Christmas 2016--the winter of my discontent...or one of them anyway.

Oh, I'm still happier than average living in the afterglow of the US elections last month. All the liberal tears and whiny protests, recounts and adulation of diaper pins truly warmed my heart, opened a floodgate of hilarious memes, and in general bolstered mood with the feeling of Christmas coming early for once...but now some weeks later 'real' Christmas is very near and it has brought the hard time blues with it.

More personal info for my 10+ readers. I live and work as an English teacher in the United Arab Emirates. I'm now 1/3 through my 7th year--don't know when I broke the mirror in 2010, but nevertheless here I am. One year prior to this I had the same job with less pay out in Taiwan. Yes, I managed to avoid--save for vacation time--the entirety of the Obama Error. Well, neither of these nations REALLY celebrate Christmas. I'm just lucky that our end of trimester 1 break happens to fall at Christmas time. This causes me to miss a lot of the celebrations that I love back at home--the two weeks we get for break time just can't justify the cost--physically and financially--involved in making the trip out. I've been able to visit Belgium, Romania, Germany, France and the Philippines during these winter breaks--some being closer to Christmases like the ones I used to know than others, and all being fun in their own ways, but as the song says, there's no place like home for the holidays. ...and now I'll never be able to go back there.

I can--and most likely will--physically return to the U.S. and to my home state of Georgia eventually. Hopefully, I'll be there for many Christmas seasons to come, but it will never be the same. You see my Dad passed away back on December 12, 2010. Because I didn't get to visit during my year in Taiwan, this will be my eighth Christmas without him. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a decade now...and this time of year still hasn't gotten any easier. My Mom is still alive and in good health living in and taking care of the house that my wife and I are buying, but it seems that I can't get out there at Christmas time to see her no matter how much I plan. This year there's been another bump in the road...and right at the same time of year no less.

This past summer, my wife--who has always had thyroid trouble--was fortunate enough to catch a cancerous growth during one of her routine check-ups. Long story short, she had to have a complete thyroidectomy. The operation was a success, but the standard follow-up is for the patient to take a radioactive isotope to wipe out any of the cells that may have been missed. We went through a series of planning/appointments/lab tests/diets over the past couple of months meandering along until--who could have guessed--December 12th. On that day--four days from now as I'm writing--she will swallow this isotope and for all intents be emitting radiation for about three weeks. That means no Christmas with the wife--and it means having yet another staycation in the non-Christmas celebrating UAE. :(

So, as we enter our last weekend together before she goes nuclear, the wife and I will have a lot of arrangements to make when it comes to my daughter. Yes, it will be three weeks wherein DaDa has to be the primary caregiver for his 2-year old. I'm sure it's going to be wild as I am the very definition of the stereotypical bumbling father. I hope she has a good Christmastime with me even if her mother and her grandma can't. It also--maybe for the first time--dawns on me that I'm the Dad now. My wife and I will be making memories for the little girl, and one day she'll be missing me the way that I miss my own Dad.

So, for my 10+ readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I know that it's a cliche, but be sure to tell the ones you love that you do love them while they're here. Once they're gone it'll be a long time before you get the chance to do so again.   <3  

It Happened and I Couldn't Be Happier

A little stream of consciousness for this post, but I am so glad that Trump managed to defy the odds and become President elect. He could turn out to be the absolute worst president that we've ever had, but I think he deserves a shot far more than the rattlesnake Hillary. Of course as my other posts indicate, I'll always vote for the side that is prolife. If Trump's presidency results in one baby's life being saved from the abortion mills, then he'll be a far better leader than any baby killer we've had in office.

I'll throw my 2 cents in to tell you a few of my theories as to why Hillary lost.

1. Like Obama, Trump had tons of fans who liked him to go along with the detractors that hated him. Hillary, for her part attracted tons of hate, but didn't muster up too many fans. McCain and Romney couldn't muster up much support either. The former was too much like 'W' and people just couldn't take another four more years of that, and the latter was Mormon. For better or worse real people can't back a 'weird' religion like Mormonism. That's how the cookie crumbled for crooked Clinton, real people--leftists who are legitimately my friends--didn't like her a bit. They just thought she'd be better than Trump. A lesson to both mainstream parties is that you should elect a candidate that people will rally behind, not some empty suit who is 'destined'  to be the president. Real people won't buy it.

2. In this three-ring circus of an election cycle one of the biggest gaffes may have come from Obama himself. In a recent interview he all but flat out called for non-citizens to vote. This is your sitting president winking at illegal aliens/undocumented residents telling them to hit the polls and they won't be reported or prosecuted. This really put a lot of people who were previously undecided on the war path. Voting is the right of the CITIZEN of our country. People can't cross the boarder illegally and expect to have any right beyond the right to remain silent...and technically, I'm not so sure a boarder jumper even qualifies for the Miranda Rights when it comes down to it.

3. We don't like cheaters and she was just way too dirty. Sanders may well have been a creation of the DNC and never meant to be taken as a serious contender to the presidency, but whether or not he was always a wolf in sheep's clothing, a lot of young voters got behind him. Personally, I believe that he was always a talebearer at best and a shyster at worst, but the wikileaks proved that Hillary cheated to win the nomination. Why would anyone in the DNC--and for that matter the RNC--want to sabotage a candidate that may win the White House? At the end of the day it is a popularity contest after all.

4. She's a woman. A bitter...shrill...cantankerous...old...woman. For better or worse the US isn't quite ready for a female president yet. If we ever do get one she's going to have to be cute like that Judge Jeanine Pirro or Condoleeza Rice or else be a plucky spitfire like Judge Judy or Carly Fiorina. We don't like or want a witch. You know Oprah could probably run and do some real damage. I'm not even kidding. She's more approachable, has tons of charisma and she's not stupid. One of these days she might follow Trump's lead. 

So that's it. I'm celebrating the sound of thousands of liberal heads exploding. I hope you are as happy as I am in this moment.

Scary October Stories--

It's been a while since I've posted. I don't have much discipline when I'm not talking about role playing games I guess.

Halloween Movies:
I didn't write as much as I had planned...in fact aside from talking about the Nightmare on Elm St. series back at the end of September, I haven't reviewed any horror at all. Maybe next year I'll hit one a day like I planned. I did see a few horror films that were new to me: Don't Breath ***  Not bad, more of a thriller I guess, but nothing that really made me have nightmares. I guess since I felt far more sympathy for the 'bad guy'. Occulus**** I liked it a lot. I don't know that I'd watch it over and over like a new classic, but from beginning to end it's a good one the first time through. It had the me and the wife talking about it after it was over, and that's always a good sign. The Babadook*** The set-up is so good. The creepy atmosphere is just what you want for this time of year...and yet at the end it was all sizzle. I never quite got the steak. Again, not one that I will feel the need to make into an annual tradition, but first time through is a must see. I'm also making my way through classics from Universal as I do at various points every year. Eventually, I will have watched them all because they only made so many. This year it was The Old Dark House**** An acquired taste as all of those old black and whites are. But, if you like the genre this is one that doesn't get a lot of hype like the others. Captain Kronus Vampire Hunter**** One of my very favorites out of Hammer Studios. I always mention this at Halloween time in any social media I care to comment on. I should mention Walking Dead's season 7 premiere, I don't know how much it put me in a Halloween mood, but that was freaking brutal. 

Election 2016: In keeping with the horror theme I guess. I haven't made too many comments. Besides only around ten of you read my rantings anyway, but I think the differences are out there and plain as day for those who will open their eyes.

Clinton has a litany of scandals that she spins--blaming Russia etc.--but never denies. The mainstream media is in her pocket. They focus on all of the 'scandals' of Trump instead. Although his scandals never put the nation at risk. The Clinton campaign has played every dirty trick in the book, and even as a Trump supporter, I will agree that he hasn't done himself too many favors, but at the end of the day it still looks like Trump would win a fair election. That's the rub...will our elections be Fair? I've told a friend from Canada that most Americans will accept Broom Hillary winning even if the election is rigged. Because there is rigged--playing dirty tricks, spinning scandals, lying, making your opponent look his worst while making you look your best--that's expected. That's pollitickin'. But then there's RIGGED and I think that the Hillary campaign and the DNC have crossed that line. Conflicts of interests between the FBI and the Attorney General and her husband, the nomination as DNC candidate that was fixed from the start, and now possible voter fraud being reported early on in the process and possible felonies being committed by the Clinton campaign outside of Trump rallies. There's just too much smoke to say there isn't fire on the left side of the aisle. If the results look RIGGED there may well be civil unrest, and not from the usual suspects.

