Friday, January 31, 2014

D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge

Not sure what a Blog Hop Challenge is, so I'm just copying what Tales of the Rambling Bumblers did. With my own answers of course.


Bluebox Baby!
1: First person who introduced you to D&D? Which edition? Your first Character?

My dad regularly brought to the hobby shop. He went for HO scale model railroad stuff. It must of been on one of these trips that I got the Basic D&D Blue Dragon boxset. 30+ years later I fail to remember my first character.

2: First person YOU introduced to D&D? Which edition? THEIR first character?

Hm. Probably Andy, kid who lived up the street, blue box.

3: First dungeon you explored as a PC or ran as a DM.

B2 Caves of Chaos.

4: First dragon you slew (or some other powerful monster).

I probably cheated and killed some gods from DDG, who didn't? I've never really felt that slaying the big bad / "winning" is the point or fun aspect of D&D. Exploration, discovery, experiencing (or revealing if Refree) the wonder of a fantastic world. The journey and not the destination.

5: First character to go from 1st level to 20th level (or highest possible level in a given edition).

Never liked high levels, so never have done them. I like the struggle of 2nd to 5th levels or so. Haven't kept characters for very long. I have ADD.

6: First character death. How did you handle it?

Booyah! Opportunity to play something new.

7: First D&D Product you ever bought. Do you still have it?

I'll answer the first product ever bought for me. The original Rogues Gallery bought for me by my father. Despite not understanding what this D&D thing was and not very approving. He knew it made me happy and that was enough for him.

8: First set of polyhedral dice you owned. Do you still use them?

I've sold/lost/thrown away everything I've ever had several times over. The dice I had are long gone. My current dice are less than 5 years old. I'm not nostalgic for dice...

9: First campaign setting (homebrew or published) you played in.

Greyhawk. The Darlene maps thrilled my youngling imagination. I dig Mystara. But I've never really been able to "love" any setting like I do Greyhawk (pre-war). You never get over your first, eh?

10: First gaming magazine you ever bought (Dragon, Dungeon, White Dwarf, etc.).

Dragon around issue numbers 60-70. I distinctly remember the chessboard covers. Bought my own subscription with Lawn Mowing income. A big deal for a 13 year old. IRRC it came in a brown paper wrap. Highlight of the month.

11: First splatbook you begged your DM to approve.

I hate splatbooks. 2e splatageddon drove me away from D&D and the hobby for years. I don't need some publisher to tell me and limit what I can do. This is a game of imagination. Create it yourself!

12: First store where you bought your gaming supplies. Does it still exist?

Oh, no idea. Some hobby shop in or around Vienna, VA. Probably at Tyson's Corner.

13: First miniature(s) you used for D&D.

I never used them back in the day. First use was in early 2000's re-purposed MageKnights bought in bulk off Ebay for my "The Gods Themselves" 3.5 campaign.

14: Did you meet your significant other while playing D&D? Does he or she still play? (Or just post a randomly generated monster in protest of Valentine’s Day).

Nope.

15: What was the first edition you didn’t enjoy. Why?

2ed, cause it sucked balls. All the modules are linear railroads authored by failed fantasy authors who wrote novellas instead of adventures. Art went from inspiring, abstract, funky cool, appx N pen and ink to high-fantasy realistic oil. Too heroic, not enough murder hobo. Splatbook hell. It was obvious TSR only cared about shipping as much crap as possible to suck the most money out of fans. Isn't this also when the changed demon and devil names cause of bad press? Fucking cowards.

In retrospect (and having run it recently for a ToEE campaign) 1st ed blows too. Too complex (without benefit) and inconsistent.

A Type II Demon sans Balls
16: Do you remember your first edition war? Did you win?

The even numbered editions (assuming 0 is not even) suck giant Type II demon balls. There are no winners only soul-crushing despair for the survivors of their evil.

17: First time you heard D&D was somehow “evil.”

Long, long after if was a fad to call it such. In one of those kick ass over the top Chick Cartoons. When I saw that Tom Hanks movie, I didn't connect game they played to D&D, cause it wasn't. (Although I tried to create illuminated kick ass magic tomes like from that movie). Nor did it make me think "play rpg" leads to going crazy and trying to fly off building. Cause duh! 3 out of 4 players didn't do that. And it is obvious crazy dude was crazy and playing RPG didn't some how make him crazy. 18: First gaming convention you ever attended.

DunDraCon in Northern California which was totally awesome and made me into a "convention goer". Never been to the big one though.

19: First gamer who just annoyed the hell out of you.

12 year girl at OwlCon who was way too fucking hyper and wouldn't ever shut up about Harry Potter. I am an acknowledged cranky, old, curmudgeon. Still, if you'd been there you would not fault me.

20: First non-D&D RPG you played.

RoleMaster! Although I had Star Frontiers and Traveler first I didn't play SF until last year, and have never played Traveler (except with myself). I've played many other systems over the years. Mostly just one-shots, it always being impossible to find players.

21: First time you sold some of your D&D books–for whatever reason.

Mid 90's I sold all of my MERP collection (and MTG cards + other stuff) to fund 9mo trip around Germany and Czech Republic. Don't regret it. Other than that I've mostly given away or lost books. I now have 4 large bookshelves filled with RPG books and boxsets. Recently bought bigger house so I don't have to get rid of any and have space to acquire mor!

22: First D&D-based novel you ever read (Dragonlance Trilogy, Realms novels, etc.)

I don't think I have ever read a D&D novel. But I played the old SSI series and the modern totally awesome despite what reviewers might say ToEE which actually brought me back into playing Pen and Paper RPGs.

23: First song that comes to mind that you associate with D&D. Why?

"How Heavy Is My Axe" cause of cause I feel same way listening to that song as I do when really in the groove playing OD&D and cause of Pornstars.

Although these days, my games have more Appx N "Fire Lances of the Hyperzephyrians" in them.

24: First movie that comes to mind that you associate with D&D. Why?

"Conan the Barbarian" only cause it's the first movie that comes to mind when I'm thinking fantasy. "Conan the Destroyer" is more D&D like (A mixed party, thrown together by DM fait, (er I mean Queen), a couple of dungeon locations, random bad guys to fight, and of course betrayal). Another totally D&D movie is "Legend".

25: Longest running campaign/gaming group you’ve been in.

Rarely lasted a year. Although I've played in a campaign that had existed for over 20years, but only for 9mo or so. That ADD again.

26: Do you still game with the people who introduced you to the hobby?

I introduced myself beyatch! Although, I still play with people I've introduced.

27: If you had to do it all over again, would you do anything different when you first started gaming?

Hell yeah, I was 12 or younger. Knowing I'd have to write this someday I would have kept notes. Kept everything (my notes, characters, maps, etc). Would have embraced DIY/OSR/Jeff Rients from the start. Flirted with girls more. Many other things.

28: What is the single most important lesson you’ve learned from playing Dungeons & Dragons?

Have fun, the rest will work itself out.

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