If deadlines were dragons, I'd be in the lair with nothing left but my trusty sword and a relentless determination to slay the fucker and take his heart back to The Adventure Hook Tavern as a souvenir.
So in place of a proper post, here's what I did this weekend:
I'm running a 4e dungeon delve at Emerald City Comicon this weekend, and instead of taking one out of the book, I'm creating my own. I haven't done this in at least 15 years, but after about 30 minutes with the graph paper, the Monster Manual and my imagination, it all came back to me. I ended up a little delve that I think could be part of a larger campaign if I wanted to expand it, and I've come up with some pretty cool (if I say so myself) ways to encourage the PCs to do some role playing, even though they're getting pregenerated characters and it's a one-shot.
Okay, I'm going back to work. This dragon isn't going to slay itself.
Ohh! Edited to add this from Level 1 Gamer in comments:
I had the privilege of playing in the one of your Dungeon Delves at Rincon (www.rincongames.com) and had a blast. I'm happy you are continuing with the idea because it's a great treat for the players and a great way to raise money for charity. Are the proceeds going to Child's Play again?
I'm sure I don't need to convince anybody here, but if you are going to ECCC, try to get into Wil's Delve. You won't be disappointed. He's a great DM.
I wrote a post about the experience on my blog if you want to see some pictures and video from one of the Delves at Rincon: http://www.level1gamer.com/2009/11/04/i-survived-wil-wheatons-dungeon-delve-of-doom/
It might just be me, but I have found that some of the most RP fun I’ve had has typically been playing pre-gen characters. Maybe I’ve just been lucky enough not to have been at a table of turnip-zombies, but it’s almost as though seeing how we can create interesting personae for these characters we’ve been handed is more fun than the combat. Perhaps because unlike in a campaign, you have no investment in a pre-gen before or beyond the current 4-hour module, so them dying doesn’t matter quite as much as not seizing the RP opportunity.
Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
I want to play. How do I get in on this? Please, I promise not to be a dick.
Not gonna lie: some of the most fun I’ve had with tabletop gaming has been because of one of the Hackmaster rules: after character creation, roll to see where you land on the Character Flaws table. (It can add a great element of spontaneity to an otherwise pre-gen character.)
Example: Try playing a 6 foot tall half-troll who is convinced that he is invisible. Or a halfling thief, leather-clad with daggers galore, who has no arms.
Dude, awesome! I used to love putting together maps for our modified Hero Quest game. My buddy and I would come up with the conception together. Then, I would write out the storyline, and he would do the dungeon layout/enemy layout. They were almost as much fun putting together as they were to actually play them!
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
Gee, that brings back memories. Makes me wish I knew some gamers to play with these days.
I’ll be at ECCC; how does one get in on this action? Because I’ve got a Paladin who is kind of sitting around buffing her nails at this point.
So wish I could be there for that. I haven’t played tabletop D&D in a LONG time. Around here, there are nothing but roll-players, not role-players. I just can’t stand to play that way for long.
Hope your delve goes well at the con!
A large number of us in the Denver area have felt that way for some time, so when the RPGA stopped writing classics, we took over.
Character-provided events are alive and well here. 🙂
I agree. I used to play Star Wars RPG (original and 3e), Shadowrun, and my own homemade up stuff. But that was a long time ago and nobody around now wants to play. I wish there was an effective over-the-internet app that could tie us isolated RP’ers together. In these days with webcams and web 2.0 there should be SOMETHING. *sigh*
Leave it up to my old pal Wil to get excited and make something right in the middle of a deadline shitstorm. Knock it off, man, you’re making the rest of us look bad! Oh…wait, I don’t need your help for that. Carry on!
P.S. Good luck at Emerald City Comicon. I’m sure you’ll do just fine :-]
I’m loving the sight of the Microsoft Surface version of D&D precisely because of the thought that it would enable disparate groups to play but maintain that touch element.
I know some people use Neverwinter Nights to achieve online RP games over the internet but it isn’t quite the same thing.
4E is getting some good support from third parties with software packages that are very useful for planning this kind of thing. I’ve used a tool called Masterplan on a number of occasions for Delves, which includes cool stuff like a tile-based mapping tool and an encounter builder.
Good idea on building your own Delve, by the way. Dungeon Delve has been out long enough for a lot of enthusiast players to have either bought it themselves or played through a number of them. Underdark introduced a few new delves, of course, but there is something very satisfying about rolling your own adventures.
Have fun running it!