In spite of all of this, I for one have cast my absentee ballot for Trump, and I hope many many do the same.

Election 2016: What Happened to the Youth Movement?

Today on my Facebook feed a liberal friend asked what kind of a world I wanted to leave for my daughter in regard to the upcoming elections. We've been locked in the usual and useless left winger vs. right winger arguments for years even before this divisive election year. According to two of my fellow conservatives, my reply won the internet...at least for now...and here it is:

 "I would like for Chloe to live in a world wherein the United States returns to being a nation where no one--not even Presidents or Secretaries of State--is above the law. I want a world wherein our nation--allegedly a constitutional republic--actually follows its own constitution. I want a nation that stops assaulting our God given rights for the sake of political correctness. I want a nation that chooses life--including the lives of millions of unborn babies--over death, national sovereignty over international acceptance, and common sense over a false definition of 'tolerance'. In essence I want Chloe to live in a world that is the exact opposite of the one being brought about by progressives like Obama and Hillary."

I would also have hammered the need for secure boarders, but I know that my liberal friend--and he is a friend in a literal non-sarcastic way, unlike how I normally use the phrase--happens to have entered the States illegally as a child. I feel it's "punching down", but friends or not we do need secure boarders. We need to take the figurative handcuffs off of our law enforcement officers and allow them to do their duties and make judgement calls without fear of repercussions from so-called "racial profiling", and in rare situations, we need to put literal handcuffs on the law enforcement officers who do cross the line. The three branches of our government also--desperately--need to learn their roles and functions. Activist courts--especially the highest court in our land with the lifetime appointments--should not be allowed to create laws. It isn't their function. The White House shouldn't be celebrating the fact that our Judicial branch overstepped their bounds either. These are issues that I hope are fixed if Mr. Trump takes office. Will he actually be able to pull off a win...and then be effective dealing with congress? I can't say. He may be the absolute worst of them all, but right now we don't know that. We DO know that Hillary is a rattlesnake. I for one would rather take my chances with the mystery box than the known rattlesnake, and it seems a lot of people are coming around to that way of thinking. I just hope it's not too little, too late.

Some have asked me is there anything good that you can say about the current POTUS. I usually reply that it is good that he'll be retiring soon. Today, I put a bit more thought into the question and I think the one good thing that I can say about Obama is that at least he was young.  Hillary Clinton is 68 and Donald Trump is 70. When Obama finally does retire after serving two terms--and that day cannot come soon enough--he'll still be younger than either of his upcoming replacements. So I ask, What Happened to the Youth Movement? At age 42 I'm still young enough that it doesn't bother me having someone older than I am in office. Someone say 10 or even 20 years older than me would should still be somewhat in touch with the younger generation while using the knowledge and wisdom that comes with experience....but 68?  70? Just starting term one? I thin they've gone past the tipping point. These folks should be enjoying retirement. At some point it's only natural that the elderly can't keep up with modern technology and that they begin to lose some of their mental, physical and social prowess. No wonder Hillary is having coughing fits, collapsing, and screwing up e-mails--she's an old lady--my mom can't even use Facebook, and when Trump goes off on a tangent sounding like a cranky, old grandpa who can't reign in his tongue--it's because he is one. Maybe this is the last hurrah for candidates of this age--certainly from their era, it almost has to be. Either way I'm not too concerned about facing a two term presidency from Aunty Hill even if she does manager to steal the election. Of course I am desperately worried about the amount of damage she can cause while waiting for the Grim Reaper to come and collect. 

Movie Reviews: Kubo and the Two Strings

Could be *SPOILERS>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>* ahead.

I watched this movie in 3-D last night and I have to say that it is one of the best things I've seen all year. It didn't do so good at the U.S. box office, but I implore my ten or so loyal readers to go out and see it on the big screen--in 3-D if you can. You'll be loving life and feeling good when you leave the theater. The movie is one of those special ones that comes along once in a while that really has appeal for all ages and can pull the emotions out of you. It's scary, funny, sad, action-packed and above all loving. Such wisdom out of a cartoon.   5-star instant classic. 

Movie Reviews: Ranking the Nightmare on Elm St. Movies

For those who haven't read my blog before, I live and work in the United Arab Emirates. I teach English to ESL students in the 12th grade. Don't judge my teaching ability by any gaffes that may appear in my rants. I used to be a fairly good writer. Unfortunately, after seven full years of teaching abroad--the last six of which have been spent here, preceded by one year of teaching in Taiwan--my English skills have actually deteriorated rather than improved. Bad company corrupts good manners or in my case good English practice. You miss a lot when you work abroad. It's a sacrifice that you make so that you can bring in the big tax-free paycheck and dodge creditors. One thing I miss is Halloween. There are places around wherein expats can participate in something like Halloween, but the big celebration of fun that takes place in the States just doesn't happen here. I miss American Football--college and NFL--too, but that's a story for another day. So, for the next month or two--between bitching about Killary--I'm going to throw a few scary movie reviews up here to get me in the Halloween mood. The first thing I'm going to do is rank the Nightmare on Elm St. movies. I won't be covering a lot of new ground here as I agree with most critics and fans, but it will be a nice short one to start with.

1. A Nightmare on Elm St.: (1984)  The one that started it all. Many would say that it is still the best. It does hold up a lot better than some of the others. It's certainly scarier. I think almost everybody chooses this one, Dream Warriors or New Nightmare as their favorite. I'm in the Dream Warriors camp, but there's nothing wrong with this one. I call it a 5-star classic. I was able to watch this first run at the theater where my dad worked part-time as a cleaner. I was ten years old and loving life.

2. A Nightmare on Elm St. 2:Freddy's Revenge:(1985) A quick turn around to make a second part. It's my least favorite in the series--including the remake. They didn't really follow the "rules" of the majority of 'Elm St.' films and the acting in this one is atrocious--excluding Robert Englund of course. I later found out that there were tons of gay overtones in this movie. It was all over my head when I was eleven. I can still give it somewhere between a 2 and a 3-star rating. Freddy is like pizza.

3.A Nightmare on Elm St. 3: Dream Warriors:(1987) This is my favorite of the series. This is where they started bringing in fantasy elements and allowing the teen characters--some of them anyway--to put up a fight using their dream powers. The mix of horror and humor were balanced perfectly in this one. It still holds up to this day. You will notice a theme throughout the series: the better movies happen when they don't go for a quick turn around--this time spending two years before cranking out a sequel--and when Wes Craven has some involvement. This is 5-star all the way for me.

4.A Nightmare on Elm St. 4: The Dream Master:(1988) Case and point--one year between sequels and no Wes Craven equals mediocrity...for the most part. Freddy goes full comedy in this one and they kill off all the good characters from the third movie in the opening scenes Alien 3 style. That just sucked, and Alice wasn't nearly as good as the old characters were. I do remember liking this one more back when it first came out and I was a plucky teen just entering the ninth grade. It's probably been ten years or more since I last watched it. It's still entertaining, but clearly all of the non-Freddy actors and actresses have such flat delivery of their lines. It was a product of its time. I give it somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

5. A Nightmare on Elm St. 5: The Dream Child:(1989) Another one with a one-year turnaround. No wonder the series started losing steam; it was over-saturated. I didn't remember them coming out like that--I know the 'Saw' franchise was an annual thing for the longest time, but I never thought of these movies as yearly events. This one has grown on me over the years. It kind of flipped and flopped with 'Dream Master' and it has always been one of the good ones, but some of the kills--especially the  'Greta' kill--just seem too mean spirited. There is a delicate balance when doing gallows type humor. It's a little too dark for me this time. This same uncomfortable feeling shows up for me again in the remake.  For what it's worth I give it 4-stars. It was underrated by a lot of people including me.

