Why mages are the worst a dungeons and dragons story

So, as I sat here today, I started to play Dragon Age for like the billionth time. I decided this time that I wanted to play as a mage. This is relative, cuz anyone that knows me knows that I NEVER play a mage in anything. Not video games. Not tabletop rpg’s. Nothing.

There is a reason why.

It all goes back to the very first time I played a tabletop role playing game. Way back in 1990. Ya see I worked at a grocery store and some people introduced me to this rpg called Dungeons and Dragons 2^nd Edition.

You may have heard of it.

Now, I knew almost nothing about the game. I had read a bit of fantasy as a kid, but never played any kind of games where I grew up. So, when I started reading the book, I was mesmerized and excited to play.

So, we got together and I decided I would make a mage. Cuz you know, Gandalf. But if you have never played older version of D&D, you may not know it takes FOREVER to make a character. Especially when you have someone that has not played any role playing game at all. I don’t remember how long it took to make my elvish mage Kalvin (yes, I still remember his name), but it was at least 3 hours.

So, here I was with my mage, ready to kick some ass. Galvin had 2 hp to start and what happens? The GM kills me in the very first fight by sending four kobolds after me. He was even smiling why he did it.

Now come to find out, he thought I was sleeping with his girlfriend, which I wasn’t.  He then decided he would kill my character, just to be spiteful. He even admitted all of this when it happened. So, three hours to make a character, less than five minutes to kill him. I walked out of there and the others had to talk me into even coming back and playing (they even switched gm’s). I wonder how different my life would be if I had just walked out? Never playing another rpg again. Instead I came back and we made my thief Gareth, and I have played thieves ever since. 

First of all. The don’t be a dick rule really comes into play here. I have run enough games to know that you tend to want people to play more than once, so killing them off is something I have always avoided. Beat them just to the point of death? Maybe, but not kill.

But even more important to this story, I have hated mages ever since. 2 freaking hp? And no armor? Whatever. Death by kobold should never happen. Since then, I don’t play them, and I usually just don’t care for them in general. No matter what rpg system/video game I have ever played, I usually play a thief and NEVER play a mage. It never is even an option.

Well, until the Dresden Files Rpg came out, but that is all due to Harry Dresden.

Three games that could get me back into tabletop gaming

The three games that could possibly get me back into tabletop gaming.

So, I have gamed twice in the last year. There are so many reasons as I went through some crap, some anxiety and depression, and even a bit of burnout with gaming in general. It has been a long time since I have felt no desire to game. I cannot even say it is completely back yet, but I am at least thinking about it at this point.

So, here are three games that I think could pull me back into gaming.

#1. Dragon Age

I have wanted to play this for a while now. I have the initial box set and have read through it a few times. But even more than that, I am a HUGE fan of the video game. I am a sucker for a great fantasy setting and this one has always pulled at me. Being a Grey Warden is something I would love to do and the setting is rich.

The world of Ferdelden is a huge place. With so much drama going on with the threat of the Blight. This is what made the video game so great. 

A pretty straight forward and simple dice mechanic with a few twists. At this point in my life, I am not really into game mechanics that are overly complicated. I remember having so many problems with Shadowrun 4^th ed, and it made my brain hurt. I don’t mean simple to the point where it is ridiculous, but the days of needing multiple cheat sheets to play something is far in the past for me.

#2. Firefly

I remember how excited I was to play Serenity.

I also remember how disappointed I was in the game. The book itself was convoluted and not structured in a way that made it easy to read, much less run. When I played it a few years later, I never really got into it. It was a sad time.

So, when I heard they were making a Firefly game, I became excited. Even more so when Mark Diaz Truman became involved in the game. I respect the hell out of him and his vision.

Then consider how much I loved the television show and movie, and my excitement for this is really high. I have wanted to play a great Firefly type game for years, and I am hoping this will finally happen. I have heard great things about the Cortex plus system, so there is optimism…if it ever gets released.

Really excited about this one.

#3. The One Ring

Even longer than me wanting to play a great Firefly game, is my need to play a truly great Lord of the Rings game. Years ago, I played Merp’s, and it did an ok job with it, but I did not like the system all that much. But a later LotR game was even worse, so for a while all hope seemed lost.

Then Cubicle 7 came into play. They have been releasing different books for this, the first taking place after the events of the Hobbit. I have read them and they seem like they would be fun. But the biggest pull is being able to be a part of Middle Earth. Don’t get me wrong I love the idea of getting to play one of the Dunedain, a hobbit, elf, or a dwarf. But the setting is what makes the books so great. Middle Earth is a vast and awesome setting, and one I want to sink my teeth into.

It is not a shock that the three games I want to play are from games/movie/tv that I love. All three are worlds I love very much and want to explore pretty badly.