"When they came for the socialists I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.
When they came for the homosexuals I did not speak out because I was not a homosexual.
When they came for the Jews I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
When they came for me there was no one left to speak out."

I can only hope I am being alarmist. But after reading this, I am getting concerned.

Everyone is blogging these days

Arref's Amberite Quiz

What did I get? Benedict. This is unusual because, come to think of it, I haven't played many children of Benedict...in fact I can't think of any off of the top of my head. I wonder just why that is, and what does that say about me and my RP of Amber. I didn't give Benedict an NPC child, either...

Scipio--Flora
Hadrian--Caine or Gerard (he varies)
Marcus--Deirdre (an alive version, in all instances)
Lorius--Fiona
Cadmus--unknown, but Benedict seems unlikely as the answer right now.
Lucien--Random
Tynan--Corwin
Pollux--Gerard (He is an NPC in SB but I've played him in a con game or two)
Archard, Laertes, Tannim, Barzun--N/a

View of the Universe

Now I have a longing to watch Cosmos...but my VHS tapes (and VCR!) are 3000 miles away. And the DVD set is expensive.

Oh well.

Game WISH 25

How do you introduce a new PC to an existing group? Is it best if the GM takes special measures of some kind to integrate the new and existing characters, or should the GM just allow them to meet and let the players put it all together? Does it matter whether the game is oriented towards character cooperation or character competition?

I have had a lot of experience with dealing with new PCs into existing groups, since in the six years of Strange Bedfellows, I have added quite a number of characters (not all of which sadly have remained). I prefer to allow the new PC to be drawn into the fabric of what other players are doing (or more specifically the poles of existence) in a gradual and slow fashion. Let the character start at a distance, and be drawn into what is happening by degrees. This allows the new player and PC to get acclimated to the pace of my game and the cadence of how I do turns, so when they go live and meet other players, they are already up to speed on how I handle matters. Also, sometimes, its very hard to retcon old relatioships into an old and established set of Player characters. Its easy to do in the early stages of a game where the relationships are fluid, but if, say, Jenn or Ginger were to want to join SB, I would start them at a distance.

I could cite numerous examples from SB. Nicole, playing in a PBEM for the first time, had her PC Dagny start in her home shadow (which was basically Earth) and was drawn into the web of things by her hitherto unknown father, Luke. Via Luke, Dagny got to meet Malachi, went to Amber and met many more PCs. A much more recent example is Deb's PC Leigh. She has been doing her own thing, only recently coming to the Courts from her own shadow...and in the last couple of turns, she has met the signature NPC of Strange Bedfellows, Valerian, and I suspect that meeting some PCs will be forthcoming after that.

I also admit that starting new PCs a little apart from everyone else allows me, the GM to get to know the player and what they like to do with their characters. To cite one more example, I learned of Rob's penchant for dialogue and active minor NPCs when I started William in a shadow that he had been ensconced in for some time. But he, too, eventually ran into other PCs, even though he was out of shadow. A PC practically handed me the tools to send him to where William was, and I took advantage to introduce them together.

David Brin on Lord of the Rings

UPDATE: Ginger has a lively discussion going on this on her own Blog entry. Once again, in a case of synchronicity, I came across Brin's piece independently (I read Salon often)

I finished reading A Shadow on the Glass.

It was, well, just above average for doorstopper fantasy series, or, more colorfully, "phat" fantasy. Some things annoyed me about the book, revelations came like lumps in oatmeal, unexpectedly and sometimes without much foreshadowing. It wasn't bad, but I've read much better series (eg. George R.R. Martin). I might continue reading the series at some point, but its not a priority. And with so many books to read, it just might never happen. I'd rather continue reading, say, the Tyrants and Kings series, or the Rhapsody novels, to name two examples.

Next up? Hammerfall by the one and only C.J. Cherryh. It is NOT set in any of her previous universes and I've only started reading it, but it reminds me a bit, thus far of a cross between Martha Wells' City of Bones and Modesitt's Gravity Dreams.

Cadmus

Cadmus actually is the first PC I have ever created that I began with a pre-given image in mind...the actor Rufus Sewell (DARK CITY, DANGEROUS BEAUTY, A KNIGHT'S TALE) in point of fact. I got tired of being mostly unable to match a face to my visions of PCs, so I designed Cadmus' appearance in a different manner this time--starting with the picture/actor.

Good news for font-o-philes...Apostrophic Lab has a couple of new fonts today.

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