i am just jonesen for a game. my original plan was to work up most my campaign, wait for the players to put in all their info and histories and all that, then start to run my monstrous alden campaign. it is to the point now that i will get the first adventure done, a few other encounters, then start whether the players are ready or not. if not, then they are stuck in the game with no history except for one year of training prior to starting their quest. this is the most likely scenario for most of them because gamers all share one inescapable trait: they are flaky. fun, generally friendly, but flaky all the same. unless you make something a regular thing, they tend to disappear because they forgot. unless you harass them regularly, they tend not to get anything done because they forgot, or got side tracked, or got too busy, or were at faire, or at a con or...or... and so on. the only one currently really doing any work is dr pepper - we have been working on his character's history together when he is here for his weekend. he also is the one who reminds me to take the time to work on the campaign itself.

i began gaming right out of high school in 1982. i tried g.m.ing 3 years later, and quickly stopped until i had more experience as a player. i have been fortunate to have some of the best gm's around to help me learn some of the tricks of g.m.ing. bill the storyteller, wolf who could twist the simplest wish and had the motto "give them all the rope they want, the more to use against them later", and emce who had a hodgepodge of lessons for me as a gm over the years. because of these three i became a gm that people generally ask back (although, like any body else, there are those who don't want me to ever gm for them again...and others who don't even want to play in the same game i am in). i use detail to draw them in, reward fairly, and have clear consistent rules for players that make my games (usually) fun for everyone.

i have run my current campaign 3 times before, with the longest run being over 2 years and the group only getting 1/3rd done in that time. each time i have run it, i have learned something and adjusted accordingly for the next run. this, however, is the last run. if we can't manage through it this time, i will finally give up on it as too ambitious or, maybe, just a bad idea in general. most of my players have wanted to come back for each run, so it is an enjoyable game, but it just may be too much to ever get through completely. this time we plan to chronicle it in the reflecting pool, along with a lot of other information so ad&ders every where have yet another place to find cool stuff for their games. of course, that is probably as ambitious, if not more so, than the actual campaign.

this round i am using more restrictions on magic items, and trying for a more controlled game over all. no more crazy heroes that don't need any of the other crazy heroes to get the job done if i can help it. of course, with my current round up of players, i am not holding my breath on this working all that well. emce alone can run circles around me thinking wise, and i gather at least one of the players is as bad. we also need one more thing before i can get started officially: 2 or 3 more players. and i don't want just any ol' players. one i want good role players, not hack and slashers. two, if they don't get along with the current players, they're dead. so. emce and company are seeking players and i am working on the campaign. hopefully soon all will come together and we can get this thing off the ground, giving all of you one more thing to read each week.

i need to game. domy without a game is a sad frustrated domy. this is my entertainment. i don't watch movies all that much, never watched that much tv. i do read...fantasy books, but only at bed time. it's been month since the last game (which was historical background for this campaign, run by emce...now if that's not a hint i don't know what is) and i am feeling the lack of gaming in my life once more.

i want to game so bad i am willing to run the dang thing, incomplete, just so i can play. hopefully in a few more weeks and we will all be ready to go. if i can hold out that long.