6. Freddy's Dead:The Final Nightmare:(1991) Back to a two year turnaround, but this time it didn't help. This one is all over the place in tone, and I guess this is where they really lost the plot. Dream demons were stupid and really ruined Freddy's origin. I don't know what they were even thinking there. I liked the kills in this one--although one could argue that the pendulum of balance may have swung too much in the direction of lightheartedness this time. The 3-D effect in the theater was only so-so. Had they done it with today's 3-D technology it would have been a lot better. Lisa Zane was such a babe back then...alas, it was my last year of high school...now I'm 42...so....yeah...I can give it a 3-star review.

7. Wes Craven's New Nightmare:(1994) It's no masterpiece, but it's really grown on me over the years. Three full years since the last sequel and not exactly cannon, this movie addressed a lot of what went wrong with Freddy as a character. I won't say too much about it that hasn't already been said. It's worth a watch and is often in the discussion of which 'Elm St.' film was best. For what it's worth I give it 4-stars.

8. Freddy vs. Jason: (2003) I loved it and wish that they would have done more. It was nearly ten years between sequels this time. The director and writer gave lots of love to Freddy and Jason and the fans. I give it 4-stars. I wouldn't quite put it up there with 'original', 'warriors' or 'new' as far as "real" films go, but as a genre film--it was so awesome. I can't believe it's already 13 years old.

9. A Nightmare on Elm St.:(2010) I don't loathe it, but it's not very good. Freddy's character design is garbage. The movie is far more boring than it needs to be. They didn't try to do anything really new. Nightmare on Elm St. movies should be amazing now. The teens should have plenty of powers to fight Freddy with and Freddy should have a lot of creative kills--that's what makes these types of movies fun. The only cool thing they added were the 'micro-naps'. I also hate, hate, hate when they play up the 'child molester' angle with Freddy. I know he was never a nice guy in any of his origins, but mostly he needs to be killing wild teens--and he's more of a dirty old man toward the teens than young kids. I like the character played as a bogey man and urban legend than a child molester that's for sure. I give it between 2 and 3 stars again.

Final Ranking: 1.Dream Warriors
                           2.Original
                           3. Vs. Jason
                           4. New Nightmare
                           5. Dream Child
                           6. Dream Master
                           7. Freddy's Dead
                           8. Reboot
                           9. Freddy's Revenge

So, here in 2016 I hear rumors of another attempt at a reboot--Robert Englund is said to be interested in at least doing a cameo. Here's to it. Oh, and one more thing I always dug the posters for parts 1-5. It was really good artwork that you just don't get out of posters these days, and worth mentioning...avert your eyes from the Freddy's Dead poster though--simply standard fare.

Election Year 2016: Throwing Your Vote Away

If you happened to read my rant from yesterday--and didn't fall asleep halfway through--then you know that I am pro-life and it's my one issue. The rest I'm willing to compromise on no matter how distasteful certain views may be to my socially conservative mindset. I've always tried to live with the attitude that so long as nobody gets hurt, and I'm not being forced to view or participate in the debauchery then by all means do your thing--just leave me and my family out of it. I'll save it for another rant, but the latter part of that statement is continuously being encroached upon by the SJW crowd these days, and obviously those who are traditionalists in their morals and value system--like me--aren't too happy about it. Today's rant is different. I want to answer the question posed by this meme:

Due to the controversy that surrounds the actual products on display, I must first state that depending on where you live in the States the answer may be literally 'yes'. Apparently, In most states Dr.Pepper is bottled by one of the 'big two'. I've always seen it as a Pepsi product bottled by Buffalo Rock;Coke was the producer of the similar tasting and as far as I know currently defunct, Mr.Pibb, but apparently Coke will sometimes bottle Dr.Pepper, and yes, in some places the good Dr. is bottled by independent distributors. I'm not sure how it all works, but it might have been better if the meme used an RC Cola or a Jones Soda instead. If they wanted one to represent the Green Party they could have used a knock-off store brand like Sam's American Choice or perhaps a Fresca. In spite of the poor choice representing the 'third party' I think we understand what the meme is trying to say, so let's take a look at the analogy.  

We live in a free country--or at least under the pretense of one--and we can vote for whoever we see fit. That's a fact. Now, whether or not those votes actually count for anything is up for debate. In these years the integrity of our elections and whether or not we have an actual "choice" is questionable. I'm not going to go into tinfoil hat land on this one. There's a lot to be said for the conspiracy theories, and they're not as far fetched as most people like to think they are, but for now we will pretend that our votes matter. If you truly see no difference between the Republicans and the Democrats, then exercise your right to vote for a third party. Just do so knowing that you 'voted' for the actual winner. The same goes for people who decide to abstain. There is no shame in voting with your conscience or abstaining outright if you really feel that you should. However, if you do feel that one candidate from a major party is even slightly better than the other, then you should vote for the better among those two. At this point in time there is no way a third party candidate wins our national election, but he can garner enough votes to keep the better man out. I'll lay out the scenario for you and wrap it up below. 

Back to our refreshments at a party analogy: Stein--the Green Party candidate--who, in one recent poll was losing to Harambe, the dead gorilla and the fictional candidate, Deez Nutz--is clearly the Fresca or tepid water from a birdbath and nobody is choosing her. Johnson is our Dr.Pepper. You love the taste of Dr. Pepper...but you ain't gonna get it. Trump he's our Coca-Cola. You don't particularly like Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola tastes too bitter for you. You really want that Dr.Pepper...but you ain't gonna get it. Hillary is our foul Pepsi. Pepsi not only tastes bitter, but it will give everyone explosive diarrhea and it will cause you to piss your pants and forget who you are for a couple of weeks. You really want that Dr.Pepper...but you ain't gonna get it. The host takes a vote and he's only placing an order for the beverage that gets the highest score. What are you going to do? You want that Dr.Pepper! It's not throwing a vote away! You decide to make that choice. Surely, the rest of the Dr.Pepper loving party goers will side with you..Who wants a bitter tasting Coke?....and the results...Coke:25....Pepsi:26...Dr.Pepper:2...Enjoy your Pepsi! 

We must leave the analogy. In this specific election at least one, but some pundits have estimated up to five...FIVE! Supreme Court Justices will be appointed. These justices are appointed for life. At the moment the only thing keeping tens of thousands of illegal aliens from amnesty--and potential voting rights--is a 4-4 tie in the Supreme Court. Hillary has already vowed to continue Obama's policy on this matter. Should she take the White House--with less than 50% of the vote thanks in part to third party voters--she will appoint liberal judges and grant amnesty to tens of thousands of liberal minded voters who wouldn't dare vote against Santa Claus for generations to come. If you are a liberal--you have my sympathies since you have clearly been brainwashed--that's good news for you. If you are a conservative or someone with common sense--like most Libertarians--then you should see why this is not the year to take pride in a strong third place showing. We need to be supporting someone who can actually win, and keep the witch, crooked Hillary out of the office. We need a man like Trump. He may not be your cup of tea, but think of the alternative. On face value, Trump is an outsider, but he'll be advised by conservatives. He'll appoint judges that respect the constitution--not overreaching activists. Libertarians should agree that the constitution is our rule of law, and they should see how Hillary thumbs her nose at it...were she anyone of us she would be going to the big house and not the White House....and no...YOU CANNOT HAVE THE DR.PEPPER....

Election Year 2016: Why I vote Republican.

As promised I would write a blog about Killary and election year 2016. You can lose a lot of social media friends by talking about politics...you can lose a lot of real friends too. At the risk of that, I'm going to write a series of rants about the goings on  of the 2016 U.S. presidential election season. I'm not too worried because I think I'm about to find out the answer to the question--If a tree falls in the forest but no one hears it, does it make a sound?

