The Return Of A Player To My Group

[Olaf the Stout]

With all the "bad/weird/wrong player/DM" threads I have been reading on EN World lately (and enjoying I might add! ) I figured it was time for a thread with a more positive bent to it.

Gerard, a player left my game in October last year to work overseas as a drummer on a cruise liner (half his luck!). Last week I found out that he is back in town for the next couple of months while his ship get some maintenance work done on it. I'm a little surprised at how happy and excited I was after hearing the news. He had only been playing in my group for about 2 years and while I definitely considered him a friend, outside of gaming sessions, we didn't socialise much (different friend groups and stages of life). However, I got along really well wlth him (and Gerard's brother, who was also in my game, but also left to work on a cruise liner!) and I was disappointed when I found out last year that he was headed overseas. He's a really nice guy in general and a good player to have at the table.

I was also quite chuffed to find out that after Gerard's Dad picked him up from the airport, one of the first things he wanted to know was what had happened in the campaign while he was away and when the next gaming session was. Gerard's Dad currently plays in my game. His sons introduced him to D&D (and roleplaying in general) for the first time a couple of years ago, when he was in his 50's!. So next session should be awesome. It will be great to see a friend for the first time in about 4 months and to roll some dice together again.

So what good things have happened in your gaming group or gaming life lately?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Ulrick]

I dunno if this qualifies as recent but...

My girlfriend bought me a couple tables for my gaming room as a Christmas present.

 

[pogre]

Nothing as cool as your story, but I have been painting like a mad man and I got a bunch of hotwire foam factory tools. I've been melting styrofoam and making terrain right and left. I have ran some huge games in the last month - huge dungeons, fantasy sieges, massive army encounters - gaming has just been EPIC lately...

 

[khantroll]

I have one. My gaming group was composed, more or less, of my co-workers. All of us our guys in our 20s or 30s, and all IT professionals. I have a best friend who never really got it, despite my numerous attempts to include him. Well, one night about two months ago, one of my player's canceled because he wanted to take his girlfriend out to celebrate something. I called the other three players, and they said that they didn't care. We get to work, I unlock the door, and begin quickly setting up. A massive thunderstorm begins outside, and soon my friend and his girlfriend show up. They had been trying to get back across town to their apartment when the crazy storm hit, and they stopped there to get out of the blinding rain. About five minutes later, the player that canceled shows up with his girlfriend and her 14 year old daughter for the same reason.

I tell them that they are welcomed to hang around, but we're going to game. After 30 minutes, they all decide to join in to pass the time. The storm slackens about an hour later, and nobody notices. Two months later, and I think it is officially safe to say my gaming group, which once comprised four computer nerds, now includes another computer nerd, his whole foods specialist girlfriend, a female department store manager, and her fourteen year old daughter.

All because of a dark and stormy night

 

[Dedekind]

Started gaming on MapTools and got the old group back together. So nice to play with those guys again.

You know how WotC had that "getting the group back together" contest for GenCon? Anybody hear how those stories worked out?

 

[Scott DeWar]

recently added two to the group i play with. i moved int a 4plex and one aptment has a couple that games d 20 and they were soon added to our pathfinder group. We still have one more we are working on.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I have one. My gaming group was composed, more or less, of my co-workers. All of us our guys in our 20s or 30s, and all IT professionals. I have a best friend who never really got it, despite my numerous attempts to include him. Well, one night about two months ago, one of my player's canceled because he wanted to take his girlfriend out to celebrate something. I called the other three players, and they said that they didn't care. We get to work, I unlock the door, and begin quickly setting up. A massive thunderstorm begins outside, and soon my friend and his girlfriend show up. They had been trying to get back across town to their apartment when the crazy storm hit, and they stopped there to get out of the blinding rain. About five minutes later, the player that canceled shows up with his girlfriend and her 14 year old daughter for the same reason.

I tell them that they are welcomed to hang around, but we're going to game. After 30 minutes, they all decide to join in to pass the time. The storm slackens about an hour later, and nobody notices. Two months later, and I think it is officially safe to say my gaming group, which once comprised four computer nerds, now includes another computer nerd, his whole foods specialist girlfriend, a female department store manager, and her fourteen year old daughter.

All because of a dark and stormy night

Awesome story! I don't know if I believe in fate, but that is a seriously amazing string of events that occurred to set that situation up.

Olaf the Stout

 

[khantroll]

I was floored when all four of the new players wanted to know when the next session was. I was even more floored when they showed up on time at the next session. They all seem to be liking it. Their different backgrounds really add to the experience, plus they all seem to like to play characters we don't. For the first time, I have a druid, a ranger, and a bard in my group.

This exchange happened between two of players.
Girl Who Plays Druid: "I want to play an elven druid."
Guy Who Plays Sha'ir<wizard>: What can a freaking druid do? Kiss trees?

Short while later, after druid wildshapes into an extra large snake and takes out a firbolg
Guy who plays Sha'ir: Oh, so that's what a druid does.

In other news, I apologize for this being totally OT, but "Dude, I just made 2nd level!"