#i am now roleplaying stuart !

[zedecksiew]

THE BLOGGIES 2023: NOMINATIONS OPEN

If tabletop roleplaying games were a hydra, blogs would definitely be one of its heads.

Probably the smartest, zaniest one? The one with the unexpected ideas; the silliest quips; the most devious schemes; the most profound observations.

The OSR / post-OSR style of play arose on blogs. I was inspired to make roleplaying games because of a blog post (this one, by Patrick Stuart, specifically).

Beyond the actual playing of games with friends, blogs are the most important part of TTRPGs, to me.

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Last year, Prismatic Wasteland hosted the inaugural Bloggies.

64 excellent posts from across the TTRPG blogosphere were considered. A celebration of our community, our psychic brain-trust---the many heads of this, our TTRPG beast.

All the nominees are worth perusing. Winners list here.

My post, "D&D's Obsession With Taxonomy", won Best Blog Post of 2022. (Thank you, everybody who voted!)

Because I won, it falls to me to host this year's Bloggies.

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Nominations are now open for the BLOGGIES 2023!

Is there a blogpost about TTRPGs from the past year (December 2022 to December 2023) that you think deserves attention and recognition?

Tell me about it! Drop a link to it, tell me why you like it, tell me which category it falls under:

Theory---broad criticism, observation, and analysis about TTRPGs (its cultures, its aesthetics and texts, its politics, etc);

Gameable---cool stuff (monsters, subsystems, bits of design, etc) you could grab and add to your own games;

Advice---ideas, tricks, and procedures for making your games better / easier / more fun, basically adding to the play-culture;

Review---specific criticism of specific books / games / systems / adventures / products.

Drop your nominations in the comments below, or in this Xwitter thread, or wherever else you can get in touch with me on the Internet. Do this before the end of 31 December 2023.

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How BLOGGIES 2023 Will Work

Here's how I am thinking of running things:

25 Dec 2023 - 31 Dec 2023: Nominations open!

1 Jan 2024: Nominees shortlist announced!

First week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Theory Post!

Second week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Gameable Post!

Third week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Advice Post!

Fourth week Jan 2024: Public voting for Best Review Post!

First week Feb 2024: Final round of voting for Best Blog Post Of 2023!

"Imperfection is a feature, not a bug, of blogging," as Warren said about the Bloggies, last year. I am but a single person. I will be copying much of his methodology.

I will be whittling down the nominations I receive to a shortlist of 64 posts (16 per category bracket), via personal judgment. No blog will be represented more than once per category---except for reviews (3 posts per blog).

Public voting for each category will happen in four rounds (16 / 8 / 4 / finals). Winners in each category will face off in a four-way vote for Best Blog Post.

Voting will most likely happen on Twitter, same as last year. (I am loathe to do this, but Twitter is still the social-media network most TTRPG people are on, sadly. But am also considering Google Forms. Thoughts?)

Month-long voting gives us the space to celebrate / argue over all the work our community has turned out this year---and gives me time to create prizes. (Am thinking of making linocut prints, inspired by the winning posts.)

Finals being announced in February just before the Lunar New Year justifies the header art above---as the Year of the Rabbit gives way to the Year of the Dragon.

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Here we go here we go here we go!

[lcckingpeach]

TASK NUMERO DOS. // about the mun

01. what’s your name/alias you go by ??

sam. not really much of an alias, my name’s samantha.

02. what’s your age ??

i am somehow twenty one years old.

03. what’s your zodiac sign ??

i’m an aries. actually looking into getting an aries constellation tattoo.

04. what’s your ethnicity ??

i believe i’m irish, scottish & dutch? so like, super white as in burns when i set foot in the sun white.

05. what’s your nationality ??

i am a kiwi. a new zealander, whatever you wanna call us.

06. what’s your favorite band and/or musical artist ??

at the moment broods and taylor swift are up there since i just saw them in concert. also ed sheeran. i’m quite fond of johnny cash as well && abba.