For day one I'll offend a lot of people right away by stating unequivocally that I am a one issue voter. I am pro-life. I believe that the practice of murdering unborn children should be abolished. This barbaric procedure should only be performed in the rarest of circumstances--most noted the life of the mother. This is even detailed in the original court cases, but today there is a whole industry built around it. It is eugenics and it is population control. That shouldn't be up for debate because the disproportionate numbers of minority children being murdered is plain for anyone to see. There is one debate and one alone. When does life begin? For those who believe as I do, life begins at conception. We were all embryos at one point after all. That being said, when does life begin for you? Is it when the baby's heart begins to beat? Is it when the baby has developed limbs, fingernails, hair, and an identifiable gender? Thousands if not millions of unborn children are murdered each year in possession of these traits. This also negates one of the arguments that states that "people without a uterus shouldn't have a voice in this debate" as each of these murdered babies has a solid 50/50 shot of having a uterus themselves. Yet, they literally have no voice to speak for themselves. Does life begin only when the baby is viable outside of the mother's womb? If that's so what about all of the premature babies who would not have survived without outside help? Were they alive then? When exactly did they start living? What about all the 20 and 30 year-olds out there who are arguably not viable apart from outside assistance today? Is it okay to abort them?

 According to one of our presidential candidates, it should be possible to abort (murder) a child up to the day of his or her birth. That's insane. What's more insane is that people will continue to support her after she states such a monstrous claim. For the record, Trump said the right thing about the issue once but then immediately backpedaled. So, then why do I vote Republican when it will change nothing? It is because of the party platform. Some Republicans may be pro-death...um...pro-choice, but the party platform is pro-life. Some Democrats may be pro-life, unfortunately, their platform is pro-choice. Out of the gates I could never vote for them. There are also many executive orders in regard to abortion that are rescinded and enacted based on whether or not a Democrat or a Republican is in office. Most of these apply to providing funding and training for killing the unborn overseas. For these past eight years you can bet that these programs have been well funded. They will continue to be funded as long as Auntie Hill or any of her ilk are in control of the nation.

To wrap up today's rant I'll repeat something that I've said before. I would gladly serve as grand marshal for an annual parade of gay illegal immigrant transvestites if it meant that I could save the life of just one unborn child. In other words, above all else choose life.

One of Clinton's goofs: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/04/14/hillary-clinton-abortion-truth-unborn-persons-planned-parenthood-science-column/82981372/

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 31

August 31: What is the best piece of advice you were ever given for your game of choice?

Last day! I answered every question without a skip...had to use the alternate questions a few times, and these last entries kept getting shorter and shorter, but I saw it through until the end. The best piece of advice--and this goes for any game and for real life as well--is to have fun.

More good advice: take it slow.  Don't worry too much about the rules. You are either there to have a good time with your friends or  you are there trying to make some new friends to have good times with, so put your best foot forward. Don't judge ALL RPGs, players or sessions by one or two bad ones. Once you find a good group to play with, you will see that this is the kind of hobby that can last you for a lifetime. You will meet and become friends with diverse, creative people that you probably would have never met otherwise and you will tell stories about them and their characters for years and years to come, and somewhere down the line they'll be telling stories about you and your creations. Because as hokey as it may sound and at the risk of becoming the overly dramatic "It's still real to me dammit!!" pro-wrestling fan, at it's best when you are roleplaying you are creating something together. A memory just as real as any other. A shared story that is unique to you and your group at that particular time in your lives. That's something that has largely been lost in our modern society and that's why so many people cherish it.

That's it for 2016! #RPGaDay #RPGaDay2016. Stay tuned for rants about the upcoming election--beware I am a rightwing conservative. Don't worry I won't rant about Killary everyday. See you for RPGaDay2017.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 30

August 30: Describe the ideal game room if your budget were unlimited.

I would like a large, quiet room with plenty of shelf space for games and books.The air conditioner would be on and running cold.The table itself would be large enough to contain all the play materials plus huge maps, terrain and minis. I'd definitely have minis to represent whatever I needed at the table every session, and if my budget is unlimited, I'd probably have people on the payroll to paint them...and if it's REALLY unlimited they'd all be cosplayers...and good looking ones too. None of the rejects. I would make a lot more use of projectors and music.We would have nice chairs to sit in and hopefully a fully stocked and functioning bar. I'm afraid I'm not too imaginative with this one. The fact is that if I had an unlimited budget for a game room, I would have to keep expanding it to hold all of the games that I would buy. Eventually, it would be so packed with games that we'd end up playing on the dining room table or on the floor somewhere.

The RPG A Day Blog 2016 Day 29

August 29: If you could host a game anywhere on Earth, where would that be?

I would choose Japan because it's a place that I have always wanted to go, but have yet to visit. I would prefer that it be at a cooler time of year because I picture running a session outside. I would also choose to be in one of the provincial areas rather than in the heart of Tokyo. Up in the mountains would be a good place to play. Lots of nice scenery to take in, and it would be away from the noise and everything. Afterwards, we could hit the town and buy all kinds of toys, candy and the like. I'd hope to go at a time when New Japan Wrestling had a show on, so that I could check that out too.  

A friend of mine visited Ireland--another one on my to do list--and he was able to rent a castle for the weekend. That would be a cool place to play too. The problem would be finding enough friends that have the money for a trip and the time from work to take it all at the same time.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 28

August 28: What film or novel would you be most surprised that a friend had not seen or read?

In this question I'm assuming that we're talking about our RPG friends. Some of my friends--and older folks like my mom and my dad, when he was alive, just aren't into fantasy. That being said, I have one friend in particular who is into fantasy, sword and sorcery, and the like and he still hasn't seen an episode of Game of Thrones. I must give the caveat here that he doesn't subscribe to HBO and he's not the pirating type. But, it shocks me that one so into the genre hasn't found a way, by hook or by crook to at least watch a few episodes. As a conservative guy, I can see how some might want to wait for the edited for TV version that will come around eventually, but the dirty old man side of me--well, I'm not quick to change the channel when Daenerys is doing her thing. That's one. The next would be The Walking Dead. It's on basic cable, so I really don't get genre fans who haven't even given it a shot. At this point people are jumping off the bandwagon, and yet there are some who have never watched it. Then there are the big ones: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Star Wars. I just don't see how anyone interested in role play and fantasy could have avoided these properties. Granted, the Hobbit movies and the prequels for Star Wars have some non-stellar moments, but on the whole they are right in the gamer's wheelhouse. It should go without saying that reading the LOTR and the Hobbit books should be mandatory for any fantasy geek, but people don't like to read much these days. 

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 27

August 27: Describe the most unusual circumstance or location in which you have gamed.

I answered this one in an earlier post. The most unusual circumstance and location I'm playing in is right here and now in the United Arab Emirates. I'm currently having a renaissance at the table top wherein my main group is playing at least once a week and at least from my end--bringing in alternate systems to 5E once in a while. In addition, there are several opportunities for me to join in the mini-cons run by the Gulf Roleplaying Community (GRC). Those meet ups are a great distance from me, but I attend at least once a year. Granted, there are many expatriates in the community, but you'd be surprised--or maybe not surprised--by how diverse our play group is in spite of being in the Middle East...Our group sometimes looks like the Catina scene from Star Wars...speaking of which on to the alternate question.

Identify an under-represented genre in RPGs that you would like to see more of.
 
Up until recently I would have said space opera type sci-fi, but the new Star Wars games are really fun and Starfinder from Paiso sounds good too. I'm going to say that we don't get enough spy games.
Not that I remember too many of them in the first place, but I do remember Top Secret S.I.. It was a TSR game and we only played a few times, but I found it to be really fun. This is again some twenty years back that we played, but I remember that our group looked once again like the United Nations. My operative was from Japan and I made him a former sumo wrestler--long before Deadpool used the joke--only my guy didn't lose any of his weight. So, he was some giant fat dude in a tux trying to do James Bond style stuff. I can't remember the details of what we did twenty years ago, but I do remember him trying to jump between train cars and not making it. It didn't kill him, but he was hurting pretty bad. Just typing that made me remember that none of us made it to the front of that train. One guy had a grappling hook or something and went flying. The bad guy went on to do whatever it was he needed to do. I don't think we ever finished that one, but it was fun. A modern spin on it could be like Mission Impossible, 24, or Homeland. Of course, Bond is still popular too though he tends to work alone.

That's a wrap for 27

 

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 26

August 26: What hobbies go well with RPGs?

