing Saturday?

 

[Arkhandus]

One-shot adventure or something. A 1st-level lead-in to the Temple of Elemental Evil. As Joe said earlier in the thread, he wanted to run something else briefly before starting the World's Largest Dungeon. We entered town (Falcon's Ridge, or something else with Falcon in its name), found they were suffering a minor plague, and volunteered to fetch the herbs needed for the cure after we talked to the local healer.

Talked with another person or two, then went into the woods for the first ingredient. Attacked by a hobgoblin and his hunting falcons. Drawn-out fight between hobgoblin up in a tree and all of us except the Rogue being ridiculously terrible climbers. Rogue managed to get up there and slightly wound the hobgoblin, so it jumped down to start a fighting retreat. Rest of us charged and caught up after a bit, dropping the hobgoblin before he could finish escaping. Investigated corpses hung up in another tree after traveling further, and fought a wierd lizard-thing, quick victory due to a couple of high rolls all-around.

 

[JoeStock]

Sorry I haven't responded eariler, I've been battling a cold. Good thing we have this week off.

Things went well on Saturday. Character Creation took us about 2 hours, which is pretty typical when you're sharing 2 PHBs among 4 people. We ended up with a Swordsage (Adam), Crusader (John), and a Rogue (Eric). For all the concern about Eric, he finished his character first, with very little help from anyone. I created a quickie Wizard to fill the arcane caster role for the group.

Once we started, we got through about a quarter of the one-shot adventure, so we'll easily finish next week. The town was Falcon's Hollow and the group has already collected one of the three items they need.

The store was totally changed for this game. There was no Magic tournament and so the store was pretty much empty. We had just about entire row of tables to ourselves. Very peaceful and I had no issues with DMing it.

Honestly no matter what, any place in Phoenix will be a drive. After two years, I'm used to the fact nothing is nearby around here. I'm currently driving about 30 minutes to ManaWerx, but I drive 40 minutes to work each day, so it's not a big deal.

I'd love to still play in a game. The stores in Tempe and Mesa would be too far away. I think the Saturday Game at ManaWerx is one I'm be DMing for awhile, but I would still be willing to play in a game elsewhere on another night.

 

[Arkhandus]

Worldwide D&D Gameday '07

Just figured I should mention, for everyone's reference.......

D&D Game Day, November 3rd

Country	State	City		Store
United States	AZ	Chandler	Game Daze - Chandler
					(480) 899-7406
United States	AZ	Flagstaff	Hastings - 9816

United States	AZ	Glendale	Game Daze - Glendale
					(623) 979-5360
United States	AZ	Mesa		Gamer's Inn
					(480) 507-0509
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Game Daze - Pheonix
					(602) 494-4263
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Game Nightz
					(602) 870-8501
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Samurai Comics
					(602) 265-8886
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Samurai Comics - West
					(623) 872-8886
United States	AZ	Scottsdale	Game Daze - Scottsdale
					(480) 947-1101
United States	AZ	Sierra Vista	Hastings - 9802

United States	AZ	Tempe		Game Depot
					(480) 966-4727
United States	AZ	Tucson		Amazing Discoveries
					(520) 320-0338
United States	AZ	Tucson		Hat's Games
					(520) 514-2960
United States	AZ	Tuscon		Game Daze - Tucson
					(520) 745-0468
United States	AZ	Tuscon		Game Daze - Tucson
					(520) 293-7940
United States	AZ	Yuma		Hastings - 9810

 

[tylermalan]

Cool! Hey, sorry I've been gone for awhile. I was just vacationing in Tokyo for almost 2 weeks with my wife, but I'm back now. I actually won't be able to make it to Game Day this year (much to my disappointment). We're going to be in Las Vegas for my wife's dad's birthday. How's the game going?

 

[Arkhandus]

Haven't played much so far, Joe's been kind of busy and we've only done some character creation, aside from the two-session side game that we started with before Joe decided whether to continue on to the RttToEE or start on the World's Largest Dungeon. We'll be moving on to the latter I think, this week probably. My Thursday game has continued separately as normal.