A friend once told me that one (D&D geekness aproaching) levels up after each year of marriage. Since I'm approaching my first level-up, I'd like to share some things I learnt:
1) Don't mix your gaming dice with you wife's gaming dice. She (or you) might complain later that the proximity with your dice (or hers) stole the inherent luck some dice used to have.
2) Don't kill your spouse's character when you're DMing. It might affect your... other, your know...source of amusement.
3) If you never kill your spouse's character, other players WILL start complaining that you're protecting certain characters. So, you se... it gets tricky. :-)
4) Some of your gaming friends will discover that it is indeed possible to play RPGs outside one's basement. Since the apartment also belongs to a female, they might even shower (yay!)
5) Never thought that it was feasible to eat fruits and drink juice while gaming, instead of fries, pizza, coke...
6) Naming a green hag with an anagram of your mother-in-law's name is a worthy and funny joke. Unless your wife, as fond of anagrams as you are, is also playing with you.
7) Strange phrases and expressions become commonplace at your home, such as: . "Another broken glass! You keep failing those reflex saves! Improve your dexterity already!" . "Wow...wicked cut. How many HP do you think you have left? Now, wash your finger and get a band-aid". . (After reading any book or watching any movie together) "that character is sooo Neutral Evil!" "No! He spared that little kid! That was a true neutral act!" (sometimes the couple might even grab the player handbook and read the alignment descriptions to one another). . 4th edition might become a bigger source of heated arguments than global warming, foreign politics, etc.
More later. You are certainly free to add some of your own, hehehe.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Sounds fun!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
::envious::
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :
My wife just looks at me when I talk about D&D and edges slowly out of the room clutching our son...
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
You sound really happy Eduardo. Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
*high-fives Eduardo*
Yeah, #7 is a frequent occurrence for me and my husband as well. Congratulations on leveling up your marriage!
8) Don't expect your DM-ing spouse to give you a heads up on the tricks and plot of the evening's adventure. Do expect your DM-ing spouse to tell you afterwards all the things your group missed.
9) If you kill your spouse's character (cf. #2 and #3), have it reincarnated as something interesting, like a pixie.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I was with you right up to here:
quote:Never thought that it was feasible to eat fruits and drink juice while gaming, instead of fries, pizza, coke...
You're just pulling our legs, right?
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
No, see, I can see that.
Maybe I've been watching too much Buffy (though that was poker instead of gaming. And kittens instead of fries.)
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I'm not sure whether dagonee doesn't see how its feasible to eat healthy while gaming, or that he doesn't understand how eduardo didn't realize it was feasible until marriage. Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
The former. Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
10) Sunday afternoon is when our gaming group meet for our weekly D&D session. When people invite us to some mundane affair to take place sunday afternoon, both spouses usually answer together and without a blink: "No can do. We have a very important commitment." (Yes...it... has happened.)
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
Dagonee, it's like...alternate reality! Really, really weird (shudders). But one can get used to it...barely.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
No, I think that one is an exagerration for comedic effect. In reality, eating healthy while gaming means having a Diet Mountain Dew. And maybe Sun Chips instead of Doritos.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
10) Expect more painful and truthful critiques of your DMing or Playing skills and style than in other more personal skills and styles.
11) Campaign Prepartion does not equal Dish Washing on the household chores balancing act.
12) GM'ing a real family with Children makes DM'ing a campaign impossible, unimportant and uninteresting.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
10 (actually 11 - I posted 10 earlier) - true that. 11 (actually 12)- You're wrong. It does. 12 (actually 13)- Gming a real-world life and job is difficult enough, but I think a healthy dose of escapism keeps you from stressing to much (or add another source of stress, hehehe).
Posted by Selran (Member # 9918) on :
quote:4th edition might become a bigger source of heated arguments than global warming, foreign politics, etc.[/QB]
Throw more fuel on the fire. Say you're going to abandon D&D all together and switch to Burning Wheel.
Posted by msquared (Member # 4484) on :
Being Level 19 DM and running a real life game in which my wife and both of my two sons play I feel I have a unique perspective on this.