I'd have to go with reading and playing video games. I think reading helps because it gives you ideas and general structures that you can use for a campaign. It helps the DM/GM to come up with motivations for his villains and NPCs and it helps the players to do the same for their characters. Surrounding yourself with readings from a particular genre helps you to get a feel for the tropes that are expected. The group can then follow or go against them. In short, reading will inspire the group to hopefully look forward to creating their own stories and characters at the table.

The same holds true for playing video games. I particularly like the Neverwinter game even though it's not all that in terms of game play because they put a lot of the locales and personalities from Forgotten Realms into the game. It's cool when those things come up at the tabletop after I've seen the 3-D modeled version. There are bits and pieces of lore from those games that can be used as to create a story as a part of the tabletop game or just as a way to help some players visualize what's happening while they are role playing. In addition, I would put video game RPGs as an option three for people who can't find a tabletop group to play with--option two being a virtual tabletop like roll 20. They aren't quite 'there' yet in terms of giving me the satisfaction that I get from the other two options, but if there's no other choice, they at least give the player a chance to play through a story in the style of what they would find at the tabletop.

One more good thing about video game RPGs is that it helps to recruit players to the tabletop. If someone has played through a videogame RPG they know about stats, hp, exp, and in a very broad sense the goals of the tabletop. Some games, like Mass Effect for example, give the player choices for dialogue response that directly affects the game. It's only a short jump to understanding that your character at the tabletop can say anything that they want with direct implications both good and bad.

Other good hobbies that go with RPGs would be writing, map making, painting and building terrain. Playing opens up tons of creative things that a person can do with their spare time...the only thing it can't do is give us more spare time to do those things. 

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 25

August 25: What makes for a good character?

First and foremost a good character is one that you will enjoy playing for the long haul of the campaign. For whatever reason I usually find myself  playing as small female characters (gnomes, halflings, pixies..) when I'm playing fantasy which is to say most of the time. I lean more toward male characters for the other genres that I play, but we don't play those very often. I find it interesting that throughout the years my gaming groups have been made up of males almost exclusively. I've had the occasional game when a girl does play and they rarely if ever play as male characters. On the other hand, several of the male players at the table and online will choose to play as female. I'm not sure why it turns out that way. In my case, I'm pretending to be someone else for roughly 3-4 hrs a week, so I think it's more interesting to play as someone very different than the person I am in real life.

As to classes...I choose the easiest one to play. Outside of playing bards, I've never strayed too far from the original classes as far as D&D and other fantasy settings go, and usually it's either fighter or thief (rogue) then. I definitely suggest that beginners take a less complex character type to start with. It's hard to remember all of the things that a character can do. For instance, all of the characters in my party were put to sleep...including my elf character...later on I remember that elves can't be put to sleep. If I really was that elf, I wouldn't have forgotten, and there are a dozen other little things that I might forget about over the course of a session. In short, I don't like to be bogged down by the mechanics of playing my characters. You can probably guess that I don't play any of the super-complex games like RIFTs very often.

I do give my characters elaborate backstories. I know that some players are the exact opposite, and sometimes even I will go with a prebuild. But, for the most part I like to know what motivates my character to do the things that she is doing. Where did she come from? Why does she want to become an adventurer? How did she come to join the party? What are her short and long term goals? You know the things that I should be asking myself in real life. Keeping these things in mind makes the role play portion more interesting.

So for me good characters are the ones that are simple to play, that have a detailed backstory, and that allow me to explore parts of my personality that I wouldn't normally get to in real life.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016-Day 24

August 24: What is the game you are most likely to give to others as a gift?

If we're talking a gift for beginners I would have to go with the Pathfinder Beginners Box  with special mention to the D&D 5E starter . Both games are a small investment and they give the new player a taste of what role playing is all about. On the 5E starter--a lot of folks would say it's obsolete because you can get the PDFs and they give more options than the actual starter set does. I say the price is so low on Amazon and Ebay that the dice alone are worth it, and it's a nice gift to try to recruit potential new players. The Pathfinder Beginners Box in many ways is much better. The set is more fun with the maps and the standees. I recently ran the boxed set adventure with my 5E group and they really liked it. There's a certain feel to it that's slightly different than 5E. The only drawback I see here is that fewer people are playing it at the moment.

For the experienced players/GMs I would likely buy the PHB or equivalent for whatever system that I wanted to play next. It would hopefully encourage the players to read and think about new characters for the campaign. Since I like trying different systems, now would be the time to gift my players with the 7th Sea 2nd edition or the Dungeon Crawl Classics book. Both of these source books give the players and potentially the DM/GM everything they need to run the game in one book. In fact in the case of DCC a potential drawback is that it gives the players too much access to information. They have to be on their honor not to spoil themselves by looking at the adventures or monsters included in the book.

Any other board game or RPG related paraphernalia would be good gifts. You can never have enough dice.  

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 23

August 23: Share one of your best 'Worst Luck' stories.

This is a good luck story for one of the players but a bad luck story for the Storyteller and everybody else. We were playing Vampire the Dark Ages in original World of Darkness. I had a character named Erroll Synn who was pretty much a vampire Robin Hood. The party was supposed to be good guys--in as much as vampires can be, but one of the guys decided to go off the rails. He attacked a peasant right in front of everybody. My character tried to stop him, but was quickly beaten down. I would have been killed outright if I didn't have that ground meld power or whatever it was. Anyway, other party members tried to restrain the guy. It's been so long I can't fully remember how many--if any--other players were there that day, but they were all quickly dispatched. Then, the Storyteller started throwing NPCs at him who were also falling left and right. It was crazy because the guy should've been taken down fairly quickly, but everybody kept making terrible rolls. The guy ended up escaping, and if I remember right we ended the session very quickly because he went so gonzo. I can't remember how to play Vampire because it's been so long, but I know the Storyteller could have easily taken him out had he wanted to, but that night by playing "fair" and getting horrible rolls...over and over...one rouge player ruled the day. We were all laughing and it definitely became a memorable night even though I might have forgotten some of the details.  

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 22

August 22: What are some random events in your games that keep happening?

Looks like I'm set up for another short entry. They can't always be long ones. Nowadays, the groups I play with are all using 5E with various different settings. Those differences make the games feel unique although the system is the same. I still intend to shake things up with my Curse of Strahd campaign by using Dungeon Crawl Classic rules--at least in the magic system if not completely. DCC has tons of random tables in it, so I expect next year I would have a better answer for this question. As it stands it is the magic in 5E that has a strange reoccurring event. For some reason both at the live table and online the sorcerer's wild magic keeps coming up '41-42': you turn into a potted plant until the start of your next turn...' for one particular guy it happened for him twice in one combat. You're rolling on a D100 for this BTW. I also had a funny one when going oldskool and playing Dragon*Quest. I ran the  politically incorrect titled story 'The Camp of Allah Akbar'. To get to the camp the characters have to travel from their town through a vast desert. In this system their are X-number of random encounters per hour of travel. You roll under a certain number on percentile dice or you have an encounter. The guys kept getting encounters no problem, but there is a second step where you roll for the disposition of monster encountered. It's like every one of them were friendly. First, you bizarrely think a friendly rhino?  That leads you to thinking, 'What's a rhino doing in the desert in the first place?' They ran into bandits, a rival party, the rhino and an actual army all friendly and all leaving the oasis camp of the thief  'Allah Akbar'. I guess he was quite the charismatic thief to have so many prominent visitors. There was a huge monster called a 'Sand Golem' on the list that would show up if you rolled a '100'. Of course they roll a '100' eventually...it has to be. He wasn't friendly...only 'indifferent' and the party was wise enough to let him walk on by. Its current whereabouts remain unknown.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 21

August 21: What was the funniest misinterpretation of a game rule in your group?

My groups have always been fast and loose with the rules that's for sure, but for some reason or another I've never had an experience that I can remember wherein we were too far off base. That means diving back in to the pool of alternate questions:

What is your preferred method of character improvement and why?

No matter what system I'm playing, I focus on getting my Armor Class (or its equivalent) as high as I can. Almost nothing will get through my armor, so I don't worry as much about hit points. 5E is especially good for me in that regard because I can max out the DEX and bring the AC up at the same time. Then there are so many other things that can be used to further boost the defensive capabilities. If you have resistances to certain damage or the parry or duelist abilities the AC effectively keeps going up. It is rare that I'll take damage at all. Of course, if the DM really wants to kill me he can bring up a powerful monster and my AC doesn't help much with traps, but all things being equal, I think a strong defense is best.