07. what’s your dream job ??

always wanted to work in childcare when i was younger, now i’m torn between that and sticking in the hospitality business, because i really love taking care of people ( even the terrible ones )

08. what’s one place you would love to visit ??

OMG. greece. live my mamma mia fantasies.

09. what’s your favorite tv show ??

uh probably the flash or izombie. or anything tvd related. honestly just love tv. really love shortland street, our local cheesy af soap opera.

10. what’s your favorite movie ??

at the moment it’s bohemian rhapsody or mamma mia 2. all time it’s bridge to terabithia or matilda. oh or baby driver, that’s a great one too.

11. what’s your favorite song ??

well if we ask apple my most played song is five years from now by jamie mcdell . i can never choose one. it depends on my mood.

12. what’s your favorite sport ??

no. sport’s not my thing. kinda played field hockey as a kid, because i had to.

13. what’s your favorite food ??

love fried chicken.

14. what’s your favorite face claim to use ??

it used to be candice accola & troian bellisario. now it’s probably adelaide kane, or lily james.

15. what’s your least favorite face claim ??

i think sometimes dove cameron is a tad over used, but i don’t really have a least fave.

16. what’s your favorite canon character to play ??

honeslty probably spencer hastings, caroline forbes, liv moore or mary stuart.  

17. what’s your sexuality ??

who bloody knows.

18. what’s the last movie you saw in a cinema/theater ??

bohemian rhapsody. my whole family cried.

19. what’s the worst injury you’ve ever had ??

i sliced my finger open with a craft knife when i was like 3, damaged a tendon in my finger.

20. what’s a random or interesting fact about you ??

^^^ honestly i’m pretty boring. super clumsy. petrified of heights and small spaces. uh, not really a  very interesting person.

21. do you listen to music while you write ??

sometimes. either music or silence. no in between.

22. are you a morning, day, evening, or night writer ??

anything but the morning.

23. have you ever roleplayed intoxicated ??

no, but i have posted some ooc messages in previous rps.

24. what language or languages do you speak ??

just english. primary school maori & i did take french for three years but did i retain much? nope.

25. how long have you roleplayed ??

uh since i was about 15, so 6 years. it helped me after i moved town and had absolutely no friends because nobody wanted to talk to me. i honestly met some of my best friends through roleplay.

26. favorite roleplay genre ??

angst.

27. one sound you hate & one you love ??

can’t stand the sound of people eating, or nails on a chalk board. love the sound of the ocean/river and birds. 

28. do you believe in ghosts ??

100%

29. do you believe in aliens ??

i believe we are not the only life in the entire universe.

30. do you believe in true love ??

i hope so.

31. do you hold grudges ??

oh yes 100% 

32. do you have any obsessions right now ??

mamma mia. abba. queen. 

33. do you drive & if so, have you ever been in a crash ??

i really need to learn to drive but crashing scares me.

34. do you like the smell of gasoline ??

it makes me wanna be sick.

35. do you prefer writing fluff, angst, or smut ??

angst.

36. are you in a relationship ??

naaaah, single af.

37. grab the nearest book to you and turn to page 23, what is the 17the line ??

a key to this is not to be passive but to react & act on change. to look it straight in the eye. - love you, kimberley crossman. it’s actually page 22, page 23 doesn’t have much.

38. put your playlist on shuffle and list the first four songs that pop up:

hallelujah - panic at the disco

3am - matchbox 20

freak the freak out - victoria justice

i don’t love you anymore - reece mastin.

