#RPGaDay 9-13

Continuing with my #RPGaDay entries, for days 9-16.

9th - Favorite Die / Dice Set

For me it would have to be my smiley face die.

Picked it up at an con years ago, and its great for making fun things happen in a game. I typically use it in an AFMBE scenario I run where the players are in an apartment building full of zombies during a blizzard. When they go down to explore the basement, I'll roll the die in front of everyone.

Happy face: Nothing happens.
Medium face: The lights flicker.
Sad face: Darkness. Do you hear something moving on the next room?

10th - Favorite tie-in Novel / Game Fiction

This is a tough one. I love Salvatore's Drizz't books and was reading them before they were popular. (Thats the closet to an RPG hipster I can be.)

However, I'll have to go with the Pool of Radiance novel. I remember devouring this book in only a day when I got it. I had briefly played the computer game before so I knew the general plot of the game, but the novel did an amazing job bringing it to life. I had read other novelizations at that point, and none did as good a job as this one did. I still bring it out every once in a while to read through.

Understand, that this isn't a masterpiece of a novel, however. You won't find in-depth character development or masterful plot twists. Its a fun read, plain and simple.

11th - Weirdest RPG Owned

I would have to say Don't Rest Your Head. I know I've brought this up before, but its just one whose premise is so weird and out there. For those who don't know, it is essentially that you have not slept in such a long time that you have awakened to the real world. If you sleep, you'll lose the ability to see everything and quite possibly die.

12th - Old RPG you still play / read

Well, I still play Call of Cthulhu, but the oldest one I still read is probably 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. The DMs guide is something I still pull out to leaf through, and it still has lots of source material for me to use.
 
13th - Most Memorable Character Death

When you play Call of Cthulhu, which is my main game, you typically die horribly and often. Here are some of the ones I remember:

• Summoned Azathoth and destroyed the world. (I'll expand on in another day.)
• Being chased by a Dark Young through the woods. Ended up at a cliff and jumped to my death, instead of facing the charging beast.
• Having an avatar of Ithaqua pick my character up thousands of feet into the air and fall to a squishy death.
  

#RPGaDay 1-8

David Chapman of AUTOCRATIK came up with this great idea - #RPGaDAY. Basically, each day consists of a topic related to RPGs that you discuss. I'm pretty behind (as I just found out about it), but here goes!

1st - First RPG Played

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition. I was 12, and it was at a Boy Scout campout. I got to sit in on a very short game with some of the older kids and I was hooked.

2nd - First RPG Gamemastered

The first one I truly GM'd was AD&D 1st edition. After playing at camp, I ran an ad-hoc game, with no books, for my brother. Went horribly and I had no clue what I was doing, but I had a blast.

3rd - First RPG Purchased

The 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide and Monster Manual. I bought both of these at the same time. The DMs Guide fascinated me, with the great images inside and esoteric information; I still remember pouring through the lists of herbs and their uses, even though I never used them.

4th - Most recent RPG purchase

It Came from the Late, Late, Late Show II: The Exploitation Sequel - Demonna's Revenge!  On a recent trip to NYC, I stopped in at The Compleat Strategist to peruse their collection (and they have a lot). I found this for $1.95 and couldn't pass it up!

5th - Most Old School RPG owned

Probably my 1st Edition D&D Basic Set (third printing). I picked this up at an estate sale a few years ago for $2. The dice are still in the original plastic bag, and it came with a cool article from the 80s on D&D, that surprisingly wasn't about the satanic panic.

6th - Favourite RPG Never get to play

Can I say all of them? :) I don't get to play a lot, but when I do its typically Call of Cthulhu, so I won't say that. Probably Hollow Earth Expedition. This pulp RPG is just full of awesomeness, and just never hits the table like it deserves to.

7th - Most “intellectual” RPG owned

This is tough. I'm going to say Don't Rest Your Head. To me, this is an intellectual RPG because its not your typical RPG setting. IMO, the GM really needs to think in order to make the game work. Granted, I've never run or played it (yet), but that is how I take it.

8th - Favourite character

Carter Wilson. Years ago, a friend on mine ran a play-by-forum All Flesh Must Be Eaten game which involved a small town getting overrun by zombies. There were only two of us playing, and we both chose to create run of the mill, average people. Thus Carter was born.

Carter was a convenient store clerk who drove a '77 Pinto hatchback. He was about as normal as you could get, but I loved this character. Using a normal character thrown into an abnormal situation made the game even better for me.

Since then, I've used him multiple times in multiple systems.