Greetings Adventurers!
I am back! (I think?) Well, I'd like to be back and I'd like to be consistent. What will it take for me to remember that I have wanted to start a blog about my RPG experiences? I have all the power at my fingertips! What could possibly get in my way?
Oh, what's that... a global pandemic? oh my...
Oh, what's that... my wife is pregnant? oh my!
Oh, what's that... the Texas public school system is forcing us to teach in a pandemic under the most insane expectations one could conceive?
Oh, what's that... I'm lazy?
Yeah, that would do it alright! Jests aside, it goes without saying that 2020 was an absolute shit storm of a year, and if we're being honest, 2021 didn't have a smooth start either. There weren't a lot of dice being rolled on my part in the year 2020, but that doesn't mean I sat idly by! Both my home game of Descent into Avernus and my FLGS store of Tomb of Annihilation switched to a virtual platform (or two...). I managed to successfully finish Tomb of Annihilation which felt fantastic! Unfortunately, Descent into Avernus became a casualty of war. If I am being honest though, I had a love hate relationship with DiA and it was most likely for the better in the long run that the Pandemic cut the head off that game.
However, while completing one of the greatest adventures I've ever DM'd and prematurely concluded another, I managed to spread my wings in other avenues. I became a player in an online D&D game with some friends I met through World of Warcraft: Classic. I'd never been on the player side of a virtual game and it has been rather interesting! Honestly, it probably warrants it's own post. I've also dipped my toes (and by dipped, I mean I plunged head first!) into the world of Call of Cthulhu...
OH...
MY...
OLD ONES!
I literally think I am in love. I am so genuinely smitten with this game system that it's practically all I think about, so much so that I have become and avid listener of the podcast The Good Friends of Jackson Elias and even subscribe to their patreon.
When I say I dove in, I mean I climbed into the atmosphere and free-fell into insanity. This game is everything I've ever wanted in an RPG game. I love the d100 roll under BRP system, I love the writings of Lovecraft (though he was a racist scumbag...), and I absolutely adore the investigative and heavy roleplay that the game offers. Also, I really sort of love that the game is almost exclusively theatre of the mind and miniatures aren't necessary. In fact, one of the most beautiful things about Call of Cthulhu is that you describe the horrors your investigators see and they must construct this entity in their own heads. It's honestly waaaaaay scarier than just showing them the art work or even plopping down a shitty mass produced board game miniature. It's pure, it's true, it's a masterpiece. Chef's kiss. I even managed to run one of the starter scenarios for some of my new online friends and they loved it! None of them had ever played any RPG's outside of D&D 5e and it was an absolute breath of fresh air for them. We even started a campaign, but it soon fell by the wayside with scheduling conflicts, work hiatus', and pregnancies. Understandable. It happens.
Regardless, new love for Call of Cthulhu not only gave me a new outlook on TTRPG's, but it also opened my eyes to so many other wonderful game systems that I am just dying play; many of which are also produced by CoC's publisher Chaosium Inc. (I'm looking at you Runequest and Pendragon!!!)
WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Yep, I had a baby. My first kid! It's a boy!!! Woo!!! Can I go take a nap now? I jest. I cannot. However, I must say that I am ecstatic to become a father and cannot wait to play games with him in the future! awwwwwww. Yeah yeah.
Lastly, my home group has begun getting vaccinated and we've start playing online again, only this time we are having a go at Pathfinder 2nd Edition. Honestly, so far it's been a fairly positive change within the group. We only have one grognard who is holding out. I won't mention anyone in-particular, but his name rhymes with ZTEVE. COME ON, ZTEVE. CHANGE IS GOOD.
Once we are all vaccinated and back at the table in person, I plan to indoctrinate my IRL crew with Call of Cthulhu and hopefully we never turn back (for a while.)
Welp, that about wraps it up. As things slowly progress back to normal, I eagerly await our weekly dice rolling. And who knows, maybe I'll actually post here from time to time. :)
Cheers,
Couch