A really short one today.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 20

August 20: What is the most challenging but rewarding system have you learned?

I'm going to go way back to Heroes Unlimited by Palladium Books. I suppose that this would apply to any title by Palladium. I remember my brother and I went from TSR's Marvel Superheroes--a very easy game that I think still holds up--to Heroes and we didn't have a clue about the complexity. As a kid/teen I read through the book over and over again even when we weren't playing. We eventually bought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness and After the bomb. After several moves I lost all of these books, and I wish I still had them. You could create practically and superhero that you wanted although I remember the book specifically shunning the guy with the 'S' on his chest and the 'god' characters, but if you tweaked things a bit you could still make similar characters.

If these questions have taught me one think it is that I am old. I played a "recent" game of heroes as an adult...realizing now that was nearly twenty years ago. The character creation was so complex and the powers at hand so detailed with minutiae that I'm sure none of my current group would want to play, but my friend made one great character:

In a time before mobile phones Sweet Daddy Sweet was one of the most successful pimps in all of Atlanta.  A man with such a large workforce and clientele list couldn't afford to miss a single call, so he loaded himself down with multiple pagers to make sure he was available 24-7. Everything went smoothly until the fateful night when his entire roster of ladies decided to check in at once. Every single pager and beeper went off at the same time ravaging Sweet Daddy Sweet's body...and when he was unable to return the calls?....they all paged him again!! This led to him gaining all of the powers of vibration and he became the Vibrating Pimp. My own character was a homeless man with a sonic scream, super speed and flame powers. So he was just a crazy homeless man running and screaming while on fire. It was good stuff. I wish we could have played more of it.

About a year ago I played RIFTs for the first time. It was a one shot at a convention. I'm glad the GM provided prebuilds because the system sure didn't get any easier. Very good game though once you learn the rules.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 19

August 19: What is the best way to learn a new game?

Short answer. By playing it. I'm sure that this will be a popular response, so I'll elaborate a bit.

* The GM needs some familiarity with the rules and his players:The GM should at least read through the quick start rules if any, and have a decent grasp of the setting and the system. He should make sure that it is something that his players will be interested in and that the system is easy/intuitive enough that most of the table can follow it. For instance, I would love to play Mouse Guard or The Burning Wheel, but I go cross-eyed trying to read the rules. I see no way that I could easily summarize them into something playable. I could lend out the rules or find a PDF to share, but I know the guys, and they don't have the time--and probably not the desire--to read up on such complex systems.

*Watch a Game Demo: It used to be that you needed to find a test play at the local game shop or at a convention, but now YouTube has  many test plays available to watch. You won't find EVERY system being played, but most have at least one vid that someone has posted. If you use Roll 20 you can ask to sit in on a group even if there are no player spots available. Seeing the game in action will give you ideas on what to do at your table and further help you decide if it's going to be a game that is worthwhile for your particular group.

*Visit the Game Website:  This is gold. The company website usually has links to FAQs, Printable character sheets, premade characters and even light rules for the game. This was impossible in the pre-internet days and remained almost unheard of until fairly recently. We do have it today and we should all take advantage of it.

*Do the best you can:  The rulesets for these games can get very complex. Like with everything else just make sure it stays fun. The game police aren't going to come around and make sure you are playing the RIGHT way. If you or your rules lawyer finds that there is an official way of doing things you can adjust accordingly if that's what you want to do or keep playing it as you like. The old folks know that once you buy these games you can use them any way you like. Just make it fun for the table.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 18

August 18: What innovation could RPG groups gain the most benefit from?

I have to say the biggest innovations in recent years have been the online virtual tabletop games. I use Roll 20, but I hear that there are other options out there too--each with their own pluses and minuses. In this post I'll try to make this one interesting but the short version is that Roll 20 is the next best thing to a live table and anyone who wants to game and has an internet connection should give it a shot. Eventually, you will find a group. The service is very easy to use on the player end. I haven't run my own game yet, but I plan to at some point and I'm currently watching the Dawn Forged Cast video tutorials on how to set up a campaign. If you are a DM and can run the software, you will be spoiled for players. The long version of my history with Roll 20 I submit to you below.

I hope I'm not contradicting my earlier blog post, but at approximately age 27 I had to give up the RPGs. It was sad, but between gaming and night shift work I felt that I would never be able to get a girlfriend let alone get married. So, I dropped the hobby. I put my energy into winning the heart of a girl...and I did get married at age 29...just barely beating out my self-imposed sell by date of 30. We kicked around as newlyweds for a year or so with me still working the dead end jobs, and the wife looking for work. Eventually, we decided that I should go back to school. So, I  worked part-time and went to school full-time including summers and I never got to game at all. Including internships it took me roughly five years to earn a Bachelor's in Secondary English Education. Finally, I was able to start gaming again with my old friends and....nope! I had to find a job. We were right in the middle of the so-called 'great recession' and I couldn't find a thing. I was very nearly going to keep working at my old movie theater job only now with a degree. Luckily, I was watching a show called 'Locked Up Abroad' and this episode was about an American teacher who taught English overseas and was locked up for selling hashish. I figured if some druggy could get a job teaching abroad that maybe I could too. That's how I found myself overseas, I taught my first class at age 35 in Taiwan where I stayed for one year. Afterwards I moved to the United Arab Emirates where I have been teaching for the last six years. Unfortunately, I still had no one close to game with. As I covered in an earlier question, this eventually led to me seeking out Roll 20. 

The first time I tried Roll 20 was with a 13th Age one shot. I enjoyed it and wanted a regular group to play with. I started playing with a regular group that ran OSRIC. I played with them for a few months leading to the release of 5E. The DM and his partner just didn't want to run anymore, so we disbanded.  I hooked up with a second group--the one that ran the Ravenloft NXT conversion--and I stuck with them for over a year. It also had co-DMs but when John Sun left the group ran on fumes and got flakier and flakier. I find that to be one of the drawbacks to using the online system. It's a lot easier to opt out of a session when you don't really know your online pals personally. After breaking up with the second group I stayed offline for over a year, but I eventually landed in my current group--flaky as ever, but as long as they don't disband I'll stick with them. I have played so many games online and met so many different people that I find it hard to imagine that the gaming community went so long without it.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 17

I gave serious thought to the main question for Day 17--the fictional character that might fit well in my most current group--but in this case I can't think of anything clever or insightful. It would be a good chance to game with Judge Dredd or Batman--or better yet to bring Sailor Mercury or Lara Croft to life--Does Ric Flair count as fictional or real? In any case not much to say here, so I'm going alternate today.

What are good ways for the group to support the host on game night?

Here are some things that can help the host--and everybody else by extension--that should be self-evident but for some reason or another are not always.

* Bring All Play Materials: Just like work or school. Bring all of your stuff and don't assume that the host has a bunch of extras for you to play with. Everybody forgets things from time to time, but at least you should have dice, pencil and character sheet.

*Update your character before the session: Unless it's session zero and you have no clue what you are doing, you should do all the maintenance on your character at home. Even if it is a new campaign you should try to have a general idea of the setting for the game and the type of character that you want to play.

*Help new players when you can: I'm assuming the 'host' is the GM. That's not always true. I have to run games at the host's venue because I live far away from everyone else and there is a baby in my house. In any case the GM has a lot to do already. If you have never run a game, give it a shot and you'll see. You can help the GM out whether he is hosting or not by helping new players. If you know the game well, then sit with a newbie and help him/her. It will make the session go much more smoothly. 

*Chip in for food or bring snacks: If food is being ordered then chip in--if nothing else bring some drinks which almost anybody can afford. If you really are short--let somebody know in private. I've never heard of any group shaming someone who can't afford to buy in, but if they start to assume you are a moocher it might bring some tension to the group.

*Be on your best behavior/know your surroundings: Some places are better for loud, boisterous gaming than others. If non-player wives, babies--or parents for you youngsters--are living with the host, then you had better be quiet or expect to find a different venue. If you are playing in a coffee shop or non-gaming specific bookstore don't act in a way that gets you kicked out.

