A few weeks ago, a reporter from a local newspaper came along to speak to our club about roleplaying and D&D. He spoke to some members of the group about the game, what sort of people we are, why we do it, took some pictures, and then joined in a game of D&D5 with some of us. It was a lot of fun - it ended in a hilariously daft chicken-related TPK - and he left with a pretty good impression of the game, the hobby, and our club.
So this (https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/440228/not-devil-worshippers/) is the resultant article, and I think it paints us and the hobby pretty well.
And if anyone's curious and ever happens to be in Aberdeen, Scotland on a Tuesday night, we're at the Wild Boar, Belmont Street, from about 1830. We're in the basement.
I was at first skeptical when I saw the title and the use of the Egbert mugshot as lead image, but as you get into it the article gets better.
I'd rather have expected references to Fighting Fantasy as the public face of the hobby to most Brits than references to the Pulling stuff, but what do I as a continental know.
In general I'd have agreed with you - I think (Advanced) Fighting Fantasy is a much more interesting RPG than D&D, and I started gaming FF books - but we were specifically asked about D&D, which is something a member of the public might actually have heard of, and has a major anniversary this year.
I'm happy to take it as a win for us.
Sounds like a basement I really want to go visit. So I guess that's a win for the article? ;)
Great article LB!!!
So what was the chicken-related TPK?? :)
Our PC's were a kind of magical CSI unit for some fantasy kingdom, and we were sent off to investigate a disturbance in a mining town. Some miners had started a bar fight, and wrecked a pub; our investigations worked out that the beer had been spiked with a particular type of magical combat drug (Which made people totally hulk out and NOT DIE). The "demonic cleric" (Tiefling sorceror, aka yours truly) was particularly unhappy about this poison even existing, because it's made from ground Tiefling horn.
That someone had so much of it (Tieflings being rare, those willing to give up their horns moreso) was quite alarming.
We went to the import company which had supplied the beer and, wouldn't you know, there were guards lying in wait for us. We fought our way into the main warehouse, which had barrels, crates of chickens, sacks of something resembling ground horn, etc; but the fight was still ongoing, we couldn't search too hard. A couple of us chased some remaining guards deeper into the warehouse, knocking over sacks and crates as they went. Another tiefling sorceror - an evil one - joined battle against us, taking out a couple of our melee guys; being the only one who could really take him on, I went nova, putting everything I had into a powered-up Witch Bolt, but he broke free the next turn and seriously injured me.
Unfortunately, with all the arcane power flying around, and being knocked around harshly, some of the sacks have split open. "Dust, explosions, damnit, this is bad", we said.
"No", said the GM, "it's worse".
See, some of this dust was the rage drug. And the chickens have been breathing it in. So they hulk out, and start attacking everyone in the building, on all sides.
Now everyone is down and dying, except the rogue (Played by the reporter, in his first session). And he thinks for a bit, and he says "I want to try to disguise myself as a chicken, so I can escape".
So the GM says sure, try it. He rolls. He fails.
And in the next turn, every chicken in the warehouse descends and pecks him to death.
Quote from: Ladybird;806997Now everyone is down and dying, except the rogue (Played by the reporter, in his first session). And he thinks for a bit, and he says "I want to try to disguise myself as a chicken, so I can escape".
So the GM says sure, try it. He rolls. He fails.
And in the next turn, every chicken in the warehouse descends and pecks him to death.
"And on this high note, the adventure ends. And this is what our hobby is all about!"
At least we all know now where your new title is coming from :)