Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Calvin Smith

Comments: Guys let me start out by saying I just love the show and I love the direction you've been taking the show.

I am a fellow gamer and until recently I have always listened to the gamer forge but never really had any reason to email until now.

I have been playing now for 5 or 6 years. My friends got me into D&D and I have really enjoyed playing. Now by no means do I ever want to attempt the feat of Dungeon mastering. You have to have a genius level intellect to do that I swear! To be able to keep everything straight and make the story fun has to be tough! Especially when your players get side tracked.

However let me get back to the reason I am writing. So I drive from Salt Lake up to Ogden to play with my gaming group and the drive can be a pain at times but its worth it. Two weeks ago I end up being late to the game due to traffic and the week before I did not attend the game because I was out of town for a business trip. This last week I got a flat tire and was 10 minutes late. Now because of this my DM has knocked me down one level, has made me give up 50% of my possessions, and has put me on notice that if I am late or miss one more game I will be exiled from the gaming group.

Now I realize that a player being late can be a problem but I think this is going a little overboard.

Your opinions? Am I just being over critical or sensitive here?

Gamer Forge Response:

DCR says: bag that old-school punishment crap!

1. If someone is having trouble making it to the sessions on time on a consistent basis, try a rotating schedule, where each member takes turns hosting the game. This way, everyone understands the hassle of making it to different places, and creates an environment of accountability between each person. Your friends would help you change your tire so you can make it on time.
2. Your game, any game, is not an iron-clad commitment, nor should it be considered a chore. If it is becoming so much trouble just to make it to where you play, it may be time to consider another option for getting your game on. This is a social event, not a business meeting. When your "friends" resort to such draconic methods for "teaching a lesson", it may be time to move on to a different group. Even better: make it a point to introduce some new people into the game.
3. DM's are not the coolest beings in existence, and should not be treated as infallible. If you are having a hard time dealing with the punishments handed out, it is totally within reason to question the authority of your Dungeon Master. If everyone else is okay kneeling before the DM, the more power to them, but you have free will. Exercise the crap out of it! A Dungeon Master who commands fealty or unquestioning loyalty should absolutely have their authority questioned. That's not friendship, that's subservience.

*Bonus XP: To meet a new group, try one of the hosted events at your local gaming store (preferably Epic Puzzles and Games, located in West Valley City and Lehi, Utah). These are perfect ways to learn a new game and meet lots of new people in a friendly, moderated environment. This would be a great time to try your hand at DM'ing, and earn some free swag.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Jason the Drifter

Comments: So I have a question that is a little complicated. Now I realize most of the Gamer Forge questions have been D&D or Pathfinder related and my question is based in the Star Wars Saga Edition rules.

So here is my question. The game that I am play has had some fun and exciting moments where we have some amazing moments happen when we have failed or succeeded in the game so we have really enjoyed our game. So now I am sure your asking yourselves so what is the reason you’re emailing us then? Well that is the really difficult part because this game has been so great several of us have kind of lost track of what we set out to do.

And that is my question how do we get back on track? So let me explain what’s happened here. So we are playing in the Old Republic about 150 years before the start of the Mandolorian Wars and before the KOTOR settings. Now we have a mixed group of Jedi and various other individuals with specialized skills. The two Jedi in the group were commissioned with a task that required special skills. So they sought out the other members in our group. So we got our ship we plotted our course took flight and jumped into hyperspace and BAM! Our Astromech droid was sabotaged as it has purposely plugged in a bad hyperspace route. Thus we came out of hyperspace roughly which damaged our ship and left us in Hutt space with a damaged ship and two Jedi that aren’t really favored here. So we limp to the nearest planet, once there our ship is “Misplaced”, two of our companions were put in jail, and series of other unfortunate events. Now this was lots of fun roleplaying and getting its way out these situations.

What has got our goat is that our GM is so crafty in his story telling that we are constantly getting roped into something. Several of us want to get back to our original quest. Get off the hutt planet and go complete our mission for the Jedi.

Gamer Forge Response:

When it comes to untangling the knot of truth in your game, DCR says:

1. Perseverance. Just go with it. Remember that you can walk away from this game at any time. In the words of Captain Planet, "The power is yours."  By playing, you are consenting that everything is just peachy. If you're having fun getting into all sorts of mischief, then it can't be all that bad. Or is it? You're asking yourself, "When does the actual story begin?" That brings us to...
2. Part of the "Master Plan". Maybe this totally is part of the story. It's all in the set-up for the big picture. This one may be worth sticking around for. If all this hijinks ties back to the overall storyline a year down the road, your GM deserves a medal. Remember, one of the themes of Star Wars is "There is no coincidence". Adventurers coming together is significant, regardless of how disparate those characters may be. The GM should either recognize this and work it into the theme, or already took this into account and this further strengthens our statement about medals. Have a little faith in your GM. But not without...
3. Whenever you're presented with either option "A" or option "B", always take option "C". If and when you feel shoehorned into fulfilling a role or plot, that means your GM is getting lazy. Make him/her work for their position as storyteller. Throw a few curve balls to get the creative juices flowing. Instead of running around to save the universe, pop a squat and tell campfire stories. When the GM sends you to the cantina for information, walk back outside and try stealing a speeder. (note: Dungeon Crawlers Radio does not condone nor engage in the stealing, or destruction of, unattended speeders or starships) The world(s) you are visiting and exploring move and live whether or not you are there. Make your GM make that world come alive.

*Based on the details we were given, DCR says that it's probably best to ride this out. No shortage of action and an underlying theme. Plenty of characters with a diversity of personalities. Best of all, nobody is getting frustrated with a lack of options. Final word of advice: Go kick ass, players!

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: TJ

Comments: Hey guys I am just wanting to write in an ask for your help. I don't want to get into what system is best, 2nd edition, 3rd, 4th, or this system or that. What I want to know is whatever system I am running with my group how do I make it more fun for me as the GM and how do I make it more fun for my players. I will say that we are running a fantasy based system but we do have some elements of a post apocalyptic story going on where the players do stumble across ancient artifacts of a civilization that at one time had mechanical weapons.

I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

Gamer Forge Response:

When it comes to turning your game up to "11", DCR says:

1. Sell your game. When you are passionate about your game, setting, action, relationships, etc., getting your players on board should be no sweat. Come up with a one-sentence pitch for your game. Something simple like, "vigilante justice" or "zombie apocalypse" will do just fine. Then show how much you love the material. Find a game system that works with your passion. It's a lot of work, but it's like the Peace Corp: the toughest job you'll ever love. Create the excitement by showing yours.
2. Pimp-slap every scene. Set mood lighting or some music to fit your scene. If your game is humorous, give it humor. If it's somber, make it somber at the right times. Players win when they're not just engaged with what's going on now, but when they're excited about what happens next. It's okay to fake excitement, so long as you're not sarcastic. Most times, you only have to fake it for a short time. If and when you find yourself not wanting to pimp-slap your scenery, it's time to move on to something else.
3. Shared experience. You may not make everybody happy all the time, but you can at least make it worthwhile for all involved. Your game should absolutely answer the question, "Why is my character here?" Whatever the answer is, you will create an experience that players will participate in actively, or at the very least, consent to. Creating an experience is the DM's/referee/storyteller/whatever's paramount responsibility.

*To bring your game to "12", DCR recommends finding your favorite book (comic or otherwise), movie, or video game and list out on paper five things you love about it. Why do you love it so much? Be specific.These are things you should strive to achieve in your game. Example: "I love the witty banter of the crew of the Serenity. It makes them more like family."