*Clean up: Finish the session with enough time to clean up. If you are running long then be prepared to stay late. Don't leave any kind of a mess--especially if the mentioned above wives and/or parents are around--even if the host protests and says it's okay. Trust me, on the long term you had better keep it clean.

*Be responsible for your material: Keep an eye on all of your paraphernalia. The stuff isn't cheap. A lot of people are very protective of their stuff. Be sure you keep track of everything that belongs to you. If your stuff comes up missing; it often leads to resentment. Make sure you have everything before you leave the session. Who knows what may accidently get thrown away, vacuumed up or eaten in a household full of wives, moms, babies, and pets that don't know any better.

That's my story for today--We're better than half-way through, and I haven't missed one yet.

Yeah, she wouldn't want to play at the likes of my table anyway...plus, even if she did the wife wouldn't allow it.

The RPG a Day 2016 Blog Day 16

August 16: What historical character would you like in your group? For what game?

I'm sure that there will be a deluge of answers from people clamoring to play with Hitler, but I'm going to buck the trend and choose someone nice. His name Fred Rogers from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I'm not the first person to notice this and I have nothing to do with the little meme below, but I think Mr. Rogers would kick ass running any game. First, he had the coolest set pieces: minis  that could be played with at the table and even better the full size props for LARPing. He was always clear and patient making sure that everyone knew what was going on. He gave plenty of opportunity for player input. He had several story props that would come out from time to time and Picture Picture and the Trolley would give visual and audio clues respectively alerting the players to the beginning and ending of each session. Mr. McFeely was always dropping off more stuff for Rogers--I assume it was all from Amazon and Kickstarters that he backed--so that things stayed fresh at his table. He even had girls playing. Admittedly, things went gonzo really quick with purple pandas, the bizarre relationship between Henrietta Pussycat and X the owl, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde always freaked me out, but you can just tell that he'd run the gaming table like a boss.

The RPG a Day 2016 Blog Day 15

August 15: What types or source of inspiration do you turn to most often for RPGs?

It's music. Whenever I'm playing online I've got all sorts of different music streaming from YouTube in the background. I usually pick from the genres that I like 80's music, electronic music, J-pop, older country music and older music from Western movies, there's a group called Post Modern Jukebox that I like a lot, and Genki Rockets--even when it doesn't match the genre that I'm playing. I think the closest thing to what's going on in my head would be the old Grand Theft Auto,  Bioshock or Fallout videogame commercials or maybe the old movie 'Christine'. I hear a song and it helps me to get into a game. When I'm coming up with a live table game scenario that I want to run or creating a character that I want to play as I'll have the music going on in the background, it seems to make me focused and helps me to pass time during  the more chore-like aspects of the hobby. Oddly, I don't play music when I'm running. I'm not sure if it would enhance the game for anyone but myself as everyone likes different genres of music, and it always seems to become one more piece of cumbersome paraphernalia to keep track of.  A short one today, but that's the way it is.

RPG a Day 2016 Blog Day 14

August 14: Who would be on your dream team of people you used to game with?

Fourteen days in a row...not quite half-way there, but nearly. I'll really be tested in the last week when I go back to work. Today's question is interesting, but it's another one of those wherein we'll be dropping names that none of you 12-16 folks reading my posts know...but most of them can be found on FB or YouTube lest you think I made them all up. Imma pretend that I'm a player in this thing I have four all*stars with me and a DM running the show. 

First, what do I bring to the table? As a player I'm a good listener. I usually don't say much, but I'll throw in a joke or two when appropriate, and I keep old fashioned notes about what's going on in the party. I'm no 'rules lawyer' or 'power gamer' but I have a fairly good grasp of the rules and I try to help out when I can. I'm the type who doesn't care so much if my character dies or does the smart thing as long as he/she acts the way that I think that they would. 

Next, at the DM's chair I'll throw out a shocker and say, John Sun. He was a Roll 20 DM. During the D&D NXT playtest days he built a Ravenloft scenario from the ground up that was excellent. I have yet to play a finer online game. He was in the medical field either working or as a student. I forget which but after the Ravenloft campaign he moved on due to the career if I remember correctly. I wish that I could have played more games with him. The sessions are still up on YouTube if you have the time and need something to put you to sleep, but I had a lot of fun playing as the elf ranger: Sylinn Blackleaf. 

https://youtu.be/xr1cMrJj_dM

One of my players will come from that same group believe it or not. I might be wrong, but I think his screen name was David, if you are foolish enough to actually watch the videos, you'll see who I'm talking about. He played his character to the hilt and was one of the "good" rules lawyers. I think you always need one of those in the group. It saves time looking up rules and it helps to smooth out any arguments that might arise. I'm oldskool so the DM's word is the final decision, but when a player is saying '..yeah, but...' with his reasons, it's awesome to have a guy with a good grasp of the rules to push the argument one way or the other. 

Next player will be an emotional choice for me as it is my own little brother, Shelton Markham. I started playing with him be it with He-Man or GI Joe. Our first RPG proper was D&D back when the D&D cartoons were on, but we were really too young to understand how to play. Eventually we played Choose Your Own Adventures, and Fighting Fantasy books that gave us a better grasp on what we were doing. Marvel Superheroes was our first successful campaign. We also made up our own wrestling game using the M.U.S.C.L.E. toys--the little pink guys--and lastly played the HeroQuest board game. He grew out of such things, but back in the day he was creative and funny like his big brother. I don't think he would have the time or patience for it today, but maybe someday we'll play again. 

Third player on the list I've talked about before he's my current DM, Jeremy. He runs the main campaign for my current group, but he's a player when I run things. He's very cleaver and comes up with original ideas to solve the problems that the group is having. This is a pretty good group with several that should probably make the list, but I give Jeremy the nod because he presses the limits/thinks outside of the box in what the character might do with the powers at his disposal. 

Finally, I have to give my old DM Lem Eubanks a spot at the table. He's the one who has influenced me the most in how I play. If we lived in the same area--or if he embraced Roll 20 like I keep telling him to--we would still be playing to this day. When last I played with him...possibly 15 years ago or more at this point--WoW! Answering RPG a Day Questions make me feel old!--he was still on top of his game. 

And that's my all-star team. If we really could do this I think it would be something. I'd like to see how my oldskool table top guys, current table top guys and recent online guys interacted with one another, but that's as much a fantasy as the games we play. 

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 13

August 13: What makes a successful campaign?

This is a doozy. In my thirty or so years of gaming, I can probably count completed campaigns on one hand. It's happened to me with several groups both at the live table and online. We play many episodes that build and build. Our characters continue to grow and we get used to them, but then something happens. I'll list some of the things that have stopped our campaigns: players moving, players getting married, players having a new baby,players having a long term illness, player's loved one with a long term illness, player's loved one passing, player passing--that's a campaign killer for sure--, having a new edition come out, having a new game system come out, general boredom with campaign or current characters, the odd TPK that nobody wants to come back from (although technically that did complete the campaign), work/school schedules changing, longer than expected hiatuses (holidays and vacations), and another biggie--inconsistent players.

I've come to the realization--at least for me and my groups--that as long as everybody is having a good time in the process that it really doesn't matter if we 'complete' a campaign with a beginning, middle and end. I look at my games as multiple one-shots. I do try to keep a consistent plot that connects everything, but if we end before that plot is completed, it really doesn't hurt anything. I seem to be dodging so I'll make a quick list for a successful campaign:

1. Consistent Players--most of the ups and downs of real life that I mentioned can be weathered with enough planning and compromise. Sometimes that compromise is leaving the campaign, but that's better than being flaky. Keep the communication open at all times, and don't even start up if you know that your schedule will constantly conflict with game times. Most groups are okay with having a one-shot pallet cleanser from time to time if you just ask. Getting to play once a month is better than not playing.

2.Game System/Game Setting--The best campaigns are the ones where both the players and the DM/GM are in agreement on which game that they want to play. If the players hate westerns or if the DM is clueless about running 13th Age it may not be the best system/setting to play. Again, I'm a fan of the one-shot/multi-shot pallet cleanser. It's fun to play new systems/settings as a break from the main campaign. RPGs aren't exclusively D&D or Medieval Fantasy y'know...give the new ones and old ones a chance. Just make sure the main campaign is a system/setting that everyone will enjoy playing. A good 'session zero' is essential.