[thingsmissed-blog1]

So here is the thing about my Private muses. I created most of them for one person and I am nervous about them completely being open to the public to roleplay but if I trust you and we talk any of the private characters could be open for you to rp with. The highly selective muses are no doubt ones I worry about playing and am really nervous to play them. My selective means I can be a tad picky but they are my wigglers that go from open to highly selective muses depending on how I'm feeling. The open muses are ones I say yes about plots with the most. Also, here is the fun thing about the fact that I have private muses, I can make you a muse that is just for you as well but we have to talk about it a lot and I should be talking with you OCC for more than a week before I do anything like that. I'm open to questions about any of these placements, the characters in general when it comes to their information, and open to rping. Want to talk about something, plot, chat occ? Message me via ask box, ims or discord (thingsmissed#4353)

Open:

Jennifer Jareau Caitlin Jareau Kate Callahan ( she is now on her own blog at @katecallahanfbi ) Skylar Hunt Meg Callahan Jesse Rollins

Selective:

Astrid Jareau (Leans more toward private for xlostintheworld) Emily Prentiss (I am nervous about how I play her so she is selective) Juliette Waybourne Shelby Merrick Spencer Hastings Meredith Grey Addison Montgomery Arizona Robbins Emma Swan (Nervous how I play her)

Highly Selective:

Katherine Pierce Mary Stuart Hayley Marshall (Nervous about how I play her) Cleo Sertori (Nervous how I play her) Regina Mills (Nervous how I play her.) Jane Volturi Amelia Shepherd (Nervous about how I play her) Jo Wilson (Nervous about how I play her) Kate Todd (Nervous how I play her. I really only brought her to this blog for my friend but I do love her character so willing to do things with her slowly)

Private:

Adrianna Archer (For xlostintheworld) ** Can request her character even though he is private Leah Cameron (For xlostintheworld) Andrea Jameson (For xlostintheworld) Zaraha Reid (For xlostintheworld) Kendall Prentiss (For xlostintheworld) ** Can request her character even though she is private Matthew Prentiss (For xlostintheworld) ** Can be requested even though he is private

[norightorwrongway]

Thank you

Thought I’d make an appreciation post to my lovely roleplaying friends, thank you for always being there for me even when I suck at reply, which is most of the time lets be honest. 

I am so grateful to have all of you. <3 So thank you: 

@sparked-sarcasm for going on this crazy ass long journey with me, I love our plot so much and I’m in love with the characters that we have built. So special to me.  @solumlupum Thank you for being my friend and for giving me those amazing threads with Isaac that I sorely needed. I enjoy writing with you so freaking much!  @familynamcd Thank you for just sticking with me even if I am the worst as I tell you, a lot, I love our plot as well, it’s just beautiful and heartbreaking at times.  @master-nikoli Thank you for going along with every plot I throw at you and then doesn't follow through with even half of them. I love writing with you, you are so freaking talented!   @naturallyinterrogatory You’re kind of new in my circle, but god if I don’t adore writing with you as well, you keep on giving me these amazing plots and I am looking forwards to built our characters and just give them all the love they deserve.  @notmyjeepyoucreep I really enjoy our plot right now, I can’t wait too see what it brings us further, but I’m guessing is a lot of angst which is totally fine by me, but seriously though, you are a great writer and I can’t wait to continue our storyline.  @nerdisums Thank you for giving me Stuart, I didn’t even know I needed him in my life, but I most certainly did. Our plot is beautiful and I can’t wait to continue it. Thank you for keeping me around even if my replies suck and are slow at times, I really enjoy writing with you.  Thanks to everyone else as well that keeps me around, I do enjoy roleplaying with all of you, I’m again- just the worst at times. <3  

[druidcore]

ღ , ☀, ♣

ღ ━ favorite canon ships for your muse(s). are there any you dislike?

siome of my favorite canon ships for characters I play are daphne blake/fred jones; daphne blake/velma dinkley; lydia martin/stiles stilinski; juliette ferrars/aaron warner; mary stuart/sebastian de poitiers; brooke maddox/jake fitzgerald; betty cooper/archie andrews; betty cooper/reggie mantle (IN COMICS IT MIGHT AS WELL BE CANON IDC); izzy lightwood/simon lewis; izzy lightwood/raphael santiago���. I HAVE A BUNCH OK

Some I dislike are betty/jughead ugh; daphne/shaggy (nOPE NOPE NOPE); and yikes hermione/ron (ITS JUST NOT MY CUP OF TEA RIP) 

