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Bosh
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Taehan Mingook
Jan 1970
time: 00:28
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Well LARPers are funny people. Last summer while playing softball we had a whole lot of em show up on the field and act out a ship to ship battle. They'd even brought huge sail thingies along. But is truth stranger than fiction? http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp
source:
http://www.thedailybull.ca/article.php?id=149
Geeks Live Vicariously Through D&D
RENTON, WA - Long considered to be merely a form of escapism, Wizards of the Coast's famed roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons has increasingly become a way for geeks to experience activities that their normal lives wouldn't allow according to a recent marketing survey.
"We have noticed a big increase in the number of times certain players actually consider the actions of their characters to be actions they've undertaken in real life," said Chris Bronowski, spokesman and market analyst for Wizards of the Coast.
"As shocking as that may seem, it's great for business," he added, refering to the nearly endless list of add-on products that provide even more pretend experiences.
Wendell Picketts, 26, eagerly told reports about his exploits as Rancgor the Mighty, a level 17 barbarian. "I've travelled around the entire world many times over, all without leaving my basement room," he told reporters from his parents' home in Jamestown, NC. "Well, except for the time I had to go to Jerry's place for a week while his bike was in the repair shop."
Picketts proudly displayed some of the "souvenirs" that he has acquired during his wanderings, including a cardboard black steel dagger encrusted in glitter that was found in a lich's crypt and a magic runestone that was found during a foray into the Spine of the World mountain range.
"I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most athletic guy," Picketts said, "but thanks to D&D, I've climbed mountains, run across the Plains of Sargosh and even learned to pick locks a few levels back. My mom locked herself out of the garage a week ago, and if I'd been there instead of at the Dr. Who marathon, I could have saved her from having to call a locksmith."
Thanks to Rancgor, Picketts knows what a life without severe allergies is like, as well. "I can't go into any bars around here because of the cigarette smoke, but I've been in hundreds of taverns and even owned one for a few months," he said.
"I've even had sex," Picketts added in a hushed voice, "twice in Amn and once in Tethyr. Jerry and I acted out some stuff we saw on the Internet with the minis when my parents weren't home."
"It was messier than we anticipated," he added.
Miniature figurines have become key visualization components among geeks wishing to cement a roleplaying campaign's events in their psyches. Acting out a scene with miniatures and dioramas provides an added sense of authenticity, says Bronowski.
Dungeons & Dragons has tried to dissociate itself from live-action roleplaying (LARP) since the late '80s after several embarassing lawsuits. LARPing has continued on in small circles despite an extremely negative social stigma attached to it, and has led to such things as grown men yelling "Lightning bolt!" at each other while running around.
"Minis are also a lot safer and more dignified than having these poor souls act out an epic battle with their own bodies," Bronowski explained. "We really encourage the use of these miniatures over things like sticks and confetti. We prefer to think of D&D as something that's intellectual, and we don't want our fans to hurt themselves, regardless of what their character sheets say they can do."
UPDATE! (5-9-03)
Following the announcement of the upcoming release of The Book of Erotic Fantasy, hundreds of hard-core geeks have expressed their joy at finally having a manual to outline their sexual escapades in the realm of D&D. Previously, many were forced to "just wing it" and attempt to imagine what sex might be like based on brief glimpses of showering sisters and sounds emitted from parents' bedrooms.
Chris Bronowski told The Daily Bull that Wizards of the Coast does not condone the actions of players who spy on their sisters for the purposes of gathering information for fantasy orgies. "If you want to be a decent person," he said, "you should really let your friends do the spying."
Bronowski, however, reiterated the fact that Dungeons & Dragons should remain purely in the realm of fantasy.
The book promises to add dozens of new feats and abilities, such as the much-anticipated "cumshot" ranged touch attack, (1d4 damage, base distance 6" + arousal bonus), which blinds the victim on a successful hit, but leaves the attacker in a state of bliss.
"We are excited about this new product, but we don't want our fans rushing to act out what they imagine," stated a Wizards of the Coast press release issued early today. "While we encourage players to experiment and try new things in all of our gaming universes, we stress that attempting to duplicate those experiences in the real world could potentially become very awkward for all persons involved, or at worst, be deemed extremely deviant. We strongly advise players to put their minis away and do something else if feelings of sexual frustration become too intense."
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Lincoln
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Some people have never quite grasped the concept that "it is only a game." It has always amazed me how society is wrapped up in the make believe world of sports and games. There really is a real world out there (I think).
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Jon Miller
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I never played D&D before I was 21
currently (22) I am on one RPG
it is just something to do with the guys (for fun), most other nights we go out to the bars
Jon Miller
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Jon Miller
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as for other issues
yah, there are some really weird people who play RPGs
and I think that RPGs, like most anything else (including video games), can be dangerous
Jon Miller
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Jon Miller
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I personally would much rather be playing a strategy board game than playing an RPG
but my freinds here like RPGs better (the easiest strategy games to get going are Settlers and Axis and Allies)
Jon Miller
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Jon Miller
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well, right now I have been playing a lot of NWN
Jon Miller
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Jon Miller
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I have actually never bought diablo 2 or 1 (played 1 for a bit)
NWN is fun though
Jon Miller
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monolith94
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New England
Jan 1970
time: 00:28
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These people should all leave Dr. Who out of this.
In some ways I am the ultimate geek. I am familiar with d&d, a d&d, warhammer role playing, warhammer armies, lovecraft, babylon 5, dr. who, star trek, star wars, godzilla, computer games, etc...
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Jon Miller
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but do you play strategy board games??
Jon Miller
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10-05-2003 23:28
I should have known
I have a friend with whom I play LAN who has a lvl 75 werewolf druid, and gosh he kills me without any problem. My vlv 73 paladin just does not match. It is pretty good to help others though. Still, even in teamwork, we didn't kill the ancients in Hell difficulty
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