It is indeed quite satisfying!
I don't want to spoil it, because there's a good chance one or more of my players will read this, but I found a tile I really liked, so I came up with a way to use it that ended up making the whole story a lot cooler than it originally was.
Interestingly enough, there's a section of my PAX keynote that's about tabletop RPGs and how they compare to computer RPGs. I'm working on that section today, and I think I'm going to be able to use some of the delve building experience to support my point (or at least tell an entertaining story.)
I couldn’t find any info on the delve on the ECC site, is it for the public? We’d love to join you for a bout of D&D nerdiness!
You could always join in on the action and help guide them to something more than Hack n Slash. Or perhaps run a game yourself and encourage RP.
Id rather play in a fair/mediocre group with the hope of it getting better than not getting any RPG action at all.
Best of luck!
Im running the module Thunderspire Labyrinth right now for my group and am working to mod it here and there to my own ends. Quite awesome.
Saturday I had them go up against some Wights. Seeing as it was the only encounter of the night I should have beefed it up a bit, but it went well. I like things that can steal Healing Surges. 😉
Having an NPC become obsessed (in a Hero Worship kind of way) with a player can be fun too. Seeing how the player deals with it and all…
P.S. OH GOD I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF http://queenanthai.livejournal.com/742634.html
Wil,
If you ever get out to Milwaukee, look us up. The Milwaukee D&D Meetup group plays 1 shots on a frequent basis (at least once a month). We welcome new players and would love to have you sit in on a game.
http://www.meetup.com/mkednd/
Good Luck at Emerald City – wish I could join you.
I had the privilege of playing in the one of your Dungeon Delves at Rincon (www.rincongames.com) and had a blast. I’m happy you are continuing with the idea because it’s a great treat for the players and a great way to raise money for charity. Are the proceeds going to Child’s Play again?
I’m sure I don’t need to convince anybody here, but if you are going to ECCC, try to get into Wil’s Delve. You won’t be disappointed. He’s a great DM.
I wrote a post about the experience on my blog if you want to see some pictures and video from one of the Delves at Rincon: http://www.level1gamer.com/2009/11/04/i-survived-wil-wheatons-dungeon-delve-of-doom/
Up to this point, my experiences in pen and paper RPG’s has been horribly lackluster. I would like to remedy this by joining in the Dungeon Delve at ECCC but there doesn’t seem to be any information about it on the site, beyond the listing of it under your “profile” on the media guests page. Could you provide us with information on how we can join in this geekdom?
I'm not sure how that whole thing is going to be organized. I bet if you contacted the con, though, someone would be able to help you out.
Dear everyone reading this who is anywhere close to ECCC:
You want to be part of this. Seriously. Wil’s delve at Rincon was one the best and most fun gaming experiences I’ve ever had. It was a blast. We all had a great time. Even if you’ve never played an RPG (paper or electronic) or have never played 4e you want to be part of this. It will be fun and 4e is remarkably easy to pick up.
Signed,
Someone who waited in line to buy tickets for this and was not disappointed
Wil,
You may have already seen this, but a friend posted and I thought this was up your alley. Its a dream D&D room.
http://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8714
You should do one of these at PAX, if you don’t already. The next one, I mean. Turns out I’m not gonna make it to PAX East due to a little visit I had to make to the hospital recently.
That bums me out because I wanted to get that Hardback “Just a Geek” signed. I am without a doubt going to try my darndest to make it to the Seattle one as a consolation though.
Isn't that amazing? I saw it on Reddit a few weeks ago. Boy, do I wish I had something like that in my house.
It is funny that you bring this up as I was about to start writing a 4th edition delve tonight.
My friends and I no longer have the time to gather for a regular campaign (wives, kids, life in general). But, about this time last year, we had our 1st Annual Gary Gygax Memorial D&D game.
I am going to DM the 2nd annual game as soon as I can get ready (4th ed. is a bit new to us).
4E has definitely blurred the lines between traditional tabletop and computer RPGs, both in mechanics and the work WotC has done to make technology part of the overall experience.
I won’t be at PAX (boo, I really want to start going to cons again), but I look forward to hearing what you say in your keynote on the matter (no doubt someone will put it on YouTube).
Ah, I love Delves. Right now, I’m DMing a Variant Eberron campaign that’s suffering from forcibly overlapping with the Realms… Ultimately letting me say “You can use whatever you want in my campaign, but watch out, there’s even more stuff that wants to chew your face off”.
