The roleplaying hobby is, by its very nature, driven by the people with whom you get to game. Essentially if you have no players then you have no game… unless you play solo using something like Mythic. I’m finding that all of my projects move forward only when some players show an interest. This is a helpful realisation, at least for me, because it is useful to focus on the stuff that is either being played or actually scheduled to be played. It’s also really fun to realise that, when the right folk come along, you can unlock something totally unexpected. That’s what is happening to my hobby now that RuneQuest has met my friend Felix.
RuneQuest is a lovely game.
Back in 1980 (or so) a boxed edition of RuneQuest was released. My Dad and I were in The Games Room, in Norwich, shopping for new games and he noticed the set. We were both intrigued and he, somewhat cautiously, plumped for buying it. That was the day that roleplaying games entered my life for sure – I was 9 years old.
RuneQuest has a certain tone and style to it. Back then it was all about Glorantha, the fantasy world that really inspired me to want to explore fantasy gaming more and more. I don’t remember many details, except for the solo adventure featuring Ducks and “Apple Lane”… but I do remember how I felt about this game. There was something exciting and tangible about RuneQuest. It was almost real. Plus, to be frank, Dad wasn’t interested.
March on 30 years and Mongoose Publishing have released the latest version of this classic game: RuneQuest II. Having bought and read the books, it is a fine publication – not to mention nicely presented in hardback – which has brought me all the way back to my gaming roots. And then, out of nowhere it seems, a friendship that has been on the edges of the hobby circle I share asked if we could try some gaming… and I realised that what I really wanted to do was play this game.
Mykovnia
Back when I was a kid, I used to dream of a fantasy world that was my first “homebrew” effort. It started as a map, then gained sketches and doodles, and eventually a name: Mykovnia. In some ways it was the receptacle for all of my teenage frustration, Metal-infused dreaming, lust, anti-Generic-Fantasy thinking, and madness. In another way it has long been a place that became real to me as a young man and which, now that I am older, I feel drawn towards re-entering and exploring.
When we started to discuss what game to play, and which setting to use, Felix and I discussed this old childhood haunt that I have never had the time to explore. He has been intrigued by the little that I have shared and so, together, we have decided to give things a go. It’s fair to say that you never know how any game or campaign will pan out, but this one has all the hopeful signs of getting to at least one gaming session. It’ll also be another foray into the world of gaming using the internet as a connecting force: Felix and I can’t meet face-to-face as easily as we might like. One final element is that we might also have a second player… although we are comfy with the idea of starting out small.
Why am I blogging this?
Bruxx.net is where my roleplaying hobby gets shared, for better or worse. It’s not that I think I have anything particular to offer the reader… but it is open to view because I feel that a hobby shared can benefit from the input and ideas of other people. This new fantasy game, then, deserves a place in the blog.
Beyond that, however, coming back to some actual gaming and sharing the experiences that we are enjoying can only be a good thing. I don’t know about you, and maybe you are lucky enough to be playing in your perfect RPG campaign on a regular basis… but I am really excited about moving beyond reading rulebooks and sourcebooks that I like and actually being able to play them instead. Add to that the opportunity to create something fresh and you will really be floating my boat, so to speak.
Yeah… those who know me probably see the butterfly flitting off to new branches, where it will probably fail to settle. Yet, even if this is a short-lived project, at least I will have tried it out and shared something with the friends that haven’t yet experienced my brand of fantasy adventure.
Game on!