I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for a long time now and I won’t play another game system.  There is no way - I’m a fantasy purist and require my setting to be that of a Tolkien-like realm!  With that said, I’m playing Fantasy Flight’s Star Wars now and I’m loving it.  The idea of a science fiction campaign based on the Star Wars universe is really cool.  We are rebels fighting the Empire and I’m a spy.  No magic, no force powers, no armor, no light saber; just his wits, challenging and fun!

I believe that the D20 system is the best and the only system for the gaming purist.  D&D has changed over the years, but the Die 20 has reigned supreme.  No other dice system captures the feel of the game better than the dodecahedron - it is king!  Star Wars uses a variety of non-twenty-sided dice to create a unpredictable feel to the game and it works.  The system uses a dice upgrade system to modify high scores and does not rely on a single die throw.  The Game Master adds difficulty die/dice to your actions to make it harder to complete a given task.  This gives a GM an active say on every roll and creates an atmosphere where anything can happen.  Lastly, there are Force dice used to improve the possibilities available to players, but the dark side can be played by the GM. 

I love the feel of dice, they make gaming magical.  The look, the feel, the unpredictability, are all just perfect.  I have a large collection of every type of dice.  Most importantly, my favorite dice are a set of purple “crit” dice only available at Gen Con the year I attended.  Yes, without dice gaming loses a mystical quality and starts feeling like a video game.  We were without dice this week for Star Wars, a GM mistake that deprived the group of dice.  We downloaded a fantasy dice roller with a Star Wars dice setting and it was brilliant! The complex nature of the variety of dice makes reading dice tricky, but the dice roller was simple and easy.  This one little app made our game flow better than ever.  Are there others?

I love the idea of “things I won’t do as a gamer” because they are all things that improve my gaming experience.  I guess I need to learn to rephase “won’t” into something else like, “haven’t done for a long time and am scared to change.”  

I’m not giving up all my RPG habits. There are things that I need to enrich my gaming experience.

1.       Take Notes- I believe it a sign of respect to the DM/GM to keep notes to track the story and NPCs.  A big benefit is that, over time, you can revisit old adventures and get great ideas from them.

2.       Snacks- We are going to sit around for hours and we need snacks, but not all types are good.  A good gaming snack has no grease or fake coating, that crap gets on the sheet and stains it.  I prefer pretzel nuggets, but you have to remember to keep the snacks and dice separate. Accidents can happen in the heat of combat.

3.       Drawing - I always draw my characters, it’s something I’ve been doing for decades.  It helps me get into the mind of the character and allows me a chance to practice drawing.  I have hundreds of PC portraits, it’s an interesting collection.

4.       Drinks - Preferably caffeinated, but not a requirement.  Like snacks, we game for a long time, so have drinks that the group can share and take turns bringing drinks and snacks if it becomes an issue. 

5.       Pencils, pens, or something - I mean we are playing a paper and pencil game, have both available for your game, it just makes playing easier and quicker. 

6.       Dice or Dice App -  Unless you have made some arrangements, don’t show without dice.  With the many dice apps available, there is no conceivable reason to show up not ready to play.

7.       Your Sheet - You need me to explain this one? Good grief!