Right now, we’re still low level, but I’m going to send them through a modified level 1 delve, but instead of venturing deep into a crystal cavern, they have to venture UP into an Earthmote that appeared in a place that’s known for Weird Stuff by the locals. I did it on a whim… but now I’m thinking of all of these actual EXPLANATIONS on how it’s happening, in case someone with the right knowledge skill gets lucky.
It’s mashed together, sure, but somehow, I think it WORKS. I love it.
I love coming up with those explanations as much as anything else when I'm creating or running a delve.
Funny you mention that, because it's another theme in my keynote!
Thank you very much sir. I’m sure they will have information in the program or an announcement somewhere. They did amazing things with updating people via twitter so I’m sure they won’t disappoint this year.
Hi, Wil! Pax East created an event called Radio Free Nintendo: A Live Nintendo Podcast for Grown-Ups. It sounds interesting, but more so if your going to be in it. 😉
source: http://www.paxsite.com/paxeast/schedule.php
For all those interested in attending this epic awsomeness, I sent an e-mail to the ECCC general inquiries and am waiting on a response. I will pass on any information that I receive.
Hey wil, just popped by to say hi. I don’t follow blogs much anymore but I came across a link and was thinking it has been a while since I peeked in and said hello. Hope all is going well.
*hugs and mojo*
Nephy
Any chance you’ll publish the delve after you run it?
Um, probably. I don't know what the legality of that is, as far as WotC is concerned.
There's also a chance that I'll keep it secret so I can run it again.
The contents of the super helpful e-mail that I received from ECCC:
I believe that more of that information will be provided at the show or at Wil Wheaton’s booth.
Thank you, sorry we could not be more help at this time,
ECCC Staff
*sigh* /facepalm
This weekend? Holy Carp! Time keeps on sneaking up on me.
I can only wish that were an option. The few times I have tried to influence things that way, I was either laughed at or shut down completely. I tried DM’ing once and after the first session no one showed. They said they didn’t play D&D for a story line. They wanted to kill things! *sigh*
Hi there guys and geeks.. just want to let you know, that this blog even made it´s way to germay. And I love it!!!!!
Wil, just go ahead and stay the way you are!
If you need any extra inspiration may I highly recommend The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. Its what that stupid D&D movie should have been.
I’m a happy little geek this morning.
Have fun at the Dungeon Delve everyone! Be careful, though. I’m sure Wil is out for blood. He didn’t manage to kill any of us last time and he’s probably itching to take some people down.
Hey Wil,
I’m sure you plan on doing more delves, but I think a charity delve type thing would be good. I’d totally donate a hefty chunk of change to partake in one that happened in LA. I know so few people who play D&D out here, that I’d almost kill to play again, and if its for charity all the better. 🙂
Now that I think of it, I should just put on a charity event out here, and invite you to DM it. Maybe you’d accept! hehe
Since the folks at ECCC seem all confuzelcated (and rightly so, being less than a week from SHOWTIME!), hows about I just mail you a fifty-dollar bill and you call me to leave a message on my answering machine saying “I’m sorry, but the Goblins prove to be just too much for you. They swarm over your still twitching corpse and argue over which parts of your beautiful face will make the best codpiece”.
I posted this first on RPG Bloggers and everybody ripped me off. If I grab someone’s article or news item, I always post a link to the original posters site. That’s just common courtesy.
http://www.metagamemastery.com/2010/02/22/greatest-game-room-ever/
I live in Seattle. I’ll give you a demo of my super nerdy D&D laptop VJ in a box rig if you let me in your D&D game.
http://www.metagamemastery.com/2010/01/18/initiative-tracking-alpha/
This is what I beam on the wall during my games. It’s written in processing.
Hmmm…I just had the thought “Didn’t WW have that big deadline for the keynote, and the next thing I see he’s written a delve?” But seriously, no judgement here of course, I just find it funny how the brain works – I know I’m never so focused and ‘productive’ then when I have a deadline…for something else! And speaking of which, I should get back to editing…
You know what's weird? After I did the delve (it only took half a day), everything I was struggling with on the keynote fell into place and the whole thing shook itself out in my brain. I've been working on it non-stop for the last 36(ish) hours, stopping only to sleep, but it's been a lot of fun and totally rewarding.
I’m totally using this post title in the adventure hooks for my own game. Thanks, Wil!
Awesome! If you wanted to know its origin, it's one of the rumors you can pick up in the tavern when you are getting ready to explore the Caves of Chaos in The Keep on the Borderlands.