☀ ━ how long have you been roleplaying? how did you get into it?

about… maybe 6 years?? I’m not sure… I started on Chatzy rping rachel dare from percy jackson and then I moved on to Facebook for maybe 2-3 years? Then I ended up on Tumblr somehow and now here I am!! stuck forevermore…… rip 

♣ ━ share five random facts about yourself

1. i’ve had lots of different hair colors: blonde highlights, pink, brown/red with black ends, blue&green, purple, blonde, fire-engine red and copper. naturally, it’s dark brown 2. my favorite animal is a dolphin (closely tied with golden retrievers) 3. i haven’t shaved my legs in over a year4. i was voted (runner up) most talkative in my senior year of hs 5. for junior prom i had blonde hair and wore a ball-gown style bubble gum pink dress and for senior prom i had wine-red hair and wore a sleek true green dress, talk about color matching huh???

[msbrittanykay-blog]

My Play Narrative/History

Since I was a child, my sense of play has always been about roleplaying. I loved to assume and take on different roles and play make-believe. Any playdate, recess or time spent with a sibling always included the game of “house.” A game, where you take on the role of a different family member…”you be the mom and I’ll be the baby”, were often the rules or parameters set out. This roleplaying evolved as I grew and I loved to create “shows” that I would often practice upstairs during a family dinner and then perform them for my parents and siblings. They would take on the role of the audience and I as the storyteller. These performances ranged from choreographed dance routines to full on musicals. They entertained my notions, much to my brother’s annoyance. These early games really defined my play personality, which in turn made up a great deal of my identity and the career path that flowed from it. This idea is further expressed by Stuart Brown, who says, “we are built to play and built through play. When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality” (Brown 11).

My individuality is split into two “play personalities.” Brown describes The Storyteller as using their imagination to “experience the thoughts and emotions of characters in the story” that “imagination is the key to the kingdom of play” (56). I would say this personality accurately describes me from childhood to my present self. I am always using these storytelling elements; from common conversations with friends to adapting and getting into the shoes of a character. This play personality helps me bring play to any kind of activity, especially to my role as a teacher. The Storyteller persona allows the way I interact with my students, family and friends to be silly and carefree.

I also assume the role of The Director. I have been a natural leader since childhood, directing my friends into routines and skits during recess. I am definitely a “born organizer” (Brown 55), whether hosting a party, producing a play or organizing social outings for my friends. This play personality has helped me become more analytical in my career as an actor, making me able to see the big picture or major themes of a play. This self awareness has also made me respect the actual directors within a performance and appreciate their perspective on the role I play as part of their team.

The beginnings of play  and my persona in my childhood led me to a discovery  that the notion of make-believe really existed in theatre and movies. I could actually become another character and fully immerse myself into someone else’s story. The ultimate make believe!

I began acting professionally as a child. I found solace in plays at summer camp and after-school community theatre groups.  When I was nine years old, I signed with an agent. That sense of childlike play, that freedom to take on another role and become someone else, became a professional occupation. Yet as a child those jobs were still fun and playful. I was never forced by helicopter stage parents to stay in the industry and work. They would constantly check in with me and ask, “are you still having fun?” That’s what was most important. And I was having fun. I loved being on set, in front of a camera or on stage in front of a crowd. That rush and the experience of role-playing were things that I found joy in. That sense of enjoyment began to form crucial parts of my identity. Brown questions, “it is any wonder that often the times we feel most alive, those that make up our best memories, are moments of play?” (11). So many of my monumental childhood memories are from my experiences of being on stage or behind a camera. I think I was very successful as a child because I took huge risks and lost myself in the “work”. Though it is possible that since there weren’t any real life risks, it was easier to take those chances. Working didn’t have any effect on whether or not I would pay my rent, after all.

I did miss being a kid though. I got to high school and wanted to really be there. I felt like I lost my sense of play at that time. I yearned to spend summers at camp or go to my friend’s parties. It was only later,  in my high school’s drama department, that I re-discovered why I had loved acting all of my life. There were no casting directors sitting behind a table or hopeful parents to disappoint or any sort of pressure. I could just live in the moments of play.

