Monday, January 30, 2017

The Magic Goes Away

When I first thought about doing my Campaigns I Have Played series, I had originally planned for the first entry to be the best Dungeons & Dragons game I'd ever been part of as a player. I decided to dedicate the first post to a Star Wars campaign instead for two reasons.

First, I was very much in a Star Wars state of mind when the opportunity to post came up. Second...I just couldn't quickly remember a really good, long term campaign of D&D that I played in. 

Dungeons & Dragons and I have, as you may know, a love/hate relationship.

Well...maybe a tolerate/hate relationship. I tolerate it. I'm growing as a person.

The thing is...there are a lot of reasons I'm not a fan of that particular RPG, but one of the biggest is that I just haven't had as many good experiences with it as I've had bad ones, and certainly not as many good experiences as I've had with other games.

It's like those magic jelly beans from Harry Potter - Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Sure, you might get a Bacon one, or even a Baked Apple bean, but after numerous experiences with Earwax, Snot, and Soap, you'll just go for a different treat altogether, and cut your loses. Besides, Chocolate Frogs rock.

Where was I? Ah yes, D&D. 

It's not like I've never had any good experiences. I'm here aren't I? I'm still a gamer after 40 years, and I started with Dungeons & Dragons, so something must've gone right in the early days to take me this far. 

The bigger issue is that it is difficult for me to recall any D&D campaigns I've been in as a player that meet my criteria for this series. While I've had some good one-shots, and short campaigns, I don't remember many long, complete ones. They need to have been so fun, so successful, that they are memorable. My lack of memory of any points to a lack of awesomeness in this category. 

My friend Aris ran a really good one that was kind of long, but it didn't have a distinct ending. It just sort of faded as our schedules changed, and my pal Keith moved out of state. I had some good short ones in high school...well, one...but I don't recall that one being completed either.

Argh. This is quite frustrating. 

I am hoping to follow up my Champions series with this, but I fear it may get pushed back as I am much more focused on my favorite subjects of Science Fiction, and Superheroes right now.

Still...there must have been one...hmmm...

AD
Barking Alien





1 comment:

  1. Wow, I've never met ANYONE else who felt that way about D&D - besides me! I don't ever remember having fun with it, but it introduced me to alot of other RPGs that I DID have fun with.

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