So, I recently took the dnd character quiz thing. I'm apparently a True Neutral Human Fighter Ranger. So the ill fated group that played at rottgrub's table also took this quiz and all of us came out as neutral or evil. :) I told rottgrub we should have been playing the bad guys. This leads me to the idea of working up a dnd adventure based on glen cook's idea (not his books, but his premise) about having a bunch of evil/netural folks on a mission. Like an assisination, or stole jewels, etc. So I'm now trying to read the stupid DMG for 3rd ed. I wish I had more patience for that type of reading. It just feels like a text book. I'm back in 10th grade biology. :P

I think "world building" creativity and "story telling" creativity are different creatures. Most DM's are usually good in one or the other. In one area you are apt to have a very detailed world with no motives, in the other you are likely to have "iron fist of god" problems. So, whereas I could have a really intersting story, I am apt to play too fast and loose with the rules and render the game unplayable. I've always been interested in being the "storyteller" of a game, and let someone else dm. I need a faciliatator.

Guess it doesn't matter at the moment. No players means no game. I think rottgrub would like to play, but it seems that guru and bob are sort of wandering off into other things at the moment. (josh of course wander off a few weeks ago) I'd feel wierd about pulling us all back together if no one actually wants to play. (I would hate to be suffered as a fool.)

I've got too many creative things going on right now anyway. I just finished my first oil painting and it went . . . ok. Truthfully, it was a very linear project, less intuitive. At each step I stopped and thought about what I was doing. What hue should I be aiming for? How much paint should I put down? Does this match my color skeme? What also helped is that I have to let it dry for many days, so I had to stop fucking with it yesterday afternoon. Basically, it was like a good speech - say what you got to say and sit down.

The other thing that made it successful is I started taking steps back. At each point I would put it up on the wall and step back as far as I could to see what it looked like from a respective distance. This really helps to interpret how the eye will read the data. It doesn't matter how well you draw or paint - you are working with how people will see your work. If you don't address that, you will fail to communicate. I had gotten out of the habit of doing this, and I think it shows in my work.

It actually turned out pretty good. (this is the cs lews one, if you remember) And, it is certianly good enough for class.