Reading Books, A Novel Concept!

Alright, so I pun a little. Leave my title be. Since my last blog, I've been gaming regularly. I'm involved in two separate tabletop RPG's, I've re-acquired an old and beloved CCG, and my Space Marines have never looked better. I feel good. Though I haven't had the time to blog about my experiences until now, I have most assuredly enjoyed my re-immersion in my geekish roots. There is, however, one disturbing trend I've noticed in my travels through fantasy land.

Most role playing games now-a-days fill a niche market. Like samurai? Play Legend of the Five Rings. Space Marines your thing? You get Deathwatch. Maybe you just really like wearing a cape. You, my friend have options! (depending mostly on the type of cape) The point is, each system is designed to cater to a specific type of role-playing experience. Some are for people who like dark and gritty horror, while others are full of futuristic adventure. They do so by creating a system of dynamic rules that allow the players mechanics to enact their heroic feats, or perform some old fashioned gumshoe sleuthing. These mechanics get published in sacred tomes of knowledge called "core rulebooks". The thought behind this is that all the rules you will ever need to know in order to adventure in the epic world of your choosing are condensed into this single indispensable volume.

I prefer this cape

Now most gamers know exactly what to do. Run down to your friendly local gaming store, drop your $50 on that shiny hardcover, and run home giddily thinking of all the awesome joy your new purchase will bring. Game night rolls around, and you meet with four of your buddies who also made their journey to buy the 950 page collectors edition that came with a special die that only rolls 6's and a psychically drawn  portrait of the only helmet your new character will  ever wear. Your friend Tim (everyone knows a Tim) has agreed to GM this game, because he used to run it four editions ago. Obviously everything is the same, and the developers have changed not a thing in the subsequent editions that you've missed. Flipping quickly to the character creation summery section, everyone whips together their new persona in a display of mechanical pencil wielding that would impress a Jedi. At last it's time to get started!

It's as comfortable as it looks.

Tim (you remember him, he's the GM), sets the stage for the adventurers. You are all strangers who meet at an inn, and by some random twist of fate  are forced to form a ragtag group battling against unknown forces of evil. You have to fend off the zombie minions ravaging the innocent townsfolk, and so you.... wait... where was the section on combat? I think it was page 803, hold on let me look it up. Can you check how to calculate initiative while I do this. Damn it, what the difference in damage bonus if I wield this stop sign two handed? I know you want to swing from the chandelier, but we have to see how Athletics works! Why didn't sleeping with this book under my pillow impart all it's knowledge to me?!? There has to be an easier way.

  

87 pages of random facial feature generating charts!

Someone wise once said something that is probably very applicable here. They wrote it down, but no one ever read it so I don't know what it is. That being said, all of the above could simply be avoided if people actually read the books they are spending so much of their hard earned cash to buy. Sure, there is always that one friend who isn't really all that into role-playing, but he makes really awesome Star Wars references and can do an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression , so you invite him anyway. He doesn't own the books so everyone cuts him some slack and teaches him as they go. But the rest of the players have no excuse. They've already flipped through all the pictures, and checked out the cool magic items that they plan on breaking the game with later. The least they could do is read that pesky section labeled "how to play".

All of these will be full by game three.

Nothing kills a game faster than having to look every last detail up. A good GM can wing most things and keep the story moving, but they shouldn't have to carry the entire game on their shoulders. Every participant, player or storyteller, has a part to play in making the role-playing experience flow. I don't know the origin of this disturbing trend. Perhaps we all lead much busier lives now. I can remember a time where I anxiously awaited the newest releases for my favorite game systems so I could hurry them home and devour their knowledge in a dank and musty basement. My friends all did the same, and when we'd meet, there would be conversations and debates that would make ancient Greek philosophers worried for our sanity. Now it seems like the going trend is to mindlessly keep our collections complete, and see how thickly we can collect layers of dust and cat hair on them.

If only I had read more, I could have prevented the growth of cauliflower on my jaw!

I could go on endlessly about this subject, slowly pushing myself closer to the inevitable heart failure that will eventually claim me. That, however, would serve no purpose. I simply encourage everyone to rekindle their love for reading. If you're a gamer, than at some point you've had that love. Sure the gaming companies often publish shoddily edited source books that create more questions than they answer (I'm looking at you Fantasy Flight), but somewhere in there are the basic nuggets we all need to know in order to enjoy our favorite worlds. And don't skip over the fluff either! It may just make you role-play instead of going on a jolly hackfest.