Curse of Strahd--D&D Encounters S22 S1

This week was week two at Kingslayer Comics -- last week we did Character Creation. I had taken last season off of D&D Encounters [mostly because my wife found the material too scary], but also because I needed a bit of a creative break.

I am back behind the screen DM'ing for Curse of Strahd & I am ready to roll!

I loved the original Ravenloft stuff which dropped just at the end of my Bauhaus phase--I remember finding it fun and campy and that it lead nicely to my mockery of Vampire the Masquerade and all the Circles of Black which that brought to the D&D Community.

Kingslayer Comics where I am playing is fantastic--we had 12 players at two tables which was totally perfect. DM Kevin and I had developed a prequel adventure to get the players into the mood & make sure that they were comfortable with their role playing and general D&D mechanics.

It went really well--the players seemed very into it

There was some combat & we did use the Pathfinder iCrit and iFumble apps which are totally fantastic.

I had not planed on using mini's--but the players had come prepared and so we created some impromptu encounters which felt very old school to me--the 3x5 card is a platform, the blue skittles are drow, etc.

Round Table 108 - D&D Movie and Multiclassing Debate

Another great episode. Here is the Blurb:

James Introcaso sits down with Rudy Basso, Rich Howard, and Dan Dillon to discuss the latest D&D movie news. Then Rich and Dan debate the pros and cons of multi-classing and prestige classes. This podcast was recorded on February 24, 2016. 

The stuff on multi-classing is actually very interesting. The stuff on the D&D movie centers in around someone talking smart about Guardians, which is largely a waste of time like most of the D&D movie discussions...we really don't know & likely won't until it is too late...

PODCAST D&D AND THEATER COLLIDE IN "SHE KILLS MONSTERS"

This episode is a completely fantastic return to form!

Here is the official blurb:

The play "She Kills Monsters" by Qui Nguyen is a weird combination of madcap comedy and heartbreaking coming-of-age drama all told inside a D&D module from the 90s. We talk to Lance Gharavi and Antoinette Martin-Hanson, the director and star of a new production at Arizona State University. Listen to the podcast here. Subscribe to the Official D&D Podcast on iTunes to get updates for new episodes. Shelly, Greg and Trevor are always talking to creative Dungeons & Dragons players like comedians and TV writers Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon) and Jared Logan (The Late Late Show with James Corden), as well as professional game masters Griffin McElroy (The Adventure Zone) and Matt Mercer (Critical Role) and actors like Rainn Wilson (The Office).

The connection with Drama and D&D  is tight and it is good to see the connection underlined at the end of this.

The last few episodes have also done well dialing into the correct age range--like family friendly, but innuendo is ok--which I think is great--they are moving away from a more stuffy corporate style.

Also, this is another "art" themed cast--I think Mr Tito brings that energy and it is really nice--specifically the Actor and Director bring an amazing openess and energy to this podcast. Also, they mention Bikini Kill which is FANTASTIC.

Death House--Curse of Strahd Intro Adventure

I am Not a Goob

The last D&D Podcast had this random comment from one of the art directors that one of the Ampersand artists was in a relationship with a "D&D Goob".

It was clearly meant to be playful and endearing.

I heard it very differently.

Now, if it had come from Shelly or Greg, I likely would not have even noticed--but the Art Director had previously said several things that made it clear she was not "one of us" and so her comment struck me with the force of a 9th grade hallway slam--if you know what I mean.

Some Art Kid calling anyone a Goob immediately triggers me and I really wish it did not. I get defensive. It makes me mad--I want to strike back and shame them, and taunt them, and explain to them that they do not know what it was like growing up playing D&D...The way in which playful and endearing can switch to mean and exclusionary.

And I have no idea where I am getting this "one of us" feeling--sounds like some Fake Geek Girl conspiracy or Anti-Cosplay idiot response...Right Fun...I mean The Art Director's likely had a lot more crap in their life then I have had in mine & for me to get all prickly over this is just lame...

But it is not going away...

And I *know* I am being hyper over sensitive to this at some level. And I wish I could let this go--but I am literally thinking about it a lot & hoping a blog post may help is likely the worst form of desperation, but but but...

I am tired of being called names.

I have been tired of it since 1982. I am not a nerd, geek, goob, or anything else. When the Deadpool movie comes out I do not need a lot of articles explaining what it means to be nerdy... Articles on how to have a Geek Valentine's Day are not helping...

I am tired of it & I am struggling to come up with a creative response...