3.Venue--Like the best sessions question from earlier. There must be a good place to play with little distractions. If you want to play, then be there in body and spirit to play. If you want to come over and watch movies and eat, then that's good too, but let's all agree for it. In as much as we can we should try to play through each session so that the story can move forward. If you are in an online campaign try to have a good connection if at all possible, and treat everyone as if you were at a live table. I've found the flakiest players online--of course some of those guys are no nothing high school kids, so I'll let it slide. If it comes between playing with us or going out on a date...take the date...but at least give a notice :) 

4.Management--Usually a DM job, but not always. This is a wide net that encompasses all of the items I listed  above and below. Known hiatuses should be taken into consideration. I play primarily with fellow teachers and college students. We know when winter/spring/summer breaks and holidays are coming, so we plan our games accordingly. When the break ends, the DM needs to start reigning the players back in too. I hate hiatuses from the game...I'm fine with long hiatuses from work. If there are true problem players--like that total racist dude we encountered--then DM really has to step up and address that problem one way or another. Usually, the quicker the better. If fatigue is setting in then the DM may want to delegate authority or let one of the other players run a session or two--yeah, my pallet cleanser again. DM is like the quarterback of the campaign...right or wrong he's the man...and traditionally you are playing at his house with his stuff anyway. As adult players behavior is usually a non-issue, we don't have enough time to act like assclowns, and we've been around long enough to know not to get kicked out of a group because there aren't that many groups around.

5.Fun--Just to repeat the most important factor is that everybody--including the DM--has fun. Personally, if the players aren't having fun in my campaign I like to know. Nobody wants to sit around bored. Sometimes a setting or a campaign just doesn't click the way you thought. Sometimes a preset module becomes a slog and you have to end things prematurely or find some other way to freshen things up. There is nothing wrong with that in the least. For the most part even the youngest players these days have only so long that they can play. We've made the choice to play with each other so we had better make it the best time that we can. Make it fun and keep it light.

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 12

August 12: What game is your group most likely to play next? Why?

My current group is made up of a lot of teachers, the husband of one teacher and a couple of off and on college kids who play with us when they can. As such we are now on hiatus for summer break. A summer break that is quickly falling into its death throws. This time next week the air will be filled with the sounds of wailing and gnashing of teeth as our final week of vacation will come to an end. On the plus side, we should be back into the gaming swing of things that same week. 

We kind of rotate DM/GM duties in this group. The main GM is my friend Jeremy he'll usually run the bulk of the time, but when he's getting worn out or lacking in material--I usually take over. We both are currently somewhat running D&D 5th--he's doing an Underdark campaign while I'm running The Curse of Strahd. We both ran intros to our newest campaigns late this Spring trying to anticipate who would be back for the new year. We know that we are losing one player for sure and that one of the group got married, so there's no telling how strict the wife is going to be. Either she'll reign him in to staying home everyday or maybe he'll be able to pull her to hang with us. That means that although we were being careful--there's still going to be some fallout. Which leads to today's question...

There are two games that I'm going to try to run this year, both of which I hope will further differentiate my campaign from my partner's. First, since we are going into the Halloween season and since we've already played the campaign intro I'll be sticking with the Ravenloft  setting and Curse of Strahd, but with a twist. I've decided to run the campaign using Dungeon Crawl Classics rules. I got turned on to this system over the summer and have read a great deal of the book. I especially like their magic system. Converting monsters to DCC looks like it will be fairly easy and I've already found a conversion system for the 'funky dice'. Don't let the size and the initial look of complexity about the system fool you. Once you get to reading you should find that the tables and the like are mostly for flavor. The core game mechanics are very simple--maybe not D&D5 simple, but certainly not Pathfinder complex either. Honestly, depending on how the guys play, there is more than enough material in Curse of Strahd to last the whole school year, but if we get tired of playing or if we get a TPK and the guys want something different, from my end that something different will be The 7th Sea. I backed the Kickstarter for this one and it looks great. My hard copy text arrived this very day and all of us backers have had access to the PDF version for quite some time. I ran the playtest version of the rules a while back with a few of the guys and they all liked it. Again, playing this system will give the guys a different set of mechanics to work with and in turn (hopefully) keep our 5E play fresh.

I recommend that everyone take the time to play different systems--old and new--whenever they can. They make for good palette cleansers between campaigns or a good one shot anytime. You may find a system or a game mechanic that you like and you can incorporate it in your regular games.

           

     

The RPG a Day Blog 2016 Day 11

August 11: Which gamer that you have played with has most affected the way that you play?

I would almost take a look at the alternate questions for this one. It's not that I don't have an answer, but I assume that naming names won't be all that interesting to people who don't even know the friend that you are talking about. My good friend Lemuel Eubanks--he's also real and on Facebook--has consistently run games from elementary school up to this very day. He was the DM of my main group from about '92 to '01~'02ish. In '92 I would have been 18 years old and a fresh high school grad.

I would tell you of the glorious times of those years. We would play AD&D, World of Darkness (old versions), RIFTs, Deadlands, various titles from Palladium and others. On top of that we also had a Blood Bowl league, Warhammer Fantasy and 40k, and video game tourneys and anything else that we could get our hands on to play or read. WCW and WWE were appointment television during this time. I once had over a dozen of the guys (and a couple of girls?!) watching PPVs in the bedroom of my parent's mobile home. I developed an unhealthy obsession with the Sailor Moon anime--ah, sweet Sailor Mercury the best of the sailor scouts--This didn't even count the partying or the fact that a lot of the guys were also playing in bands--not me I'm not musically inclined. Most of us kept regular jobs too...when I think back on those times like I'm doing now, I realize that we were a lot more productive than I gave us credit for. Things started to "fall apart" as they often do because we got older. I didn't want to be single for the rest of my life, so I started being proactive in terms of looking for a wife and...for better or for worse...that just won't happen if you are spending all of your free time at the gaming table. Maybe it's getting better for some of you young single gamers nowadays, but it wasn't going so great fifteen years back. The upshot is that I pretty well missed all of third edition D&D while I was on hiatus, but I did manage to gain the wife that I wanted, so I have no regrets there. I've since had a great renaissance--some details of which have already been blogged about earlier-- and I play more consistently each week than we ever did in our prime.  

Enough of that...back to talking about my once and (hopefully) future DM, Lem. Nowadays there are many innovations and refinements to playing that those of you who are not oldskool won't appreciate. The games often took an adversarial tone between the DM and the players. Some still run this style today, but most have concepts like 'fail forward' or 'player narrative' and 'encounter balance' that just didn't typically fly back in the day. Lem was doing that sort of thing before it was cool. He literally let us get away with just about anything that we wanted to try and yet the narratives ran fairly smoothly. Most of the time the other players and I were--unintentionally--wrecking the game.

I remember a time when we were hired by an NPC fighter and his halfling friend to explore some old ruins...as soon as we got down in the dungeon...My PC crushed the halfling's head with his warhammer...the rest of the party then killed the NPC fighter...we were far too chaotic. We searched around on our own and found a necromancer sitting at his desk. He wouldn't look at us and never attacked. He pretty much just told us to bugger off. We couldn't attack him either and had no idea what to do...this taught us all a lesson. It isn't that you need to be "railroaded" as PCs, but if you want a story to make sense, you should go along with the DM on logical things. It makes it more fun for everybody. He was also the type of DM that would let individuals go off on tangents...he never killed a character who didn't deserve it, but that's not to say it never happened. All of the guys remember an 'Orange' D20 that Lem had. It was a killer of many PCs across many different game systems. He had kept it for years and it's a part of our group lore. He finally lost it during a recent move, and we think of it as the one ring...biding its time in the shadows somewhere waiting for the perfect time to show up again. I hope to play with him and the guys and get the band back together someday, orange D20 or no.

  I had to post this comic from a couple of years ago. Not that there's anything wrong with Pathfinder, but it isn't The Old Testament. Play a real oldskool game and Pathfinder becomes more like Scientology.