The a game's afoot, Watson!

I need to change my links over on the right. Specifically, the one that says “Last RPG I Ran.” I bit the bullet a few months ago and declared my game table ‘open for business,’ and launched a D&D campaign. Well, “campaign” might be too strong of a word. We’ve played several times now, and it’s too early for me to claim to have an over-arching storyline unfolding. But it sure is fun to be running a game again.

There’s just something magical about the collaborative storytelling that is a roleplaying game. We all have fun and create something bigger than any one of us could have done alone (I mean, I NEVER would’ve guessed that a runty female gnome could bull-rush a hulking lizard man into a sewer full of hungry crocodiles — yet, it happened).

This is probably the easiest game I’ve ever put together. I’m using a very good published setting (Bard’s Gate from Necromancer Games) and relying on published adventures. I set out this time around with the goal of not over-burdening myself with work so that the game wouldn’t become a chore. I want the stories and adventures to be interesting for the other players, but I don’t want to mire myself in all of the deep details and planning that usually end up frustrating me because they never see life outside of my notebook.

My goal this time around is to write like Robert Ludlum (hackish screen plays), rather than Diana Gabaldon (detailed historical drama). I want to entertain my four players enough to keep them coming back for more. In my previous games, I always thought too far ahead and found myself constantly pushing the players to reach some distant goal that I had in mind, yet had no way of leading them toward. Very frustrating for all involved.

Now before the game gets too far along, I need to start blogging the game sessions. I’m not sure if I’ll do it in a blog, or via a web page. Blogging would be a lot easier, but a web page would be more navigable. Either way, I’ll let you know.