That is a true statement. Just ask any game master who has been around for a while and he or she will agree. You spend enough time behind a GM screen and you will pick up on many of the varied and sundry tricks of the deceptive art of game mastering. And I have been around a long time. I’m old enough to have had a mail order subscription to Dragon Magazine. I played Car Wars when it came in little black plastic boxes and the improved edition of Mystery Mansion that Hasbro produced in the eighties, the one where the rooms where randomly generated and represented by cardboard tiles.

Although now I’m primarily a Gurps and Call of Cthulhu game master, I started out game mastering Dungeons and Dragon, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Gamma World, Boot Hill, Villains and Vigilantes, Chill and Marvel Super Heroes. And while I may not have game mastered Tunnels and Trolls, I have been the target of a Take That, You Fiend spell more than once.

I started out DMing when there were no game master screens and you had to use an open book to hide your notes. I still own a black twenty sided die that was referred to as “the Black Die of Death” because it never failed to hit PC,s, even a Cavalier in full plate(Armor Class -10 by the parlance of the olden days).

I grew up gaming, once owned a gaming store and raised my family to enjoy the pleasures of tabletop games. I’ve got two future gamer nerd grandchildren who are eager to take up arms for first time and carve their paths through the wonderful worlds of adventure that await them at the game table.

It should be obvious but I’ll say it.

I love this hobby.

I have been at it a long time as both DM and player and I’ve many more years ahead of me. I’ll be at the game table every Saturday night and right here talking about it soon afterward. I’ll be sharing stories, game reviews and tips for years to come. I hope to see you right here.

And, yes, I know that the correct term is GM, but I grew up as and always will be a First Edition Dungeon Master.

See you soon,

First Edition Dad

The Black Die of Death, a gift from two players who later requested that I retire it.

CHECK OUT DAD’S COLLECTION OF HP LOVECRAFT DARK ADVENTURES RADIO AS FEATURED BY THE HPLHS