When it came time to choose the focus of my post secondary education, I didn’t want to do anything else. A degree in theatre and drama studies seemed where my heart wanted to go. Much to my father’s disappointment (although I was independently funding my degree with my childhood earnings), I went to the University of Toronto joint theatre program with Sheridan College. The struggles involved in maintaining  grades, dealing with class politics, and being forced into a kind of daily competition I hadn’t previously experienced, changed my idea of acting for the worse. My sense of freedom in play was eroded by my teachers, directors and classmates. The constant fight to reach some impossible state of perfection clouded my judgement and thoughts. The joy I found in acting started to dissipate under the strain.

As an adult actor, the risk is greater, the pool of competition is way bigger and the opportunities are nearly nonexistent. The actual time you get to be an actor in a show is less and less as time goes by, and most of my opportunities to perform are when I audition for parts. It means more now when you don’t book a job and the nervous anticipation around auditions feels larger now than it did as a kid. Many people in the Toronto theatre scene are creating their own work, which I could and should be doing, but my life gets filled up by other work and the freedom to create (like that of play) seems like less of a viable priority.

As an adult, my career has taken many paths, both in the education sector and the professional acting world. Both lives exist under the same umbrella of the performing arts, as I believe one informs the other. Teaching drama was something I had always done at summer camps and it just made sense to diversify my skills as an adult. In the Toronto theatre scene, you can’t just make it as an actor. You have to have something else that pays your rent. And yes, I served as a bartender and gave out free samples of shampoo on the street, but I felt like I could achieve much more than that in life. I decided to go to teacher’s college to legitimize my trade. It has been a wonderful choice. My teaching career continues to evolve and grow much like my theatre career.

Acting has always been my livelihood, something that has been associated and ingrained within my identity for so long. Acting is playful, yet as an adult it seems less like play. There is more at stake and because of that, I have somehow lost my happiness within it. The goal of my PlayQuest is to understand and analyze how my work can be playful again, how I can bring that same sense of play I had as a child actor into my adult practices. I want to find that sense of freedom I experienced as a child to just let go and be, without worrying about whether I get the job or not.

Since I am currently not in a show, but will be having frequent auditions throughout the course, I want to document my preparation process. I want to find ways to make my auditions and my craft more fun and find ways to reestablish joy into my practice as a performer. My progress will be an ongoing self-reflective journey that I will document in writing, video blogs and scripts. I will try out a series of strategies to make my work more playful not only using the theories from our readings, but finding ways each week to integrate fun into my preparation or explore my craft. These strategies will range from working through material with friends, taking Masterclasses with established directors, singing/acting lessons, and creating a Tumblr blog to document it all. The reason I chose a Tumblr as my container because it is a “microblogging and social networking website…” designed to “ find and follow what you love” (Tumblr.com).  It allows me to find other other multimedia posts to gain inspiration and motivation for this quest. I can repost what I find on other Tumblr blogs to pursue and probe my creativity.

This explorative quest could hopefully create a low-pressure situation to just explore and play. Wish me luck!

Reference: 

Brown, Stuart. (2010). “Chapter 6 Playing Together,”  Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.

[askalt2d]

Oh shoot, just realized I called you 2D when I should be calling you Stuart. I really am tired. But anyways, that's wonderful. : > I'm glad that everything worked out in the end, just like we believed! You two take care of each other. Yep, I'm very tired and heading off now. *Hugs him in a droopy manner* Goodnight, Stuart. ((And at this point, I'm going to take a break from roleplaying. Stress is creeping up. Love you and goodnight!

It's okay that you called me 2D, I've only recently started goin' by Stuart again. And thank you so much for bein' there for me, luv...I really appreciate everythin' you've said and done for me. For us. Have a good sleep, sweetheart. *hugs you and kisses your forehead*((goodnight!!!! love you too! take as long as you need, & remember I'm always here if you need me 💕💕💕💕))