My wife is always right.
msquared
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Even though your wife is happy to play with you and the group, she actually sees it as a dinner party with games.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
That's not necessarily true. I'm a gaming wife, and I certainly don't see it that way.
Posted by msquared (Member # 4484) on :
My wife doesn't. She has the best painted figure of the group, and the paint job changes as her character progesses through the levels. She really has a fun time with it and is actually an amazing player. Even the other players say so.
msquared
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
14) Knowing your sweet gentle wife is a wild dangerous Barbarian with a big assumed sword just waiting to sping to the surface is scarey.
Exciting, sexy, fun,
but oh definately scarey.
Scarey can be really nice.
Posted by Sergeant (Member # 8749) on :
While I have never played D&D, I did experience the problems of having my wife and I both play Everquest for a year. For a 12 month period everything came to a screeching halt. Had to buy a second computer so we didn't fight over playing time
Then we went cold turkey and got on with life
Sergeant
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Oh, my wife loves making characters, drawing detailed pictures of the whole adventuring party, and playing the games.
She just makes sure that I help clean the whole house first, and that we make a multi-course meal before each game
If it were just me, it would be a couple of guys over with a 6-pack and some chips. Now it's fancy.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Hmm.
I wonder if any of you guys playing are living near Spokane... I need a kickass game with some decent players (something I'd expect, from people here at Hatrack.)
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
As another Gamer wife, I have to point out that our D&D sessions are not "dinner parties with games" either.
It's a chance for me to blow stuff up with my evoker, "Conflagria Ember."
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I haven't played a face to face pen and paper RPG in years, but I find that I actually prefer PbEM and forum based games. They progress more slowly, of coure, but I find that people end up developing their characters more deeply than you would in a face to face campaign.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I haven't played a face to face pen and paper RPG in years, but I find that I actually prefer PbEM and forum based games. They progress more slowly, of coure, but I find that people end up developing their characters more deeply than you would in a face to face campaign.
But- Hey- *sputter* It's like you're trying to set me up to pester you now! Go develop your character, deeply!
--Enigmatic
Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
Let's see if I can do this right Level one requires marriage ceremony level two requires 1 year experience level 3 requires 3 years level 4 requires 6 years level 5 requires 10 years level 6 requires 15 years So, I am a level 4 wife and almost a level 2 mother. Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Level 1--Gain increased hit points and roll for magic items from the ceremony.
01-30 Nothing 31-40 Random low level magic household item (Toaster +2 +4 against jelly or ice based creatures) 41-60 Lose 3000 GP 61-90 Quest is geas'd upon couple. Called "Honeymoon". 91-95 Random mid level magic household item (Vacuum +5 against Undead Dust) 95-98 Random high level magic household item (Vorpal Food Processor or Flaming Kitchen Knife set) 99- Roll Twice 00-- Magic weapon.
Level 2: Gain one strength point and one endurance point. Lose 2 Charisma--to everyone except spouse. Gain +5 on all poison saves that involve food similar to attempts your spouse has cooked.
Level 3: Gain Telepathy with Spouse. Can finish each other's sentences and know what they really mean. Roll VS Wisdom to actually buy them presents they want.
Level 4: Lose 5 Charisma with Spouse only. (They don't call it the 7 year itch for nothing). Gain ability to Dodge any attacks, verbal or physical, made by spouse.
Level 5: Gain Memory Ability--Roll against INT to remember Anniversary and other important dates. INT to recall In-laws names and names of people on their side of the family. Roll VS Wisdom to recall what spouse said 5 minutes ago while you were watching something interesting on TV.
Now you not only finish each others sentences, but can finish each others incanations and spells. -2 on all casting times.
Level 6: Alignment Shift toward Lawful mandatory at this point. No Chaotics stay married this long without divine or magical help. Gain abilities to see out of the others eyes similar to a Magic Users Familiar. Gain 5 hp per level, but if you lose your partner, lose 15hp per level.
Level 7: I don't know. I just made it to level 6 a bit ago.
[ December 20, 2007, 10:46 PM: Message edited by: Dan_raven ]
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
But, see (/geekness/)... regarding the 6)... couldn't neutral people do it? (/geekness/)
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
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