Troll Lord Games

Just a theory, it seems like most posters on this forum tend to be castle keepers, either because they want to play C&C and SOMEONE has to do it, or people who like to run games are attracted to C&C for its simplicity.

It'd be interesting to see how many people are here who consider themselves to mainly be players and not CKs.

Always a CK, never a bride...or player!

For C&C, just a player so far, but gearing up for some CKing, hopefully.

For SW, always a GM.

Both play and run the game, sometimes in the same night even with the "real" one there, as I am often asked how I would handle X and Y, especially when it comes to monster combat. I also accept player input when being the Castle Keeper although mostly for devious usage later. If it is Gamma World, I always run the game.

However, on here, I often feel like I am in the wrong place.

I think about this a lot and in fact I think most posters on most RPG forums are DM's. We are the only ones with enough passion to think up the crap that we have to come to message boards with.

Always the CK... haven't actually played a RPG as a player in over 30 years...

DM (sorry CK seems out of place) in C&C but a player in CoC.

I'm 50%/50%. I run an online game, play in an online game, and split CK duties in my home game.

Ozreth might be on to something. I was actually surprised, a little, when I checked back and saw the number of "always a CK" over the others. In my experiences, there's almost always dearth of game masters and an abundance of players. Interesting.

Answer: Am always buying books and dreaming of being a CK or a player one day.

Though it says player, I'm really not a player type. I enjoy GMing far more than being a player.

I'm in the always a CK/DM/GM these days, although I'd love to be a player in a detailed and log running campaign. That's my favorite thing. Last time I played like that was the early 90's, but I've had 2 one off's since then, otherwise all DM'ing for me but at least always in the same homebrew world so I amusing myself with world building.

-Mike

Lord Dynel wrote: I was actually surprised, a little, when I checked back and saw the number of "always a CK" over the others. In my experiences, there's almost always dearth of game masters and an abundance of players. Interesting.

The "always a CK" validates the dearth of GM assumption. We are "always a CK" because of the lack of people who GM vs. those who will be players....

I still can't get myself to remember "CK" or "referee" or "Nutball Behind the Screen." It's been "GM" for me ever since I gave up the title "Dungeon Master" because that seemed to urge me to torture my players. And I can't get the Spanish Inquisition out of my head when I hear that term, because of course...

MormonYoYoMan wrote:I still can't get myself to remember "CK" or "referee" or "Nutball Behind the Screen." It's been "GM" for me ever since I gave up the title "Dungeon Master" because that seemed to urge me to torture my players. And I can't get the Spanish Inquisition out of my head when I hear that term, because of course...

Of course you know what they say, "No one expected the S..."

Now as for NBtS I made have to jot that one down.

-Mike

...was waiting for someone to finish that for me - we all knew someone would!

very unexpected.

Met the trolls in 2003, probably played my first c&c game with them sometime between 2003-05. Bought the books back then, but usually only played with TLG at cons. GM'd one or two sessions in 2007, and the occasional con session in the years to follow. Finally got a campaign going in September of last year. The A series continues. We're about to start A2. Going all the way to A13 guarantees I'll be gm'ing for years to come.

At home, I'm always the CK for C&C, though once in a blue moon I get to play a one-shot in some other system that someone else runs.

At conventions, it's a mix. I usually try to run at least one C&C game at cons and then try to fill out my time playing other games - although I'm signed up for one of Sir Seskis' C&C games at GaryCon.

I am always buying books and dreaming of CK'ing or being a player one day....

I don't have a group anymore but when I did I was always the GM. I wanted to be a player but noone would step up and run a game.

Volomyre wrote:I am always buying books and dreaming of CK'ing or being a player one day....

I don't have a group anymore but when I did I was always the GM. I wanted to be a player but noone would step up and run a game.

Are you in a bad spot for gaming, Volomyre? I see you're in SoCal, and I wonder if it's like Central Florida where there's too much to do and a lot of short attention spans! How I found a group and been with them for 15-ish years (though the core of the group has changed a little) is actually pretty nuts.

