One year on: Retrospective

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I started this blog as a way to keep track of my RPG sessions.  I wanted some kind of record of my gaming, and play reports felt like an easy way to do that.  On a couple occasions, sharing the play reports has also been interesting, but the main goal was to write it for myself, to look back on.


And I have!  I have taken the time to look back and reread how a scenario or an adventure or module went, and I’ve looked at how it was homebrewed by me or if it was a published scenario.  And I’ve enjoyed that.  But it seems clear to me that:

  1. I like writing session reports for games that I GM

  2. I don’t like writing session reports for games that I am a mere player in


I wonder why?  I’m not sure, but if my blog is a record of my gaming, it is sorely lacking.  I’ve been a player in a Troika!+UVG game on Fridays for about 4 sessions, and I’ve been a player in a Runequest Campaign for about 5 sessions as well.  The games are interesting and fun and completely different, but I guess I just don’t feel like writing them up afterwards?


Perhaps there is a 3rd insight as well:

  1. I don’t write up session reports from the school club where I run D&D 5e for the students


Although I usually have a good time, in my mind I’m “just playing boring old D&D” and there isn’t much to discuss, reflect, or think about.  I don’t really like 5e but it is what most folks seem to want to play.


My challenge going forward: write your session reports as a player too.


At the start of the previous year I had also set out to “try as many new games as possible”.  I didn’t make a list, but instead just tracked my new games played.  Here are the new games:

  • Call of Cthulhu

  • Mausritter (which I never wrote up as a session report! Alas)

  • Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

  • Runequest Roleplaying in Glorantha

  • Mythic Bastionland


In addition to that, I have played several games that I have a lot of experience with:

  • D&D 5th edition

  • Beyond the Wall

  • Mothership

  • Troika!


My feeling is undeniable.  I love collecting and reading roleplaying games, and I love playing new games.  My preference for games seems to lie between the “one shot” for rules light games and the “moderate campaign” for heavier systems.  I’d really like to get into the rhythm of playing a new game every few months, and really sinking into a game for 3-9 sessions.


I don’t want to make a checklist of games to play, because the types of games I’m interested in and the ones my friends want to play are a discussion that happens on a case to case basis.


But I do know that I will be continuing the following:

  1. Tabletop game club, where I am hoping I can teach someone else to DM

  2. Runequest game going strong as a player

  3. UVG+Troika!


And I am starting a new game with locals.  After moving this past July, my family is still looking for new friends and meeting people at the table is a great way to do it.  I found a clip sheet for folks interested in playing, yup you guessed it, 5th edition D&D.  Nobody in the group wanted to DM so I volunteered!  So I’m starting that up.  I am hoping to pitch something a little offbeat to them, like Neverland or Brancalonia, but we shall have to see…  In any event, I hope that after playing with them for a little while, I can entice them into another game.  Only time will tell though, and supposedly, I’ll report about it here!

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