Dice Deliberations

" You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension." -Rod Serling One of my favorite aspects of Fantasy RPGs is the ability to turn mundane items into something wonderous by applying magic to them. Ropes can climb up by themselves, travel can be reduced to walking into a circle on one side of the world, and appearing on another and so on. And one of my favorite ways of doing this is to look at mundane items, think about what they really are or do, then use magic to enhance their natural properties. Doors are a staple of RPG's. I distinctly remember looking at my first game module map ( Module B1, In Search of the Unknown ) and focusing on how different doors are represented: Opened, closed, locked, secret, etc and being fascinated by the possibilities. When I think about doors, I see that even the cheapest, most mundane unlocked door has multiple distinct purposes: They keep things out or in; they provide passage between two areas or

I'm on the Asset team for Monte Cook Games . This means that I volunteer to run games at conventions and stores. It helps promote the products and company, of course, but that's not why I do it. I do it because I am passionate about the games and I love sharing my passions with other people, and guiding them through the experience of telling unique stories in a unique system. When I run games, I normally have three types of players, and I love all three for different reasons. Some people know the game, love it, and are showing up because it gives them a chance to do something they love. These are fun because they are already excited when they show up. I get to introduce them to a new story, new secrets of the world and do it in my personal style of running a game. They always have fun and help infect the table with their enthusiasm. Some people have purchased the game, and may even have read the rules, but they haven't ever had a chance to sit down and play. These are

But above and beyond there’s still one name left over, And that is the name that you never will guess; The name that no human research can discover — But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. From "The Naming of Cats", by T. S. Eliot I love watching magic shows...and I love trying to figure out how the magician is doing his illusions. I know about cut decks and 45-degree mirrors, forced choices and fake thumbs. But that doesn't mean I know how most specific tricks are done. And the reasons that magicians "never tell how a trick is done" is because that shatters the illusion and makes it less wonderful. There's a great illusion from the 1800s called "Metamorphosis", created by John Maskelyne, but made famous by Harry Houdini; I know how it's done, and it still impresses me because of the speed required by the trick...but it was so much better when I had no idea how it worked. Then, I was amazed by it; today, I can only respect it.