Mad Brew’s Gaming Philosophy

Mad Brew Labs celebrated its 1^st year of existence last Thursday. It came and went without fanfare because I was actually gearing up for a more important celebration, 5 years of marriage with my lovely wife. I was pondering about what I have and haven’t done with the blog in the last year and where I want to be a year from now.

One of the things that I realized I have yet to do is give my readers an idea about what kind of gamer I am. Sure, most of it could be gleaned from how I have presented certain topics in one of the last 141 posts here at the labs. I just think it’s a good idea to write it down and I do it more for my own benefit than anything else.

Why I Play

There are many reasons why I play roleplaying games and the following list is not exhaustive:

• manages my imagination (because I need an outlet)
• stimulates my creativity (wouldn’t be cool if…)
• provides interesting experiences (I never could have elsewhere)
• accommodates my puzzle solving fetish (which leads to character optimization)
• gives me a break from the home life (necessary to maintain healthy marriage)
• allows my wallet to breath (because paper is cheap and dice last a lifetime)

All of the above are wonderful reasons to play, but the number one most important reason I play is because it allows me to have fun with my friends. Roleplaying is a social engagement for me. The actual game and story take a back seat to the social event; RPGs are just a vehicle for us to get to the destination of fun.

Play Style

On a recent episode (Season 1, Episode 3) of the RPG Circus podcast, the ringmasters had Phil, the Chatty DM, as guest. He said, “The age of the tyrannical DM is dead” and attributed the death knell to the design of modern RPGs (specifically 4^th Edition Dungeons & Dragons). I say the age never existed.

I’ve been playing since about ’88, and I never had a tyrannical (meaning adversarial) DM. Sure, that was 15 years after the inception of D&D, but I believe the adversarial DM, while existed, was not as common as many believe. Also, no rule system to date prevents a DM from being a dick.

That being said, I do believe Game Masters (or Dungeons Masters or referees) should have the final say in any situation. The GM does most of the work and receives that power by merit. The only entitlement players have is the right to have fun (so if the GM is not providing that, it’s time to for something to change).

Some might think that places me firmly in the classic gaming camp (they call themselves the “Old School Renaissance”), but I dig crunchy mechanics, tactical miniature play, character options, and story. Yet, I don’t feel like I am part of the “new school movement” either.

I take a sort of hybrid approach to my gaming. I reward both player AND character skill at the table. I do have story and plot running in the background of my adventures while still allowing the freedom of “sandbox” style play. There are consequences for actions (as well as non-action in the case of plot). I roll everything openly and pull no punches, so character death is a reality in my games (though I do offer options that help soften the blow). I pay attention to mechanics, yet let them take a back seat during outstanding roleplay.

As a player, I tend to do heavy optimization. Why? Well, because I like watching everything come together; traits supporting and enhancing each other. I also feel there is a skill involved in optimization, and enjoy applying that skill. It gives me something to do in the downtime between sessions and it makes for interesting backgrounds.  Yeah, I tend to write lengthy (2-3 page) histories for my characters, and everything on the character sheet has a rationale. These backgrounds in turn give me things to use during roleplaying.

I tend to believe that those who hate optimizers are either weak GMs who have not learned how to handle them or players that have weak GMs and their lack of optimization keeps their characters in the shadows. A good Game Master can give everyone a chance to shine, no matter what kind of character a player has.

Conclusion

I think I am a very middle of the road roleplayer and I don’t let any zealousness blind me to the benefits of any play style. I don’t wear my game of choice as a badge (I can play many systems, and enjoy most of them) and I try to keep from being pigeon-holed into any of the insular play style movements. I welcome any good-natured gamer at my table, no matter their preference.

Oh, and this is my own personaly philosphy and have no desire to force them upon anyone (though it would be cool for me if many people adopted them), nor do I claim my philosophy is the one true way, it just works best for me.

What I’m listening to:  White Zombie – Crow II: City of Angels OST – I’m Your Boogieman

A Gygaxian Tribute on GM’s Day

Today is has a three-fold meaning to me.  First and foremost, it is my daughter’s birthday!  So, Happy Birthday Izzy!  She brings special purpose to my life and makes every day exciting.

Today is also Game Master’s Day, where we celebrate all the hard work and dedication our own GM’s put into the game that provides us with so much entertainment and cherished memories.

Last, but not least, today is the anniversary of E. Gary Gygax’s death and his apotheosis into the pantheon of gaming deities, or at least hopefully passing on into whatever afterlife he subscribed to.

So today brings a mixture of life, death, and the fun I have traversing from the former to the latter.  In a way it reminds me of my mortality and encourages me to do more while I can.

So today I plan and doing something with my daughter that has something to do with gaming.  She loves boardgames and reading, so I might break out HeroQuest and let her move the pieces around the board fighting monsters (she LOVES the monsters!).  We’ll probably break out some games on Wii and Playstation that she like and I plan on wrapping up by reading some fantasy themed children’s books to her before bedtime.

I’d like to do something in remembrance of old E.G.G, but I think it may have to wait for this weekend when I can get some guys together.  I have an extreme dislike for Western (or at least American) practices of mourning.  It always seems like an occasion to feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in self-pity.  I instead like to celebrate.  We should celebrate his life and contributions to the community.

While I cannot say I ever played a game with Gary, I had spoken with him at length at several GenCons (the last time being at the Troll Lord Games booth about Castles & Crusades). He was a very approachable person and I felt he was very genuine. He never turned away a fan that wanted to say a few words or take some pictures. I am glad to have shared some time with Gary.

So in honor of E. Gary Gygax I want to run the original Tomb of Horrors and try to slay as many characters as I can, taking a shot every encounter, trap, and monster death and three for every character death (and see how far we get).

In closing this article, I would like to thank my very first regular GM and best friend, Shawn Neal, for running me in some of the best damned Ravenloft campaigns, ever.  I would also like to thank Mike Madden for being the DM I have sit under most in recent years, and working in everyone else’s schedule.  Finally, I want to thank Zach Edwards for currently running a no apologies, kick-ass Age of Worms campaign with Pathfinder.

EDIT: I should note that Uncle Bear is hosting the memorial for Gary today.

Listening to: Black Label Society – Mafia – Dirt on the Grave

gamingD&Dd20rpgroleplayingGMs Daygygax

Happy Holidays!

 This meme has bee provided by The Core Mechanic!

Listening to: H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society – A Very Scary Solstice – The Carol of the Old Ones

Happy Anniversary Babe!

I’m not trying to make this a blog too personal, but I wanted to mark the occasion. It is my wife and I’s 4th Anniversary today. We’ve been together six years, married four, and have a two year old daughter. Life is never dull for me! Anyways, I love her dearly and I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She gives me direction while my daughter gives me motivation.

We already celebrated with a trip to a state park to stay at an inn. Indiana state parks have some very nice inns which have some pretty good grub at their restaurants. I highly recommend Clifty Falls Inn if you’re near Madison, Indiana. It overlooks the Ohio river and is pretty comfortable (even has wireless!).