Taking Advantage of an Unexpected Opportunity

 

Have you ever fallen asleep on the couch some random Tuesday afternoon and gotten a nice little unexpected nap in.....you wake up refreshed and feeling a little cheeky 'cause you got some unexpected rest in....like you got away with something?

No, well that sucks for you, but also for me 'cause you're not going to get my analogy then.

To me that's what it feel like to get in on a pick-up role-playing game. A good time that makes you feel like you got away with something...a pleasant surprise.

I missed my last gaming session because I was out on a date.....probably an event rarer than gaming...well historically speaking at least. Normally there is no issue with the two interests competing, but really is this a surprise for most any gamer to begin with? Well at least most any gamer who tries to date women who are like, "There are dice with more than six sides?" That's probably a post all unto itself....

...anyway, last night I was able to jump in on a pick-up game playing a "prequel" adventure for my newly acquired Henchman, long with some of the other Henchmen. I had a blast, which I'm sure wasn't apparent because for some reason the moment I logged into the Zoom room I had a yawning fit.....can seeing yourself yawn make you yawn more? Is this a Zoom side-effect?

Normally I play the group's Magic User, which means I'm more a supporting character when combat rolls around, although I have had my moments.....the pick-up game had me on the front line bashing skulls to the extent I think I got the majority of the kills (lucky dice rolls.....not skill!), only to be outshined in the big encounter by a well placed Sleep spell. It's easy to forget how briefly awesome a Sleep spell can be. My MU hasn't been able to make decent use of Sleep for at least a level.

Outside of the straight-up fun a pick-up game can be because it's a game, there's that additional opportunity to change things up. To play something new, or even to rekindle an appreciation for something kind of forgotten. The fact you can't really plan for this "thing"....that it has to be taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity.....makes it all the more special.