King of the DMs

I've told you all about finding some D&D voyeur fun --
listening to some web comic guys and a geek blogger icon play D&D. One of the things I rhapsodized about was the excellent roleplaying. I did not specify, but should have, that some of the excellent roleplaying was by the DM ("Dungeon Master"), Chris Perkins. He really knows how to lead the entertainment without being controlling.

Recently, I was checking to see if there was a new PA/PvP D&D podcast. (I neglected to post about series 3, in which there is more excellent roleplaying, even to the detriment of the characters. I will remedy that below.) I discovered that they had done a *video* podcast with Chris Perkins and the guys who write and produce Robot Chicken. (No Seth Green, unfortunately.) They are a more subdued group than the PA/PvP boys, but that's probably because several of them are new to D&D. It throws into an even greater relief what a great storyteller Chris Perkins really is.

So, if you want to partake, here is the RSS feed for Robot Chicken plays D&D. There is an MP4 version and one for iPhones/iPods. It does take a few minutes to download, but it's done in a pretty high quality video and it's worth it to be able to see the action.

I rarely get fangirly over anyone, but his brand of awesomeness hits me where I live -- as a storyteller and creator. In the lingo of "kids these days," I <3 Chris Perkins.

Here, belatedly, are the links for the PA/PvP/WW D&D audio podcast, series 3:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8

And, periodically Chris has something interesting to say on his blog at Wizards of the Coast.

**Update**
Here is a better resource page for the Robot Chicken Plays DnD. They've switched to a YouTube format that is much quicker to download AND there are links to the same videos, but with Chris Perkins [sigh, cue starry eyes a la The Monkees] doing a running commentary on the game and on DMing.

Online Comics

I have mentioned before on this blog an online comic strip that I read, PvP (short for Player vs. Player). The artist is funny, geeky, and occasionally deals with deep themes. All these are key elements to a good comic strip.
A couple weeks ago, his beloved beagle died. So, his comic artist friends volunteered to do guest strips for him to give him a bit of grieving space. During that time, one of his guest artists caught my eye. I spent most of yesterday morning procrastinating while catching up on her strip, and I'm definitely adding her to the reading list. Her strip is called Girls with Slingshots, and the protagonists are, you guessed it, independently-minded girls. The subject matter can be risque (these are modern girls with modern attitudes towards sex and drinking) and the characters are well drawn (literally and figuratively). They are well rounded and funny - what most sitcom characters wish they could be. I recommend it, especially if you are, or appreciate a, modern woman.

ETA: The artist, Danielle, is from the area where I grew up (she now lives in Shepherdstown, West Virgina) and since she supports herself with (comic) stripping, she has some great ways for her readers to support her endeavors, including an art supply wishlist. Isn't that cool?

Muppet Theory

More food for thought...

Online comic strip, PVP, presents a Muppet theory, with two of the characters drawn as if they were Muppets. Hee! (And Rowlf was always one of my favorites!)

Happy V-day, Everyone!

I wanted to post something about marriage on Valentine's Day because in the last few days I've run across references to the two opposite ends of the marriage spectrum (pretending for the moment there are only two ends to the spectrum). One is a wedding I heard about from a friend about a woman getting married for two reasons: to have children and to have monetary support. It's not about love or being partners, it's just about getting what she wants. One she could get from a sperm bank, but the other she can't. The sad thing is, I'm sure there are millions of marriages (or ex-marriages) that are like that. However, on the positive end of the scale, I ran into a post by the fellow who writes PvP, an online comic strip. Two characters in his strip are engaged and something in the storyline prompts him to write something very unusual about marriage. Not sure I understand it, but from what I gather, I can't understand it yet. So there are all kinds of marriage out there: depressing ones and inspiring ones.

I've got to go to bed, test tomorrow, so I'll leave you with a couple more things:
Several years ago, after being single most Valentine's Days, I decided to always make a fancy dinner -- for myself if no one was with me. That way, I could affirm that I really do love myself, even if I don't act like it all the time (hmm, kinda like a relationship!). This year, I've been invited to my dearest sister and brother-in-law's house for dinner. I haven't had time to even think about making a fancy dinner because of the exams, and they wanted to show me how much they love me by including me in their own festivities. It really means a lot.
I'll regale you all with pictures of tomorrow's feast, but in the meantime, here's a feast of the past: Valentine's Day 2006. I thought I had more, but last year's was unphotographed (I believe it was Asian themed, with fresh spring rolls) and I don't remember when I started. I don't have one for 2005. Maybe I wasn't blogging as thoroughly.

Anyway, the final thing is that I wanted to tell you that I love you all. Thanks for coming by my blog and being part of my life. :)

Kickin' It Old Style

How many of y'all played D&D back in the day? OK, not many.
Well, I think you'd still enjoy the podcast of the gentlemen of PvP and Penny Arcade (three online comic strip artists, two comic strips) playing the new version of D&D with a dungeon master from Wizards of the Coast (current developers of D&D). It is, essentially, listening in on a bunch of silly geeky guys play a role playing game. Once in a while they get kind of vulgar, and only once was it a little dull (I don't know why, I think they just got too serious about the fight and stopped the play acting and silliness. It may have something to do with the DM, who switched midway through the series). One of the guys from Penny Arcade is a geek, but had never played D&D before, so his reactions are interesting (plus, it means there is a lot of explaining how things work in the early episodes). Since they are cartoonists, each episode is documented with a drawing or two depicting something that happens during the episode. It's fun to have going on in the background while you're doing something else.
Series 1: Episode1, Episode2, Episode3, Episode4, Episode5, Episode6, Episode7, Episode8

The second series adds Wil Wheaton (of ST:TNG and general sci fi blog geek fame). The silliness continues with the better DM and a better balanced game. Wil makes a great addition, as he's obviously experienced in gaming and role playing and also less likely to be distracted by drawing cartoons during the game. There's some great teamwork too. I love the way they discuss things before taking action. There are two bursts of highly vulgar talk, followed by lots and lots of giggling. Rudy the Undead Hound (ep 7) nearly brought me to tears and a series of very unfortunate rolls of the dice in episode 8 made me giggle so hard my face and diaphragm hurt. There is lots of geeky gaming humor and they're obviously having lots of fun. I downloaded it for my entertainment files and really hope they come out with another series. Hilarious!
Series 2: Episode1, Episode2, Episode3, Episode4, Episode5, Episode6, Episode7, Episode8

Edited to Add: I'm listening to these a second time and the second series is definitely funnier than the first, but the first has some good info that helps you to follow the action.