Do I have the face of a Dungeonmaster?

DungeonMaster from the 1983-85
Dungeons & Dragons series on CBS 

So on my way to work today I swing by my local coffee shop and get myself a cup of java to start my day (two cream, no sugar), and on my way out one of the staff says to me - "Let me know if you're looking for players!"

Now I've spoken to this fellow a time or two about whatever book I'm currently reading (usually something in the Horror, Science Fiction, or Fantasy genres), and he has mentioned that he enjoys table top role playing games. But that's been about the end of our discussions.

Now, seemingly out of nowhere, he suggestions he'd be up for playing a game if I'm running one.

The thing is, I haven't run a role playing game (or RPG as the cool kids call it) in about a decade.

To be fair, between the ages of fifteen and thirty, I consistently ran or played in weekly games ranging from classic Dungeons & Dragons to Science Fiction games like Robotech or Cyberpunk and my fair share of horror games (Vampire: the Masquerade) as well. I think the last batch of games I ran finished somewhere around 2006 or 2007.

But for some reason, something about me just said "DungeonMaster" (or GameMaster, Storyteller, or GM, depending on your particular poison) to this guy, and it got me thinking - do I have some sort of gamer tell? Some sort of gesture I do that says "This guy needs to be sitting behind a tri-folded piece of artwork explaining to me how many kobolds are about to attack me and my friends?

Because if so that's pretty cool.

What a neat, out of left-field compliment.

Book Review: Svaha

Taking a strong departure in setting from his previous works, Charles de Lint’s 1989 novel Svaha is set in a (mostly) post apocalyptic science fiction setting. Feeling very Cyberpunk (and for my fellow gamers out there, curiously close to the RPG Shadowrun), the novel mixes the stories of a corporate police officer, a messenger, and a first nations man exploring the world his people left behind centuries ago. Working a lot like a William Gibson story, the novel moves between the three storylines, showcasing just how bad this world is, and the types of people who grow because (and in spite) of the environment.

Although Cyberpunk fans may enjoy the book, it is still filled with many aspects de Lint fans (including me) have grown to love, including music, spiritualism and a strong touch of magic. The novel flows quite well, and even through it isn’t a standard fantasy story, it hits all the marks, including great character moments, wonderful imagery and a surprising number of well executed battle sequences.

A great read.