Greetings to all...

Just wondered what your experiences have been running/playing games while under the influence of something intoxicating.

As a general rule, I insist that ALL players are sober during my games because I want them to be at their intellectual best....UNLESS it is agreed upon before hand that *everyone* is going to partake of something. I don't do it very often because I prefer a serious game. Usually, after a game we will indulge in something, but rarely during.

In my own game, we've played twice after everyone had smoked a couple of bowls. Both games were hilarious because they were so stupid and plodding.  For example, the party took 30 minutes trying to ride out of a small town because they kept getting distracted and/or taking ridiculous actions, or forgetting what they were doing. Later in the game, a knight blocked their path across a bridge. Instead of challenging him, they dismounted and asked him a bunch of silly questions in a scene that went on and on for nearly an hour.

I've played games with other people who were drinking and have found I don't care for this at all. Unlike pot, alcohol tends to make people more aggressive and beligerent, both the characters and the players. I've walked out on more than one game because someone got shitfaced and started getting mad at other players. I've also notice that drunk people tend to really throw the dice and they often go all the way across the room. Even people that I really know and like are unpleasant when gaming drunk because they slur their words and have a tendancy to knock things off the table.

I once tried playing a game while everyone was shrooming, but we all ended up starring at the dice and trying to figure out what they were.

What about you? Share your experiences with yourself or others gaming under the influence.

My friends and I always had a few beers during the game, along with nachos or pizza. It's part of the fun.

Anything goes for us, but we have really slowed our consumption of chemical enhancements over the last few years. Booze, for instance, has completely fallen off the menu.

Alcohol is all right in moderation, plus some of my players have to have their coffin nails every few hours or so. I don't mind people smoking pot, but I'd rather they did it after the game at home since it is really bad for concentration, and when we game, I'd like people to participate actively.

Myself, I don't smoke or do drugs. Well, not illegal ones; got to have my coffee before I start GMing after all.

Quote from: Melan;495209I don't mind people smoking pot, but I'd rather they did it after the game at home since it is really bad for concentration, and when we game, I'd like people to participate actively.

I've found this varies from individual to individual. I've only got one player who has a problem focusing while under its influence, but at this point, I'm not sure if its the dude or the weed, really.

As a member of the law enforcement community I'd frown on anyone who showed up too blitzed-not because I care about them using something but rather because driving under the influence is dangerous. Obviously no one is allowed to use illicit drugs on my premises-what they do, and don't tell me about elsewhere is their own business.

That said really it's not a big issue. I don't ask. They don't tell. I'm not looking to be some sort of dick tot he people I game with, and if they want to drink as long as they're not jackasses I don't mind. And really beyond some light drinking we're all pretty tame. I know some of players do other things, but like I said I don't ask, and they're courteous enough to keep it elsewhere.

Oh and several of my players work for other law enforcement agencies. So as you can imagine we're not really all that wild when it comes to this.

It gets really annoying when the really drunk/stoned players and/or DMs become really disruptive, such as:

- vomiting all over the furniture and floor
- getting into fist fights with the other players or DM
- kicking in the walls
- throwing beer bottles around, and other large sized projectiles
- the couch going up in flames, from an improperly discarded or neglected lit cigarette/joint
- etc ...

Quote from: ggroy;495220It gets really annoying when the really drunk/stoned players and/or DMs become really disruptive, such as:

- vomiting all over the furniture and floor
- getting into fist fights with the other players or DM
- kicking in the walls
- throwing beer bottles around, and other large sized projectiles
- the couch going up in flames, from an improperly discarded or neglected lit cigarette/joint
- etc ...

Yeah any of that shat, even sober, would get you landed on your ass as you bounce the fuck out of my crib. So count me as "Completely Agree!"

I've honestly never seen any of those, not even in high school.

Quote from: Aos;495223I've honestly never seen any of those, not even in high school.

I've never personally encountered it an RPG session. I have heard of people doing stuff like this at beer busts, and stuff. Especially when I was in the Marine Corps. But then we were younger then....

The worst I've dealt with is a player who's ex wife showed up to try and incite a domestic. Heh. I politely reminded her that it was my pad, and she could take that elsewhere.

We drink about half the time.

Quote from: Serious Paul;495225I've never personally encountered it an RPG session. I have heard of people doing stuff like this at beer busts, and stuff. Especially when I was in the Marine Corps. But then we were younger then....

Most of the extreme stuff happened in some rpg games I played in, back in college.

In more recent times, there were a few incidents of drunken players getting into fist fights, and/or throwing cups/bottles around.

I honestly have nothing against having a bottle of liquor at the game table. It can loosen tongues, make people feel more comfortable... it's social event after all. Getting wasted... that's another thing, however. If you can't enjoy a good wine or beer or whiskey or whatever it is that you like without getting wasted... then it's probably not such a good idea to game with those.

It's a matter of being responsible and enjoying the time spent together, IMO.

I think we have had this thread before.

From the Celtrician Wiki...Here.
Why Do We Game?This is still one of the more important, sometimes overlooked issues.  Gaming is a social thing.  This is why we don't just sit in our basements playing on the computer every night, why we take the time to prepare our characters, to make food, and to basically fulfill the conditions of the social contract of adult gamers.  When we have significant others and such eating and drinking and laughing with us, this is a good thing.

