The Little Details - Gaming

Oddsmosis

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:53:00 -0500

Every year I spend four days in Indianapolis, walking amongst my fellow nerds and saying things like "Do you really want to attack the troll?" and "Your charm person spell does not seem to have an effect on the zombie minotaur." And I indulge in ludicrous pursuits like trying to get the best picture I can of the steampunk Boba Fett -- i.e., one without a "Cinnabon" sign in the background. It's Gen Con, the annual event where I soak in the geekery of 40,000 people descending on a single city to try out board games, play Dungeons & Dragons, and compare notes on which World of Warcraft costume is most accurate. It's a process I call "oddsmosis." [More]

The City on the Edge of the NIGHT of ADVENTURE

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:16:00 -0500

The first time people hear an explanation of D&D they always try to put it into the context of traditional games like RISK or Monopoly. This usually breaks down about the time I explain that after you make your character, you just go on adventures. "But- How..." they stammer, as their brain tries to roll to get out of Jail, "But- But- How do you win?" "You don't," I tell them, waiting for the inevitable follow-up. "But- But- But-" they say as their brain realizes it's not in Jail, not on Free Parking, nowhere near Marvin Gardens and, in fact, is probably not even on the board. "But- But- But- How does it end!? I smile in a way that I think is enigmatic but is probably just smug and annoying. "It doesn't," I say. No better proof of that can be found than in our most recent NIGHT of ADVENTURE! [More]

The Hidden Shrine of the NIGHT OF ADVENTURE

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:36:00 -0500

It's been a while. One of the guys in the group went off on a trip to New York, the DM went to a Halloween party and got rufied, and the rest of us got hooked on a little game called Colossal Arena. (Hint: Never bet on the Amazon. She's getting whacked in round one.) So, after a month of delays, plane tickets, and one rufie hangover, we come to the campaign finale of the NIGHT of ADVENTURE! [More]

Descent into the Depths of the NIGHT of ADVENTURE!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:35:00 -0500

Two casting directors, a producer, an actor, a stand-up comic, a video game geek, and a philosophy professor go into a conference room... ...to play Dungeons & Dragons. Yeah, the punchline practically writes itself. It's not just a joke, it's a NIGHT of ADVENTURE! [More]

The Land Beyond The NIGHT of ADVENTURE!

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:20:00 -0500

Sometimes imagination is a wonderful thing. It can paint unseen vistas, conjure up exotic worlds ripe for exploration, and weave intricate, deeply-moving stories that speak to the core of the human condition. This is not one of those times. No, this is a time for A NIGHT of ADVENTURE! [More]

Isle of the Dread Night of ADVENTURE!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:56:00 -0500

When we last left our heroes, they had ransacked the Hidden Fortress of the Pirate Slavers, emancipated two goblins from a life of slavery to a more fulfilling life of goblin indentured servitude, and found a magic lamp that might just hold the cure to baldness and chronically under-sized feet. That's right, we put the "er..." in "hero!" It's time for another NIGHT OF ADVENTURE! [More]

Secret of the NIGHT OF ADVENTURE

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:36:00 -0500

Six adventurers.
Two DMs.
One hot summer night in Hollywood.

After a week off for Gen Con, it's time break out the dice, dust off the rulebooks, and set sail for another NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.
[More]

Stinky Bugbear Versus The World

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:59:00 -0500

Friday night, 9:30pm, opening round of the NASCRAG tournament. The young man in front of me has zeroed in on the two most important words on his character sheet: "STINKY BUGBEAR." It's not written in all-caps, but he clearly sees it in all-caps. STINKY BUGBEAR. It is both an instruction and a challenge. And he has decided to grab it with both hands and wrestle it into submission. [More]

1000 Words - All Of Them Synonyms For NERD!

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:01:00 -0500

As usual I have some choice stories from Gen Con, but I'm currently enjoying a nice little break from my working vacation, hanging with my friends Erik & Elee. So instead of the bullet list breakdown, let's recap the long weekend in photos shall we? Get out your gem of true seeing, polish that iridescent ioun stone, and set your deflector shields to maximum geekitude... [More]

GEN CON: 25 Years of Fashion

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:13:00 -0500

I've been attending GEN CON since I was a teenager. Each year as I pack for four days of Maximum Nerd Overload I face the same challenge: Which geeky t-shirt do I wear? The options, as we shall see, are daunting.... [More]

Expedition to the NIGHT OF ADVENTURE!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:11:00 -0500

Hold on to your 12-sided dice, loyal readers, this week's entries are going to get SUPER nerdy. First up, it's a recap of our semi-regular D&D game here in Hollywood. Later this week I'll be blogging from Indianapolis, Indiana - the home of Gen Con, the annual gaming convention where 40,000 nerds freak out 60,000 Colts fans. But let's begin with... a NIGHT of ADVENTURE! [More]

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Nazi Zombies

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:33:00 -0500

Some critics say video games are a waste of time -- a mindless, empty distraction devoid of morality or life lessons.
These critics have never played the Nazi Zombie maps in Call of Duty: World at War.
It is PACKED with life lessons.
[More]

Departure from the Return to the NIGHT OF ADVENTURE!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:14:00 -0500

Every week my buddies and I play Dungeons & Dragons. Correction: Every week we try to play Dungeons & Dragons. Some weeks are not so successful. This is the story of one of those weeks. [More]

Return to the Return to the NIGHT OF ADVENTURE!

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:07:00 -0500

Seven geeky guys with a little too much imagination and a mild streak of attention-deficit disorder get together on a Sunday night in Los Angeles for one epic NIGHT OF ADVENTURE! It's your recap of our latest Dungeons & Dragons game, Hollywood style. [More]

The NIGHT OF ADVENTURE Continues

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:16:00 -0500

It's another recap in the ongoing misadventures of my crazy Hollywood D&D game. Tonight's episode: Return to the Return to the House of Endless Golems Technically, we never left. [More]