Wanting to Game with My Dad

[Judd]

My dad introduced me to science fiction, fantasy and comic books.  Growing up, I cannot remember a time when he didn't have a science fiction novel on his night table and stacks of old paperbacks in his night table (the Penthouse where hidden in there too...sshhhh).

He took me to all of my science fiction and fantasy movies from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to Conan the Barbarian too.

I always thought he'd love gaming and as I grew into a man and gaming became a part of my adult life, that feeling grew.

I remember asking him to sit in on a game in high school.  I went through social contortions to have the game in his apartment and to my chagrin, that night of gaming was a dud.  The GM's wife resented having the game anywhere but her house and she sabotaged the game.  I didn't feel like he walked away understanding why I loved spending my weekends doing this hobby.

I started this thread back in the day but that game mentioned within never quite came together.

When Dictionary of Mu came out, I wanted him to understand what the book was about.  So, we sat down and made a character.  It was really interesting.  He made up a real bastard and when I mentioned the binding roll for the Demon he was already on a creative roll and could not be stopped.

"Judd, if this guy loses control of this Demon he is fucked.  He would keep very careful control of this thing or else he'd be in a whole heap of trouble."

"That heap of trouble is why the game is interesting and dramatic, dad.  That fucked state, that is where the dice hit the table and the game happens."

"Oh, okay, I see."

It was neat, when he had to make shit up, sometimes he would close his eyes and then write, without telling me what he was making up, then he would explain what he wrote.

My dad is fine now, but earlier in the month he had a heart attack and I flew down to be with him to make sure his stent did its job and he did alright.  One of the things that really bothered me as I flew down south was that I had never gamed with him, had not pushed the issue and had let countless visits and opportunities go by without introducing him to this hobby I adore.

Next time I see him I am going to bring Sorcerer, Shock: and Dust Devils (with the handy-dandy Samurai rules) and we're going to sit down for a night and he is going to find out what I love about this hobby and understand why not having control of those demons and being unsure how it is going to turn out is the best part.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

No regrets, bro. I look forward to hearing how it goes.

[Callan S.]

As much as I understand it, the characters want something so badly they'll summon a demon to get it. Given that the demon is a means to an end, controlling it utterly isn't the highest priority on their list of things to do. Humbly suggesting this; perhaps your dads focused on managing the demon as being the issue to handle in play? When really he should be inventing a character who wants something so bad he or she would summon a demon? I don't mean to be pushy in saying this.