RPGaDay 2016: Tahiti is A Magical Place

26. What hobbies go well with roleplaying games?

I guess the traditional answers to this question are crafty things, like painting minis and scenery. Those don't have much of a presence at my table, though.

Cooking is much more important for our group. We try to have dinner together every time we gather, or at least dessert and a nice cup of tea. That makes a difference; social groups bond over meals, and they create a space for those catch-up conversations that have to happen when people gather. If you're not friends with your fellow players, your game group is going to have a hard time achieving "High Trust, High Drama".

I'd also include theatre and music in the category of hobbies that dovetail nicely with RPGs. Practically everything I've ever brought to the table from theatre has worked and added a nice dimension to our game. Music is something that many people include in games to some extent, and I'm quite convinced we can do more with it. A lot more.

27. Most unusual circumstance or location in which you've gamed?

In high school, I ran a once-a-week D&D campaign in the English room, which was in the basement of the building. During the climactic episode, a big lightning-storm was happening outside, unbeknownst to us spotty teens. The power went off, and we played out the rest of the session by the emergency lights. Added an extra kick.

28. Thing you'd be most surprised if a friend had not seen or read?

It seems pretty impossible for a person in the hobby (I'm assuming we're talking about gaming friends here) to have avoided seeing Star Wars, or reading some version of Tolkien.

If we're talking about games, I'd say it's just about impossible for someone in this day and age to have not read and played some version of the D&D rules.

29. You can game anywhere on Earth. Where would you choose?

At a kitchen table, same as our usual game, but it would be in a larger kitchen with central air and comfy chairs. If I really want to get greedy, I'd imagine the room also having some nice recessed speakers around the room, lighting I could control (although candles work fine for ambience), and maybe a big screen I could use to show various media as needed.

If I were in Tahiti sitting in a little villa by the ocean, I reckon I might be distracted beyond the point where really great gaming could happen. But if I had the wealth, I might give it a go.