Casting Shadows

Day 4’s foray into the 5Ws for #RPGaDay2022 asks us to consider where this introductory game we have been discussing could best be held. Over my time in gaming, I have earned a certain reputation for being open to gaming pretty much anywhere. Stairwells, walking to school in any weather, on bikes, in cars, in boats, on tiny islands in a rural lake, the luxury of a rec room, the awkwardness of a living room, the familiar comfort of a kitchen, the sterility of a classroom, the chaos of a coffee shop, or under the watchful eyes of the internet in a room which (like Michael Knight) does not exist.

Where would you host this introductory game?

In a general sense, for a hypothetical group of modern folk looking to try roleplaying, my preferred option is to rent a meeting space. This gives us easy access to more tech than I ever feel compelled to use in play, comfortable seats, lots of table space, hospitality service, and freedom from the downsides of inviting strangers to your home. In my case, those downsides typically revolve around our large pack of rescued dogs of various sizes. Not every guest is able to handle the intense interest of a Doberman Pinscher, or the neurotic attention seeking of a border collie mix born in captivity. As most of the dogs we have adopted over the years have been abused, having guests over isn’t something that makes me all that comfortable either. Our home is a haven for dogs, so having guests is a sacrifice we have willingly made. Meeting space to the rescue!

For the notion of undoing a regret which we have been entertaining this week, the choice of location is not so easy. Lacking funds and being required to enjoy a certain guerilla flair to my gaming due to the hateful gaze of the satanically panicked, simply turning up to a convenient living room or rec room was never much of an option. I wasn’t joking in the first paragraph when I mentioned gaming on the way to school (against the wind, in the snow, uphill both ways).

So it was that near the waning days of high school, with greater mobility at my disposal, that we came to start gaming at a historic property in the form of a restored 18th century fort used by the French against the British, and by the British against… those opting to be progressively less British. This site had fantastic views of the great bleakness of the Tantramar Marsh and the mighty and implacable Bay of Fundy, generally unspoiled in most directions by any sign of human habitation other than the fort itself. We gamed on its bastions, we gamed in its cool, earthen chambers, and we gamed in its restored rooms. Immersive playing space at no charge. I think “Roger” would have gotten a kick out of gaming there.

I certainly did.

If nothing else, it would have given us the ability to talk with greater understanding about songs like The Trooper.