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A Dicebag of Dungeons and Dragons Documentaries
Jason Scott writes "While we're celebrating 30 years of Dungeons and Dragons, Slashdot readers might as well sit back with their DVD players and enjoy a few documentaries that have recently popped up; all of them done by independent filmmakers, too!
Uber Goober: The Movie calls itself 'A Film About Gamers' is a not-taking-itself-too-seriously overview of the life of RPGs and LARPs. Life With the Dice Bag, a 'Documentary about Role Playing Games and the people who play them' looks to take itself a bit more seriously as it covers the last GenCon held in Milwaukee. And finally, who can resist the pull of The Dungeons and Dragons Experience?"
1d1 post!
If there are any girls there...I WANT TO DO THEM!!!
If you don't know how to roll a d3, you don't get to watch a documentary. Sorry, house rules.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
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Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
FYI this is a reference to a well-known account of a paladin and his dangerous run-in with a gazebo.
Short, but funny read.
I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
A friend of mine knows the guy making this, and I got to see a not-quite-done-with-editing version of it a while ago.
p le train wreck kind of sense.
It's an entertaining watch if you're a gamer, if at times in a oh-my-god-is-THAT-what-we-seem-like-to-normal-peo
...gives me a +3 Informative moderation bonus on Slashdot.
I hope I make this lame joke before all the other Slashdotters beat me in initiative and post it first!
PvPonline on LARPing
If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
I enjoyed the movie... saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX about a month ago. The show sold out and there was a long line of people waiting to get in in case some ticket holders were no-shows. ^_^ Much of the show was filmed in or around Austin (the filmmaker was at the University of Texas). Steve Jackson was in attendance, and there was a funny exchange at the show- apparently, he had been invited to be in the documentary, but he said that it sounded horribly boring and wanted nothing to do with it. The crew of the movie kept that email around for angry inspiration, and they also mentioned it in the credits. ^_^ (SJ was in the bathroom at the time, so missed those, though...)
It takes an interesting look at miniature gamers, roleplayers, and LARPers, how they feel about each other, how random people on Sixth Street (Austin party/bar street) feel about D&D... One of the funnier bits was that they were filming on 6th between midnight and 2AM, getting people's thoughts. One of the questions they asked passer-bys was, "Which would you prefer, a basketball player, a something-I-forget, or a D&D playing girl?" The guys chose the D&D player , "because she would be freaky." ^_^
...I (or rather my dad) has the original rulebooks, priced at $10 and illustrated with cheesy line drawings. It's come a long way.
Just exercising my slashdot-posting pessimism. Mod me down for detracting from the glory of D&D by bringing up this blemish on its good name.
PJRC: Electronic Projects, 8051 Microcontroller Tools
larping hitting the under-mainstream
Ignorance kills, complacency kills, hatred kills, but usually not the ones guilty of them.
[Rolls D20...]
- make-it-look-like-I'm-doing-something" saving throw!
Why, yes it is!
It even passed the Slashdot editor "have-to-tag-something-on-the-end-of-the-story-to
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
One of the earliest non-fantasy roleplaying games was Chaosium's "Call of Cthulhu." This is a fantastic game that seems to always be under the radar. If you like horror and detective fiction, where you actually use mind and intuition more than your magic items, I highly recommend it. It's premise is based on the horror fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and presupposes alien "gods" and supernatural forces lie beneath the surface of reality. I highly recommend this to anybody out there!
I've been writing a column about role playing games. (See my sig.) It's been running for about four months, even if it only exists in my blog. :)
I'm also looking for people interested in trying an idea I had for an email-based D&D game. Check out the FAQ for it.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
Nothing will ever beat what is, in my opinion, THE D&D movie. http://www.deadgentlemen.com/gamers/media.html
I'm still waiting to see the release of Dave Arneson's _Dragons In The Basement_ which we got a preview of back in GenCon 2000. That's 4 years ago, and still no word on it. There was talk the Sci-Fi channel might pick it up.
Bruce
The Gamers
Oh wait, this isn't a poll...
Seriously though, if you're lucky enough to be at GenCon this week, you can stop and say hi to the film's creators (and see the premier of their newest movie).
...Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt!
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
(A promo video by the now makers of the now defunct LARP SwordTag.
As for gaming movies, I can reccomend:
Death Race 2000
America 3000
Hawk the Slayer
Lord of the Rings (Bakshi)
Beastmaster
Ator: The Fighting Eagle
Conan & Red Sonja Flicks (starring our fave Governator)
Krull
Ice Pirates
Cloak & Dagger
Masterminds
Escape from New York
That's a good start. :-) Don't forget the popcorn!
