Brave New World
PROCEEDING AS PLANNED THE PIXSW50ZXJlc3RpbmEL PROcgb2JzZXJ2YXRpb25JECT IS PROCEEDINzIHdpdGggXCJPcGVyG AS PLANYXRpb24gUG9wcHljb2NNED. I AM AWrXCIgZnJvbSB0aGlzIHZARE OF THE FACTIOpZGVvIHByYWN0aXRNS ALpb25lciBvZiB1IGNED AGAINbnVzdWFsIHByST ME. YOU ARE ON MY RAYW5rcw0KDQo=DAR.
ERROR CODE 64^$64. BEGINNING PHYSICAL MEMORY SCAN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"
From Gleemax Speaks at www.gleemax.com
I have learned that not only am I not in Wizard’s demographic anymore, I don’t even speak the same damn language.
Wizards put out the link for www.gleemax.com today. Dragon and Dungeon magazines have been cancelled for Gleemax. Of course, Wizards says that D&D will have its own web site that ties in to Gleemax but seeing how the green abomination is plastered all over their web site I don’t see much difference.
When Dragon was cancelled I felt like Wizards had snuck up on me and kneed me in the nuts. With Gleemax, I feel like Wizards is asking me to spread my feet apart so they can punt my dice bag and double d20s up around my neck.
Not happening.
Gleemax did help me resolve my final crisis of faith, however. Wizards is moving so far away from anything remotely familiar to me that I am moving away from them.
I’m done with D&D 3.5.
I’m old, I admit it. I like books with words. I like stories. I like characters that are cool. I like 8 1/2" by 11" gamebooks with full size artwork.
I also like roleplaying games. Despite appearances to the contrary, I like running one campaign for a long while in one world with one well-developed set of characters. I like having players who I know who are friends who show up physically at my house as often as they can and are into the game.
I got into D&D 3.0 because I like D&D. I got into D&D 3.5 because I was trying to freelance write. Which was the wrong reason I realize now. And this wrongheaded decision has led me along the campaign killing course I've been on the last few months.
I'm no longer freelance writing. (I'm continuing my column because I like it, but I don't get paid). So I have all of my free time open to running a game. Which is what I really, really, really want to do.
And my mind turns to the Land of Nine Swords. I want longevity, I want great characters, and I want stories.
The good news is I can now devote all my free time to developing a world and adventures to support the characters my friends create. I’ve been reading and studying and checking out various options.
The bad news is, I can't continue with D&D 3.5. I just can't. I feel like an old whore Wizards has pimped out for a few years and who is now being kicked in the ass right out into the snow. Rationally I know we could just use the rules we have etc. etc. and play on. But I'm me. I'm stubborn and bullheaded, and I can't continue playing D&D when I know that Wizards has just cut me loose as a valued customer. It pisses me off you see.
I have found RuneQuest (Mongoose edition) and it has everything I want in a game. Great rules that support roleplaying and longevity. The rules are Open Source and free online.
I'm not interested in it for freelancing or any other reason other than I think it's a great game and we could run a great campaign with it. Although I do think you could create a hell of a publishing company by starting with print product supplements for RuneQuest.
I've written a review of RuneQuest here at RPGnet for anyone who wants to get my thoughts on the game.
But what about the complete campaign in one column? Ask for it and I’ll send it to you.
Land of Nine Swords
I promised a complete campaign in one column and I will deliver. If anyone wants the remaining chapters to the Land of Nine Swords and/or the maps simply get your e-mail address to me and I'll send them to you. I won't be finishing that project here; instead, I'm going to start rolling with RuneQuest.
Starting with how I broke the news to my players that I wanted to drop D&D 3.5.
Player Reaction to Switching Game Systems
I have the best friends and best players in the world. One player had already mentioned being willing to switch game systems if that would help out my GMing. I spoke to two other full-time players today and both were behind the switch one hundred percent.
Why? One of them told me he could simply tell I was sincere. Wizards had gut punched me twice in a row, I was struggling with D&D, and I sounded excited about RuneQuest. That’s all he needed. He suggested I just be straight with the other players and he was right. They all backed me up.
Friendship and loyalty are two qualities powerfully linked to table top gaming. I would never want to lose the connections forged by getting together every two weeks and gaming.
And that’s all it took. I simply was honest with my friends and they backed me up.
Now I am determined to reward their faith in me. I must make my GMing of RuneQuest the best that I’ve done in over twenty years of running games.
After all, my friends are counting on me.
Buying a New Game System
I packed up four boxes of old games, boxed sets, and Dragon Magazine (copies of which I have on a CD) and headed to Titan Games. I wanted to sell off some old game stuff to buy some new books for the game. I was hoping to get enough money to buy several RuneQuest and Glorantha books.
I was offered a generous sum for my used games and walked out with every RuneQuest and Glorantha book that they had that I wanted. So far, I've looked at all of them and started reading a handful.
I'm well pleased with my purchases.
Next Column
Deciding on a world, learning rules, making characters, and starting a play by post. A brave new world begins.
Charlie
