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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gridion" data-source="post: 1570329" data-attributes="member: 18882">Emerges the LurkerAs the husband in question - Doña's that it - I suppose I should come out of my year-long lurk long enough to respond.  At least as a show of support.   <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> When it comes to DnD, I am typically the DM/narrator/storyteller for our group.  I know a number of my players lurk here as well.  I think that I speak for all of us when I say that it is only now, when the gamers in our group are pushing 30, that I am finally able to participate in the kind of stories that I have always had rattling around in my head.  I recall many frustrated attempts to tell serious, high-fantasy stories to younger gamers, only to meet bored and vacant stares (or worse, belligerant characters bent on the destruction of every merchant with which they meet for the privilege of being the first to loot the shop) until the first baddie hits the hex map.I was first introduced to "good" gaming by an older friend who DM'd for a group of people in their mid-30's; I was the (initially) annoying teenager.  My DM stuck with it, though, and I was able to curb my enthusiasm enough to calm down and get into the spirit of gaming outside of an endless series of 10-by-10 boxes filled with "I attack the orcs."  I met players with real characters, traveled worlds with real problems and learned to try to look through someone else's eyes.I know that there are younger gamers out there who are both interested and willing to try more challenging gaming - I was, after all - but I believe that it is we who play the kind of games that the system was really designed for.So, in my rambling way (as Doña knows all too well), I suppose I finally reach my point.  I think that we "older" gamers should recognize that what we should never be ashamed to talk to others about what we do.  The kind of role-playing that I try for is not much different (conceptually) than writing a novel, making a movie, or acting in an impromptu play.  It allows us to stretch the boundaries of our imagination, practice empathizing with people of different world-views (something increasingly necessary in our increasingly divided world).  We shouldn't be afraid to talk to others about it - even in the conservative world of law where I spend my days - we just need to know the right language to keep from scaring the uninitiated.I think that, while we need to be on the lookout for our approximate peers to keep our gaming group full (heck, I'd like to be back in the position to turn away players), we should not be afraid to give youngster's a chance to show that they are as interested as we are in complex plots, ambiguous villains, and heros who may sometimes sacrifice too much.My two cents.  Now, back to lurking.  The soapbox is available once more.BTW: It is very heartening to see so many "older" gamers on this board, especially when Doña and I consider ourselves older at <30.  No wonder I feel so comfortable reading your posts.  On behalf of Doña and myself, thanks for taking the time to respond!BTW2: We are in Santa Barbara, CA.  Feel free to drop me a note if you're interested in chatting about our current game or participating in our all-day Lord of the Rings movie marathon.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />- gridion</blockquote>

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