“The Moon was crying.” That’s what I told my 6-year-old son as we marched into the Ogallala tunnels when the debris started falling, and the sky was filled with endless meteor trails. We wouldn’t see the surface for another 3 years, and by then, the Kansas landscape was red and unrecognizable. Forget “the Dust Bowl”—this is a rock bowl. Few really speak of the asteroid mines and the explosion—I mean, not much we can do to change the past, right? Well sure, The Prophets do, but their caravan doesn’t pass through that often, anymore.
Many have struck out to resettle, but we are staying in the caverns, where water is still plentiful, for the moment. I have a new desalinizer concept I think will enable us to expand farther West, possibly towards the Grand Canyon. Besides, Mark is getting comfortable in the school, and I don’t want to subject him to life in those caravans. In a way, I’m glad that Mark was too young to remember his family back East. I’ve heard terrible stories of tsunamis and floods and… sigh and what /was/ a job relocation in hard times turned out to be close call and a fresh start. It hurts, but I have to think of the future. Who knows, maybe when Mark settles down and I retire, I’ll join those caravans and try to find some answers…
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Alan “Lefty” Berkowitz, citizen of Ogallala Cavern, survivor of The Fall
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How to Create a Memorable RPG Character and Enjoy Game
- Come up with an interesting theme you absolutely love, and specialize. The GM will help you round out your character as you play. But don’t sacrifice stats. The GM will use this against you, later.
- Resist the urge to play a fantasy version of yourself unless you are, yourself, a very interesting and charismatic person. Nothing says predictable and boring like the guy who always plays the same evil mage.
- When you realize Charisma is not a dump stat, nothing can stop you.
- If you have an alignment, then hash out a moral framework for your character. The personal conflict that arises will be both entertaining and memorable. Exploit the alignment crossover that exists in D20 between Good and Evil; Lawful and Chaos.
- If you have a god, then call on him. Most gamers are agnostics so the existence of gods makes for interesting play. Clerics are a hilarious class if you take the time to read the player’s handbook section about religion. See my example in #7.
- Write an in-depth background story or make art.
- Come up with an amazing name. Most people name their creation after it’s done, but I sometimes come up with the name first, and form the character around it. Example: Rick Rockwell. With a name like that, I knew he had to be badass, so I made him a Psionicist lawyer and Priest of Amaunator. He requires paperwork before any healing attempts.
- When in doubt, be funny or tragic. Design your character to leave a mark, one way or another.
- During game, become your character. Act appropriately and your enjoyment of the game will increase dramatically.
- Find out what type of game you will be playing in. Don’t play a social character in an action-packed game.
- Talk to the GM.
- Bring beer and snacks.
- Get to know everyone at game.
In future posts, I will detail some of my favorite characters.
You are all Playing Sunday Game
It started with Tom’s mother, Beverley, who, in the presence of about 30 Mormons over to help us all clean out their garage, used the term to describe my relationship with these friends that had nothing to do with family, church, or marriage:
Our motley crew convened every Sunday to take part in a shared storytelling experience, wherein we would create fantastic, heroic, tragic characters, and play out their lives in a fantasy world of myth and magic.
I don’t know if this is common amongst Mormons, nor will I pretend to know the slightest bit about their social habits or graces, but in my experience, those who were kind enough to help Tom’s family seemed to have a tendency to refer to each other as Brother This or Sister That. So rather than explain those heretical activities — and bless her heart, she never did the entire time I visited — to clear up the unspoken question of “who is this Tom-tall person with the temperament and cackle of Sister Shawna?” she simply referred to me as “Friend Brad.”
Somehow that made sense, and since then, we haven’t stopped finding it funny. Since then, I’ve been referring to everyone with a title; coworker, friend, and soon, family members (just wait!)
Sunday game has since ended and been moved to Friday, but this lives on. When some of my international friends started using the honorary, I figured it was time for a writeup.
