Episode 0 of our podcast has arrived! It’s called Episode 0 because it’s really just a test, but Daniel Lewis and I are pretty happy with how it turned out. I’m a little nervous in the beginning (which causes me to speak fast and say ‘umm’ a lot) but that levels out once we get a little deeper in. There are also a few pops and hisses here and there but, overall, we’re pretty happy with the audio quality. It’s certainly a good first effort.
I think you’ll enjoy it. The main topic discussion is particularly good. If you’re interested in participating in future episodes, or if you just have an idea for a topic, let us know!
Players: Ferrell Riley Daniel Lewis Rob Ferguson Shea Herlihy-Abba and Rachel.
When a gaming session is going well, every moment has the potential to be legendary. The energy between the players tends to feed on itself, in a loop, and builds and builds until someone grabs hold of it, unleashes it, and does something amazing. But occasionally, someone grabs hold of that energy, unleashes it, and then throws it to someone else to do something amazing with it.
Such was the case in our game of 1,001 Nights. A quick primer: 1,001 Nights is a game about nested stories. Each of the players is a member of the Sultan’s court, and each has their own ambitions, desires, and rivalries that implicate the other characters. Gameplay involves each character, one-by-one, recalling a story. The story will then be acted out by the other characters at the table. Roles for that story are assigned, with the choice selections being given to the character the storyteller favors, and the haggard crones and talking donkeys being given to the characters the storyteller despises. It is supposed to reflect the subtle ways in which court politics affect even the most harmless and leisurely of activities.
Our game was humming along nicely, with various intrigues and desires bubbling to the surface, and with everyone being mindful of the wrath of the Sultan, which can interrupt the proceedings and send a character to their death, if they aren’t careful. During one of the tales, which was a Cinderella-esque fable, the character of the Rat of Wisdom was proposed. The Rat of Wisdom was to be played by Ferrell’s character, and his job was to dispense sage advice to the Cinderella figure in the story. As the story got underway, Dan took the opportunity to grab the energy loop and crack it open, like an egg, on top of Ferrell’s head: his character reminded the other characters that, in this story, the Rat of Wisdom always spoke in rhyming couplets.
Everyone at the table howled with laughter. That the Rat of Wisdom spoke in rhyming couplets was now gospel truth [editor’s note: there is no such thing as ‘the gospel truth,’ since the ‘gospel’ of Jesus Christ was just a series of stories invented by the Romans to pacify militant Jews. Hail Satan]. Everyone turned to Ferrell, certain he would throw in the towel on this one. But, to his credit, he did not! From that point forward, when his character spoke, he did so in rhyming couplets. It was amazing, we all had a good laugh, and it really made the whole experience unforgettable.
Ever since, we have sometimes played games where we get some control over how another player’s character behaves, and occasionally someone will throw in ‘speaks in rhyming couplets’ as a way to get a laugh, or to callback to the Rat of Wisdom. As such, the Rat of Wisdom is probably with us for good, and so he goes in the Hall of Legends.
Here are some pics from last Sunday’s game of Golden Sky Stories.
Here are some pics from last Sunday’s game of Golden Sky Stories.
In GSS, you play little animals, called henge, who can transform into children. They live in a small Japanese town and have heartwarming adventures together! The game is explicitly low-conflict and, in fact, rewards a style of play that is cutesy-funny, gentle, and kind. In our game, there was a little American kid who had just moved to town and was being picked-on by the locals at school. We befriended him, brought joy to his life, and helped him make friends at his new school.
I actually like GSS quite a bit. It certainly delivers on its promises. I’m not sure how often I’d want to play it, but it was a fun diversion.
Thanks to Daniel Lewis for running it, and to everyone else who came out.
I’d really like to make the weekly online game happen (and stick).
I’d really like to make the weekly online game happen (and stick). It is the biggest Gauntlet challenge, and always has been, which isn’t entirely surprising, given we do so much gaming in-person.
I think we might have some success if we do it on Saturday afternoons, say from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. I’m almost always available on Saturdays, and that would still end early enough to where by boyfriend wouldn’t kill me.
Here is a link for our next Wednesday Campaigns game – The Mountain Witch!
Here is a link for our next Wednesday Campaigns game – The Mountain Witch! It is scheduled for three sessions. Space is limited, so RSVP soon. If we have enough people on the waitlist, we will open a second table.
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Christmas gifts from last year my mom forgot to give me. This year it’s these sweet Game of Thrones wax seal coasters.
Something I find insufferable about the roleplaying game community is the widely-held belief that a game is beyond…
Something I find insufferable about the roleplaying game community is the widely-held belief that a game is beyond criticism so long as someone is having fun with it.
This article has been around for a bit, but it’s a good one. In it, Grant Howitt makes the case that there are, in fact, bad games, and that they should be judged as such, and that doing so is not an attack on the people who play such games, but is rather an attempt to create a critical framework through which we can improve the hobby. His argument is structured around three of the most commonly-deployed fallacies, including the infamous “There are no bad games, only bad GMs.”
Here are some photos from our Friday Anthology and (the last) Wednesday One-Shots.
Here are some photos from our Friday Anthology and (the last) Wednesday One-Shots. On Wednesday, we had two tables of Goblin Quest. That game is ridiculously fun. It’s three days later, and I’m still giggling about those stupid goblins and their hijinks.
On Friday, we continued our Dagger Isles campaign for Dungeon World, with the party looting what they believed to be the Purple Mane’s vault. A quick side note: we also tried some of those crazy new menu items at Pizza Hut. I’m happy to report that each was a winner. We had a regular pepperoni pizza, but with a curry-flavored crust. It was quite tasty, as was the Pretzel Piggy, which was creamy parmesan sauce, fresh mushrooms and spinach, ham, and balsamic vinegar, on a pretzel crust. But my personal favorite was definitely the Sriracha Dynamite, which was a thin-crust pizza with honey-sriracha drizzle, pineapple, jalapeños, peruvian cherry peppers, and chicken.
Thanks to everyone who came out: Daniel Lewis Scott Owen Kristen D Ferrell Riley Russell Benner Gary Wilson jorgiesalazar7 Daniel Fowler Jeff Burke and Hunter.
