RPGaDay Challenge 2016 - Day 16 and Day 17

Huh. These two are a little tricky, kinda related, and I'm behind so I'm going to answer them together.

Historical? Damned if I know. Can't think of a single person. Seriously. If we're talking 20th-21st Century famous people that's easier.

I've always wanted to game with the late, great Robin Williams, who I happen to know was a gamer. Those who've followed this site know I have so brief, but awesome history with the departed actor, and comedian and it would have been awesome to have had him at my table. 

What game? Would it matter? We're talking Robin Freakin' Williams! At the same time...something Sci-Fi. Probably Star Wars, Star Trek, or Traveller.

My other thought is Jim Henson. Man oh man. Wouldn't it be just the be all, end all to have Jim Henson run a game of Ars Magica? That would be so sweet.

My current groups? Not sure. Maybe...I got nothing.

My older groups?

The Great Gonzo for Toon, Teenagers from Outer Space, Paranoia, Tales from the Floating Vagabond, Hunter Planet, or Gamma World (which he would enjoy for the 'realism' O_o ). 

Robin from Young Justice Season One in any of our Superhero games.

Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Star Wars, Star Trek, and Traveller. Different games, with different approaches to Space Adventure. I think I am imagining gaming with John Boyega more than the character, but I'd love to see how he addresses each setting.

That's all I've got.

Moving on...

AD
Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2015 - Day 30

Oh man, I haven't exactly been looking forward to this entry...

I don't put a lot of stock into the whole 'celebrity role-player' thing.

I mean, I think it's kind of neat if I learn that an artist, actor, writer, or director whose work I like played RPGs as a kid (or still does), but that's about it. It's neat. Nice to know. That's all.

The one exception* is Robin Williams.

I

t says 'Favorite RPG playing celebrity', but it does not specify living, or deceased. Sadly, to answer the question in all honesty, I must acknowledge that my choice falls into the latter category.

Between 1988 and 1992, I worked at the Forbidden Planet, one of New York City's prime pop-culture, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and comic book retail stores. Perhaps the biggest, and most well known at the time. I mainly handled the toy section, eventually being an assistant buyer for import toys, and models, the main buyer for RPGs, and related products (like dice and miniatures), and eventually an assistant manager.

Robin Williams was a regular customer, visiting the store every time he was in New York.

I was a huge fan of his, but reigned in my enthusiasm each, and every visit so as not to make him uncomfortable. Most of the staff did the same, with the exception of one, or two who were just so star struck they couldn't help it I suppose.

Over time, he came to ask for me specifically when he came in. I helped him with a number of products, and sometimes we just talked the way fans talk. We'd discuss a particular Anime, Japanese die-cast robot toy, or what film he was working on, or had just finished.

I'll never forget him coming in just after he finished shooting Hook. He looked terrible. He was visibly tired, almost exhausted, and very thin. He didn't stay long. I didn't ask him about it, but did what I could to make him feel like we (the staff) appreciated him coming by. I think that meant something to him. I could see it on his face.

Then there was the time...

I would come to learn that he had played D&D, and a few other games, and at the time got into an occasional game of Warhammer, and Warhammer 40K.

I have a lot of memories of him from those four years. At least one, or two a year that I can easily recollect. The staff, and I never treated him like a celebrity. We treated him like a person. He repaid the gesture in kind.

My favorite celebrity who gamed? No question. The one, the only, Robin Williams.

Rest in Peace fellow gamer.

AD
Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2015 - Day 11

I'll say one thing about this year's RPGaDay Challenge, it sure is challenging. I'm practically wrestling with my own brain to come up with answers to some of these questions.

Before I try to answer this one, and I don't know that I can, let you ask you all a question:

How do you know who wrote what in an RPG product?

I mean, did Tom Moldvay write the prose for the revised Basic D&D book, redesign the mechanics, or both? How do we know? It says on his Wikipedia page that he co-authored a number of classic D&D adventure modules, but do we know which parts were his, and which were someone else's?

I* worked on Among The Clans, the Andorian Sourcebook for Last Unicorn Games' Star Trek, The Original Series, Role Playing Game. I wrote up the material for all the NPCs you see in the book. The mechanics in the book, such as additional rules, character options, stats for the NPCs, etc. were done by the incredibly talented Steven S. Long. The rest of the book, including the specifics of the planet Andor/Andoria, the history of the species, etc. were written by the oh-my-god-this-guy-is-awesome S. John Ross.

If you read the credits for the aforementioned sourcebook, it just lists our names after the word, 'Authors'.

So who's to say who wrote what?

Anyway, for these reasons, and other lesser ones, I'm not certain I can really choose a favorite RPG writer. I can name a few I really like. Does that count? Well, it'll have to do.

On the top of my list are Greg Costikyan (Paranoia, Star Wars D6, Toon), Kenneth Hite (Star Trek - LUG, Trail of Cthulhu), Steve Kenson (Mutants and Masterminds), Mike Pondsmith (Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space), S. John Ross (Risus, Pokethulhu), Jared Sorenson (InSpectres, octane), Greg Stafford (Ghostbusters, Pendragon), and Jonathan Tweet (Ars Magica).

I'm sure there are others that I am forgetting, and as such I apologize.

That's all the time we have for today.

See you tomorrow gang!

AD
Barking Alien

*It seems I do not warrant my own Wikipedia page yet, however, if you Google my name and the letters 'RPG' you will see several sites listing products I have worked on.

Neat huh?

On a somber note, today marks the one year anniversary of the passing of Robin Williams.

As noted in the post I did last year in association with his death, Robin Williams was more than a favorite actor, and comedian of mine. He was someone I knew, however lightly, and however briefly our paths crossed.

Please read that post if you would, and think of the laughter he brought us.

Thank you.

Rest In Peace, Robin Williams

No clever title. No flowery prose. Honestly people, I am at a loss.

Actor, comedian, father, husband, inspiration and so much more, Robin Williams, dead at the age of 63.

In my early twenties I worked for the Forbidden Planet, a store catering to all manner of fandom, with everything from Science Fiction & Fantasy novels, to RPGs, to comic books and Japanese robot toys. I was at the Uptown location for four years until it finally closed in 1992 or 93.

Robin Williams used to come in every time he was in New York, and I helped him out when it came to finding the right Transformer for his son, die-cast metal robot for himself, or, on one occasion, the latest Warhammer item for his friend Robert 'Bobcat' Goldthwait.

Once, I was working the cash register, when I had some difficulty with a woman's credit card. The company wouldn't approve the transaction, so I called them and they had me ask her all kinds of questions. This was long before the type of credit card systems we use today. She was very embarrassed and a little frustrated, so I decided to lighten the mood with a little humor.

"They have me on hold (which they did) but they will also need a DNA sample and your great, great grandmother's maiden name."

She looked at me puzzled for a moment.

The next person on the line said, "And your first born. And next of kin."

She started to laugh.

I looked at the person who had spoken, and said with a shrug, "Retina scan?" He nodded. "Yes, we could use a retina scan," I said.

Now she was really laughing. As I attended to the credit card company who had come back on the phone the customer finally turned to the person behind her to thank them for being so patient. She shouted with a start.

"Oh my god! You're...you're Robin Williams."

"Yes", he said, "but we still need that scan."

One of several great stories, one of many great memories.

Even if you are not as big a fan of his as I am know this, today we have lost one of our own. A fellow fan and gamer geek.

Good night Mr. Williams. Thank you for the laughter. Godspeed.

AD
Barking Alien