Surviving the Crazy Times: Exploring Gaming in Denver

This past weekend was a great weekend for Dante & I, as we finally got back into playing a game that doesn't involve computers and actually involved roleplaying.

Friday night saw us huddled around someone else's dinner table, rolling up new characters and getting our feet wet in a new campaign. Dante & I have had very minimal exposure to 4E, and our two new gamers (one of Dante's co-workers and his wife) had not played the new edition but both had lots of RPG experience. It took awhile to get through the character creation, and our combat took awhile as everyone got used to their new characters and their abilities. But we didn't let the delays hamper our good time. It was so much fun; there is nothing quite like sitting around, rolling some dice and discussing how best to get rid of those pesky kobolds.

On Saturday, still floating on our gaming high from Friday night, Dante & I made the 45 minute trip to Englewood to visit a gaming shop. I had heard good things about Bonnie Brae Hobby Shop through the Gamer Girls surveys, and needing a FLGS, I decided I would at least decide if it was worth the long-ish drive.

It's a great store. We came in the back door (there being no open parking spots out front, we opted for the spacious parking lot in the back) and were immediately welcomed by the sounds of a couple of guys playing a CCG (not sure which one, but that doesn't matter). I told Dante that at that moment, it felt like coming home.

They had a lot of new stuff and a lot of good, used stuff. I was very excited just to see one entire wall of bookshelves full of games, including many, many classics. In addition to all the other RPG-related items, they had hobby supplies (model kits, etc). It was a wonderful experience, and while I might not make the trip every week, it will definitely be on my list of places to revisit.

This weekend (Thurs through Sun) is GenghisCon XXX here in Denver. Given that it's also Valentine's Day this weekend, we're not planning on spending the weekend at the convention, but I'm going to drive down on Friday and see what's what.

If any of our readers out there have a FLGS on the northern/northwestern side of Denver, we are still looking for someplace closer that doesn't involve fighting our way through the traffic (ie. people) at the FlatIron mall.

Surviving the Crazy Times: Beginning Again

So we're finally getting boxes unpacked, stuff put away and generally settling into life in Colorado.  I've been working on setting up the smallest bedroom as an office/library, which has lead me to the realization that I have a lot of books.  The disappointing thing is that after unpacking the obvious boxes, I still have gaps on the bookcases where I various books are missing.  Ah, well, they'll turn it eventually.

Beginning Again

Dante is coordinating with some of his new co-workers on getting a group together.  It's been a long time since I've sat down at the gaming table with my books and my dice spread out before me, so I'm pretty excited to get the new group together and see how well we all play together.

Of course, this is the "beginning again": finding a group, getting to know new people and figuring out how to play in a the group.  Prior to this, I have always been part of a group where I knew at least one person (other than Dante).  This will be the first time I'll be in a group composed of people I've only met once or twice at after-work get-togethers where spouses were invited.

Hello, My Name Is

So, how do you integrate a bunch of individuals into a group?  I figure we will need to start out getting to know each other a little bit before we try to get a game going.  To me, roleplaying seems to be a more natural process when you're not facing a bunch of strangers.  Of course, that may be partly due to the fact that I'm a little shy.  Just like your characters need to meet each other before setting out to save the world, you need to know your fellow players before you begin playing those characters.

Surviving the Crazy Times -- The New Home

Dante & I successfully completed our cross country trek and are settling nicely into our new home in Colorado.  Life here is pretty much the same with some very notable exceptions.  One exception, a very happy one, is the fact that we can see the mountains anytime we leave the house.  Another exception, not so happy, is that we haven't played D&D in a Very Long Time.

Around all the unpacking and trips to various stores to buy those things that a) didn't make the trip or b) we didn't need before and now we have to have, we have been trying to keep up with the gaming culture via World of Warcraft.  It's something, but it just doesn't have the same level of interaction and spontaneity that I truly enjoy in a good RPG.

A couple of our readers have mentioned that they live in the area, and I'm hoping after the first of the year, when things should (hopefully) be more settled, we'll be able to get together to meet the local gamers.

In the meantime, with little happening in the way of RPG in our household, Dante & I are a little stretched for RPG-related content.  You may see fewer posts on RPGBloggers.com, but you can still expect to see some random posts, as well as WOW-related content showing up on our site.

So far, we are surviving the crazy times.  I'll keep you posted if that changes. :)

Surviving the Crazy Times -- Packing

As Dante & I prepare for our cross-country move, we are finding ourselves overwhelmed. There's so much to do to prepare for this kind of move. I expect that over the next few weeks, as we're trying to maintain sanity and sell our house and find a new house and try to keep up with the miriad of other details involved in the whole thing, our blogging schedule may be a little off.

Sorting and packing boxes has given me a bit of an appreciation for the sheer footloose-edness of my characters. In our campaigns, we frequently take off into the wide blue yonder with only the contents of our backpacks. If we're really on top of things, we sometimes procure horses and other related traveling paraphenalia, but we're not always that prepared.

I have a hard time imagining myself taking off on a great adventure with only the contents of my backpack. I'm a bit of a pack-rat though, so I'm sure things I would consider necessary might be negiotable. Excluding electronics (assuming no way to recharge them) and cash (move all funds to the First National Bank of Bag of Holding), I would probably pack:

1. Basic toiletry kit - 'nuf said.

2. Towel - Gotta stay safe in case I encounter the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. Also, when I need to replace #1.

3. Hair pin - If Scooby Doo has taught us anything, it's that a hair pin is singularily the most useful hair accessory one can have. But it's not just for picking locks. Use it in place of a cloak pin when you wrap your towel around you for warmth. Plus, it's an easy accessory to make you look fabulous.

4. Notebook (and pen) - I don't travel far without my notebook, mostly because I have a tendency to forget things if I don't write them down. It would be highly useful for keeping track of landmarks to keep from getting lost. Or if you are lost, to make paper airplanes to request help.

5. Bottle of water - even when it's empty, you can use it as a canteen to transport water.

6. Scroll case with lots of useful scrolls - I'm assuming I'm an arcane spell caster. :)