What I learned today

I sat down while the kids were at school, and decided to work on my GM/DM/AM/referee skills a bit. That's Game/Dungeon/Adventure Master. I've been reading a lot of blogs about how to be better, tips for newbies, and general improvement. Most of them agree on the first rule: This is a game. Games are fun. If it isn't fun, do something about it.

What makes it fun? Personal involvement for one. The players need to be emotionally attached to whats going on in our shared world. I want them to want to slay the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy/Girl). Because he is messing with their friends and their family. He is the one who set fire to the General Store. He burned down the Warrens. He is sacrificing the towns people. He is planning ... well, you get the idea. Emotional involvement on their part will make the gaming experience much more intense and memorable.

We did not actually sit down and "play" tonight. I reviewed my notes from our first session where we generated their characters. Luxord is a human fighter. Stevo is an elven mage. Sonic and Zoey are halfling rogues. I discovered some ... things ... about my children. When I summarized those things, it surprised me. My son's characters wanted to improve themselves, just to be the best. The best fighter. The best wizard. (His master sent him away because he couldn't teach him anything more.) My daughter wanted to go out and help people. Wow. What a difference. I've never really seen them in that light before, and it was an eye-opener. I'm not sure its a totally accurate representation of them as individuals though. But, I do think they are too young and inexperienced to create characters totally unlike themselves. Frankly, I'm surprised my daughter is playing a male character at all. (This is cute though. He's on the road to be with her. He got lost. He seems fairly clueless and inept. I wonder if this says something about her view of men in general, or someone in particular.)

After supper, I pulled my daughter over, and talked with her about her two characters, Zoey and Sonic. I knew they were cousins, but where did they come from? A farm. Why are they out on the road? To help other people. What skills do they have? Parents? Siblings? Home life? Village, forest, mountain, farm, city? We sculpted the background of her characters, and it was fun for both of us.

Then on to my son's two, Luxord and Stevo. Luxord's parents died when he was 15. Stevo's died when he was 15, too. (That doesn't look good for me, but, he's reading the Harry Potter books. So, I hope its a HP thing, and not a wish to be orphaned.) Luxord's little brother is apprenticed to a blacksmith, while Luxord does odd jobs. "Oh, you're a loafer," said Faith. "No!" "Yes!" we both said. "You won't get a job. You just do enough to earn money when you need it." "No!" Well, that's what it sounds like to us. Stevo was apprenticed to a wizard when he was 40. (Stevo is an elf, so ages and timelines are ... weird.) What did he do in the intervening 25 years? We don't know. Loaf? Odd jobs? He said he'll have to think about it.

When we were done, he said character/world building was just as much fun as actually playing. Cool. I think so too. I also learned quite a bit about my children as I reviewed my notes. I hope this game of ours proves to be character building in more than just one way.