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
Women?
If your theory is different from practice, then your theory is wrong.
check out:
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=38585 60
I hope the link still works when I post, as it has a space in the URL in the preview pane ..
networked gaming is fine and all, but there was just something magical about D&D. the imagination is still the best form of entertainment there is. pre-packaged experience is not all it's cracked up to be.
lord landon, here's to you, my tight-wad paladin pal!
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
A D&D related baitbaitbaitbaitpunchline story: we were playing with a MERP inspired critical damage setup and I attacked something (damned if I can remember what) and the exchange went like this:
me: I swing my sword! (roll a natural 20)
DM: You swing with all your might...
me: (another 20)
DM: ...and align the blade perfectly...
me: (another 20)
DM: ...through a crease in the armor...
me: (another 20)
DM: ...and between two vertebrae...
me: (a one- critical fumble)
DM: And slice your own head off.
We revised our critical damage rules for the next game.
I want a new world. I think this one is broken.
First of all, let me say that I in no way believe that playing D&D makes anyone go insane/think they are a witch/become a devil worshipper.
But I do want to try to show a little bit of why some Christians have a problem with D&D. Let's use another example. Maybe this is a little contrived, but say you were passionate about Native American rights. Maybe you are a Native American. And say there is this new RPG called Wild West which a good portion of the game involves killing Native Americans. While its only a game, it is a bit unsettling right?
The problem that some Christians have with D&D is that a portion of the game involves Pagan Gods and Goddesses. In the case of some classes (ex. Cleric) it involves *praying* to the God/Goddess for spells.
Now, this isn't a big deal to people who are not believers or even to people who are used to jumping in and out of make believe worlds. But to alot of Christians (and probably Jews and Muslims) who believe that serving foreign gods is about the **worse offense possible**, pretending to serve foreign gods, even in a game, is pretty horrific. This is compounded by the fact that throughout the Old/Hebrew Testament are a ton of stories about the people falling away from God and worshipping foreign gods.
Also note that fantasy authors such as Tolkien and C.S. Lewis are not only OK with conservative Christians, but their works are often sold in Christian bookstores. This is because, while similar to D&D, the fundamental worlds of these two authors are extremely Judeo-Christian monothestic.
Now I don't want D&D banned, restricted, or otherwise shut down. Any restriction on free speech and expression is vile to me. But in the spirit of better cultural understanding I want more people on Slashdot to know where some of these people are coming from. These aren't just some "crazy nutjobs" but people with genuine beliefs.
And there are probably alot of believers who are able to separate their beliefs and the game or change the modules to fit their beliefs.
Brian Ellenberger
I once figured out, with Runequest's fumbles system (1% chance you've cocked it up), that if you had an army, 10 thousand strong, lined up on a hill. By the time they had charged down the hill to engage the enemy, 40 of them would have accidentally killed themselves :)
..
Not as good as the Call of Cthulhu adventure into the desert, where we realised that we needed a couple of camels to carry all the water the party would need. and another couple of camels to carry the water needed for the camels, and another couple of camels to carry the water for the camels carrying the water for the camels carrying the water for the party.. and
I'm often dumbfounded at people picking D&D as an example of an RPG. D&D is what I like to call a "roll playing game", as opposed to a "role playing game". As it's often played, it sticks down to rolling dice, having combats and running through stock adventures and carefully (sometimes) designed dungeons. Combat mechanics are very important, because that's what most of the game is about. On the other hand, you'll find that other less combat-oriented RPGs involve a lot more "role playing", that is, taking someone's role and doing more than some axe-swinging or spellcasting. :)
Take the example of Vampire: The Masquerade, where you have large political plots with a hint of demency (Malkavian anyone?), backstabbing, moral qualms (humanity) besides the odd physical action.
Take Legend of the 5 Rings, where every action is under the shadow of samurai honour and acting according to that mentality is role playing challenge (which is also why most people can't play it).
Not to belittle D&Ders, but unless you have an experienced GM who pushes campaigns into something more than a hack&slash fest, you're probably still missing a ROLE playing experience.
"I don't mind God, it's his fan club I can't stand!" E8
Can you please point out one Christian holiday that wasn't taked from pagan beliefs?
Ishtar, Imhotep, Dionysus, all taken and put into their religion and holidays.
Read here here, or here?
Really, who doesn't know this stuff here?
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