You ever heard of a surf bum? You know, the guys who will hang around the beach, or travel from beach to beach just to get the chance to surf? Yeah, well that's me, only I hang around whoever owns or plays D&D just to get a little fix of anything related to D&D. I may not like the waves, I may complain about the weather or the bad fish tacos, but I'll be where the waves are.
And who'm I really kidding? I'm a D&D Bum. I've bought as many game systems as just about anybody I know. I really like some of them too. Consider switching to them. But when it comes right down to it--I play D&D. In any guise, in any flavor. I tried staying away from the WoTC D&D boards, which lasted all of about a half a day. I don't always like what I see there, but I gotta get my D&D fix. I've complained from time to time about WoTC flashy new glossy art style, but who'm I kidding? I grew up on Vallejo and Rowena--and their about as glossy as it gets in fantasy art. I love seeing the Drow art that the Wizards site is sporting right now. In fact I really love the Forgotten Realms storyline that they are running right now for D&D Encounters. And for Salvatore's new book line I might add.
Yeah, I get torqued that this edition doesn't do this as well as that edition did, and that WoTC changed this, or dropped that, or aren't bringing this back. But who'm I kidding? I'll take whatever they give me. It's just, well ... cool. It's what I do, it's a part of who I am, and nothing else seems to quite match up. I'm rereading my AD&D books right? Well, I happened to pul out me 2e books to make some rule comparisons between it and 1e and I'm reading along in the 2e PHB, and thinking, hey this is really cool. I like how they did this, and maybe I should recommend that they do this in 5e, and *URP!* What? I can't like this!! It's 2e!
Whom' I kidding? I'm a D&D bum.
I love horror--it's a vice of mine--especially Lovecraftian stuff, but horror of any flavor will do in a pinch. And so I'm reading my 3e book on D&D Horror, and it rocks! I mean absolutely Rocks!! Yeah, I like horror, and it's an easy sell for me, but really has there been any book that was better than this in the D&D canon? Maybe as good--but it's quickly becoming one of my D&D faves. And why?! It's 3e!! I can't like that!
Who'm I kidding? I'm a D&D Bum.
Sell it to me in any flavor, and I'll probably play it. I've played 1e, 2e, 3.5, 4e and am probably going to end up playing 5e too. Nothing else has ever stuck with me. I'm a D&D Bum. And hey, have you ever seen the life of a surf bum? Not a bad gig really. Sit around the beach all day sipping Mai Tai's, soaking up the rays, cool ocean breeze, waiting for a good wave, chicks in bikinis everywhere. Yeah, I could dig that. (As long as my wife is there ; - )) --obligatory spousal admission--
D&D--same thing.
Dungeons & Dragons Rawks. Pass the Mai Tai, uh I mean the dice ...
Hahahahaaaa! That's precisely how I feel. Aren't we all?! Sure, the city ruins surf spots all the time because of illegal dumping or dredging the ocean floor, so we are forced to move up or down the coastline, but hey, at least we get to (we HAVE to) surf NOW. And sure, those of us that were born before that hideous commercial development ruined the most epic wave, we all hope the coral grows back in just the right spots so as to re-create the perfect wave again, but it'll never be exactly the same. The nostalgia may be gone forever, but there's a chance the wave is better, so we surf the waves searching for new nostalgia; maybe now we get to surf with our kids!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's sort of like the biggest waves seem to draw us, eh? Or maybe it's the familiarity. Who knows? Seems like the more things change the more they stay the same. I sometimes get all hung up on this or that system--to each his own, eh? It can get down right depressing trying to sort it all out. If it feels good play it. Thanks bro :)
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