In the Beginning (aka About Me)....

I have been a long time, on-and-off-again role player. I started with the Classic Red Cover Basic books when a friend brought them, and some other D&D stuff, into Art Class and I wanted to know, "What is that?"

I played a couple sessions with him before purchasing my own copy of the rules (BECMI) and set out designing my own dungeons and adventures. I played most of the way through high school when the big AD&D push came along. I wasn't in a position to get those rules at the time, and thankfully didn't. I discovered in college that it was just too complicated for my meager mind. Not really complicated I suppose, I just could not grok why I needed an additional book, Uneartherd Arcana, to play a Paladin. To me it was just a Fighter that lived by a Code. A Code that should, IMHO, just be role-played. I didn't need a book for that...

After many years of hiatus, I discovered PbP RPing and began to try my hand at playing some with the SRD of version 3.5. I lost interest in that due mostly to the 'Munchkin Mentality'. When I was playing with the SRD, or trying to, everyone else was checking the 'acceptance' of this or that book with the D/GM. I built non-maximized characters based on a concept. You would have thought that a novel idea, but I continually got emails and PMs telling me how to make my character 'better'. "You should take THIS Skill, or you won't be able to get THAT Feat until Level WHATEVER!" or "If you make your character THIS RACE you will get a benefit TO THAT and be able to max out on UBER COOL STUFF!" Shoot me now!

From there, I began searching for 'Old School' D&D and ran across Labyrinth Lord and subsequently Swords & Wizardry: White Box. Which I have become grossly enamored with at the moment ~ and will probably be the focus of this blog. Well, actually, I am sure it will be the main topic of this blog! Since I am old, have a family, and live so far from anywhere, I get to do very little actual gaming and have decided to spend my time working on a setting for Swords & Wizardry entitled: Humanity's Reign & Ruin (TM)

I suppose that is it for now,
TB