I'm working a lot. The hospital at which I'm employed has seen a historic high of childbirths (there was even an article in the local newspaper about it) and the past six months have involved a lot of time at work. I've had a close relative in a medical crisis, and my significant other has been ill and needing a lot of care. Basically? I've had to squeeze what free time I can here and there and the pace of my professional life has been exhausting. The latter to the point I'm considering finding a position somewhere else ... this is a genuine shame because I love what I do and love my position there.
On the gaming front I continue to play in an OD&D campaign here in Austin.
But? My attention has been drawn to the second FRPG: Tunnels & Trolls. It's everything I loved about OD&D, OD&D having become twisted and hidebound in its rules and rules arguments since its (so-called) renaissance. T&T is wide-open and the rules often have multiple suggestions on how to resolve situations and, over and over again, encourage the DM to come up with his own solutions and rules.
But Piper, you may ask, doesn't OD&D do this too? Well, the original set did but as early as the first edition of AD&D the editorial stance became "if you change these rules you ain't playing D&D!" Meanwhile T&T keeps right on reminding folks to Try to visualize evert (sic) combat as a movie scene, and as the judge it's up to you to make things seem logical and fair, not up to some abstract rule or Remember the prime rule as GM. What seems logical under the circumstances? We're telling stories here, not adjudicating a war game.
So, in short? When I have spare time (ha-ha) I'm doing one of the following:
- Dealing with yet another family health crisis.
- Walking.
- Going to Kung Fu class.
- Playing OD&D.
- Designing my dT&T (Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls) campaign milieu.
How about you?