I just got spoiled with a close group of like minded friends. We would get together for beer, food and gaming and have a blast. Then almost all at once real life stepped in and people dropped out.
Now the people I run into want to treat the game kinda like a second job, too serious. Or people are playing CCG's or Warhammer, or they look at me like some kinda nutjob when I dare to mention rpg's.
Lord Dynel, how did you find that group? I am not sure if I have read the story here on the forums?

Volo.

Well, there's not much of a story, really. Myself, along with my best friend and one other guy would play as often as we could. I moved away from those two, so they continued without me. My new location was pretty rural-minded, and I searched in vain for a group. At that point, though, I was in 8th grade and my search options were fairly limited (this was '89). I eventually taught two guys in my neighborhood how to play AD&D, Marvel Superheroes, and Shadowrun. When I got to high school, I slowly started making new friends while the two guys I taught in my neighborhood started doing their own thing. By 10th grade, I taught my HS friends and we started playing together.

That group only lasted a few years and I'd get together with my best friend and the other guy and we'd play from time to time. It was after HS at this time, so other than the seldom game with those two I really didn't have a regular group. I sort of went into a hiatus from then (93-ish) to about '97. I kept collecting, though, and planning games and campaigns. I finally got a regular game with the two I started with - my best friend, Bill, and the "other guy" Ryan. We played on-and-off with some fill-ins, but eventually Bill left. So Ryan and I stayed together and we picked up a regular, Ed. By that time we were playing 3rd Edition. We mixed it up a few times, wtih players and games, but Ed, Ryan, and I remained the core. Fast forward to 2007 and we added three Mikes(!) to the group. One Mike had to take a break, and I lost another Mike, permanantly, so I picked up a few guys from those looking for a group on the Wizards site. They worked okay, but they didn't mesh well. One of the Mikes came back, but Ed eventually left (back in '09) wanting a break. I've added my wife and my wife's friend, making six total (Me, two Mikes, Ryan, my wife and her friend).

I guess the story was longer than anticipated. Sorry for that, and my apologies to those who found it long-winded and boring! If nothing else, it illustrrates the scene that's been down in Florida (to my knowledge and experience) over the past 20 years or so, and that's "who ya know." I found my group from a couple friends and it expanded and contracted over the years. One thing that remained pretty constant, though - they may not have all known each other (Ed and Ryan knew each other, for example, and the Mike all knew each other, but the two groups didn't know each other) but I was known to everyone. And I guess it was kind of fitting since I was the designated GM of the group. But people I just brought in and had no ties to any of us didn't stay very long. I've heard of groups that've played since the late 70s/early 80s but they've, literally, brought in no new players. How they've kept the same 7-8 people for 30+ years is beyond me. But even those guys seem to shun outsiders, from what I've heard. I like to think I dd all I could to be welcoming and hospitable to those new guys, but maybe it was on their end, too. Meaning if I came into a situation where everyone knew each other but me, and maybe one other guy, I might not stay too long, either. *shrug*

Hey at least it worked out for you you. Thats cool to hear.

I've been fortunate since last year to be certain. I met some younger people at a comic store, ranging from 18-29 years old. They were fans of the fantasy genre, but had only played Pathfinder, D&D 3.5 and/or 4. The 29 year old guy had played some 2E, as well. Most of these guys didn't have any preconceived notions about C&C, whereas most people(coming from other systems)typically do. Another 23 year old player hadn't played much of anything before, and enjoys it a great deal. Our oldest player is 34. She played a bit of 2E in the mid-late 90's, and a healthy amount of GURPS in the late 90's and early 2000's. The average age of my group is early 20's. That's not a bad thing when competing with Magic:TG, Pathfinder, and D&D, not to mention WOW, Skyrim, and other mmo's. The group started in late Sept. 2011 with 3 players, before quickly adding another 2. Two others came in late last year or early this year. There have been a couple of others who may join regularly, as well. We're losing one person to college, and another guy has a 10 hour day work schedule that's plaguing him. Otherwise, we usually end up with decent attendance. Did I mention that three of the players are driving 40 minutes one way for the sessions? Some of my group comes back on Wednesday for Savage Worlds. We've played A0 and A1. We're just about to start A2. Stephen and Davis will have A10-13 on the market long before we're done. Knock on wood. Lol