I make this point clear due to the needed perspective; when we were young and had all the time in the world, gaming was one of many pastimes.  Now that we have jobs and families and children, I am frankly humbled by the continued attendance and enthusiasm.

I also realize that the social aspect is a large chunk of why we are there, why we have kept many players for decades and show no signs of slowing down.  The interaction, the roleplay, the sharing and appreciation of the wine and food, as well as the gaming...Guildschool is a social roleplaying game.  Period.

I run 2 live groups and one online group right now.  One of the Live groups has been going for 8 years, one is more like 16 years.  The 16 year group is mainly comprised of some of the gamers that started when Celtricia started, and their playing in my games actually predates Celtricia's 28 years.  
We have history.

But both live gaming groups have adopted the same format.  He generally get together about every other Sunday at 5:30-6, talk gaming while we cook dinner, open some wine, and eat dinner then by 7 we are gaming full steam, until about midnight.
I used to be a sommelier, and we are all a bunch of foodies....We generally have a bunch of appetizer courses while it is going...Igbar group has 7-11 gamers (and spouses sometimes), so we go through generally 7-12 bottles a session.

I have some notes from a thread.  Let's cut and paste.
But a decade of this format has left all the couches fine, and no punches thrown.


"96 Whitehall Lane Cab reserve (floral bottle).
The joys of having a cellar, I tell you now.  Dark, needed about 45 minutes before even openning a little.  hour and ahalf later, jammy earth, pencil lead, and a eucalyptus end note, with a currant/berry taste that went on about 30-45 seconds.  
Made it with a horseradish and garlic beef tournedos with garlic potatoes.  For those who are yet to really discover wine, it is with food that the stuff shows best."

"I do not mean to demean the gaming end of the experience at all, but as one's life grows busier, adding career (not work...there is a difference), property, and children to the mix, it becomes harder to maintain friends.  Gaming is the social outlet that has allowed me to stay in touch and actually keep getting together with my friends for decades.

Which is to say that the social experience of the game becomes just as important as the game: or that the game that was once at the heart of it is partially the excuse to get together.  The reason the computer can't take over for this is that at it's heart, gaming is a social phenomena.  An interactive, participatory, first-person, immersed storytelling session.

So the wine is generally quite good for the sessions.  We had a 98' Pio Cesare and 00' Barolo (I don't remember which) last Miston session, and the Igbarians drank a 03' D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz and a 99' Cos D'estournel Bordeaux.
I also got dry-aged rib eye that I marinated in an 18 yr old balsamic vinegar and black volcanic salt, cooked on the grill with asparagus, also grilled."

"Marcarini Barolo 1998 tonight, ready to drink, openned with a little thinness and the color was almost too browned, but after 1/2 an hout, fruit and tannins started kicking in, followed by slate notes and an almost leathery astringency.  We alos openned 2 Languedocs and an old vine zin from Trinchero, 04

fusilii arrabiata with sausage going with it.  Ols style arrabiata, with more meat broth and peppers than todays full-on red sauces.

The Barolo's tannins were able to stand up to both the spice and the sausage"


"D'arenberg Dead Arm 01, 2 bottles.  Opened it around 4:30 and decanted (I swear, this  vineyard pours in extra sediment or something) to get it breathing properly.  Initial nose very tight but strong, strong, strong (this is one of the biggest Shiraz' around, flavor-wise).  So tough when I go out to dinner and try to drink something that should have been opened hours before.

Then I went and made a rub for the filets (Vocanic Black Salt, Proudhommes, and a little diced chocolate), pounded the rub into the filet's lightly, poured a little wine on top, and let marinate.

After we put MiniVreeg (Or V, as my Igbarians like to call him) to bed, I washed some spinach and put on some water for couscous.  Always add a little actual margerine (or canoleo, in my case) to the oil in the couscouse water.  It was around 6:50 by now, which matters for both the marinade and the wine.  Now the Rubber hits the road, so to speak, as we preheat the grill and put a tad of Colonna olive oil onto the meat and toss it on the grill.
I patted the spinach dry, and then cut up a lemon.  Light about 50 zillion candles and start a fire in the fireplace.  Couscous goes in the water, then pour about 2 fingers of the wine into big bordeaux glasses ('cause this thing historically drinks this way...I've had Dead Arm from 95 through 01, and have bottles of 99-05 in the cellar now).  Moving it around the big-bowled glass to check the legs, The smell of rich earth and leather wafts out mixed with the pure, dark grape smell.

Go out to the grill, flip the filets.  The rub is crusting a bit, so I back down the flame a bit (the olive oil can do that if put right onto a rub...creates a bit of a crust, not a bad thing, but too much and it tastes burnt).  
Set the table, turn down the lights, then squeeze the lemon into a wide pan (like an omelet pan) with a little canoleo spread, creating a lemon-butter.  Throw the spinach on that, and go rescue the now-medium-rare Filets.  Cut up french baguette, and get a small bowl out for the Colonna Olive oil with 14 yr old balsamic vinegar drizzled on it, for the bread.  Plate the flet's, the spinach, and the couscous in careful triad, and it hits the table.

Wine was NOT a dissapointment, strong, strong, strong (as this bottle normally is), with a lot of earth and strong leather and an interesting eucalyptus undertone.  Not as dry as I remember, but very kick ass, stood up to the rub well.
Also Berninger reserve cab 04  And Sienna (Ferrari Carano) 04"