Attack the Darkness!

It's hard to define and describe exactly what playing RPGs with friends while growing up was all about. It was partially building my own personality, learning coping mechanisms, trying out hero capes, being able to play the villain without the moral implications... It was a lot like being in an editor group of a Choose Your Own Adventure book with six or seven other people, all vying for attention and praise while still allowing everyone easy access to the spot reserved for doing the right thing.

Not to say it was all selfish, nor was it always non-selfish, either.

Like I said, it's hard to define, but the point here is that I did it. I was in the same gaming group for, geez, twelve years? Longer? Most of that time was in one campaign?

Anyway, at this point in our lives, we're all older, we have more responsibilities. A lot of us have kids, ya know? We can't just set aside all that every Friday night to go hang out at someone's house for eight hours and have a group hallucination of elves and swords and magic spells.

But I think back quite often to the times when the dice would roll favorably and everyone would cheer. Sometimes it was almost better when something catastrophic would happen: the dragon won the day, the evil wizard would escape, or the gate to the underworld could not be locked. Sometimes having bad stuff happen meant that there was some sort of equality, some scales of justice that would tip to both sides. Also, it gave us something to do the following week.

Anyway, what got me thinking, and what got me writing: a bunch of us that played together in that same epic group were all at a wedding this past week, and someone said I should take over the role of our GM (the guy that makes the world go round in the game). I was equal parts flattered, thrilled, and scared to death.

A good game makes memories. A good game keeps the players awake at night thinking about strategy or methods to success. A good game makes the time spent worth it.

A bad game is just horrible and awkward and should not be spoken of.

So I've been thinking about it all this past week, dreaming up a world where there is a need for a group of would be heroes. I've been taking ideas from the stories that I've watched, read, and listened to. I'm trying to decide if I could pull it off, but more than that, if I could make a good game of it.