Tavern Talk - Rituals

As you may (or more likely may not) know I am a contributor to the Trading Post... or I will be once  I add something to the site. And to make things worse I haven't managed to contribute to any of the "Tavern Talk" articles that have been posted there to date.

Lucky for me a new question just come up! 

Kuffy asks:

"As we all know gamers are creatures of habit.  This extends into the realms of our gaming, whether it be how we treat our dice to how we prepare for a game.  Some place their dice with the 'six' up to "inspire" good luck, while others will not roll the same dice twice in a row.  Some gamers have mascots for their armies - either a specific model or even a cuddly toy.  So the question posed is; what are your gaming rituals?"

Rituals are something I try to avoid in my day to day life. I already have OCD tendencies and I find myself getting stuck in "my ways" very easily when I encourage such things. Having said that... gaming has always been one area of my life where I have allowed myself some small obsessive pleasures, most of which relate to dice:

• Switching out my dice:  I like to have multiple dice available (the same type and design is best) to switch out as needed - typically when a particular dice is "misbehaving" and rolling too low or too high too often.
  
  
• Changing die facings:  This one is very closely related to my first ritual but usually comes before I switch to a different die. When placing my dice on the table I like to turn them so the 1 is not face up and the 6 is showing. Sometimes I will just turn it so the 1 is not facing up and call it a day.
   
• Replacing dice:  If I was honest with myself (and had the disposable income) I would probably buy a new set of D6s every few months or so. As it is now I tend to just rotate through the several sets of different colored dice I have (although I do really want a set of Game Science D6 dice).
   
• Using themed dice: I like the colors of my dice to reflect some attribute of the models I am using or the game setting. I don't like goofy symbols so it has to be the color of the dice or the pips that get this across.
  
  
• Only one color at a time:  The dice I am using have to be the same color unless I have no choice at all. When I played more tabletop RPGs I spent many hours getting together new sets of dice that all matched - D6, D8, D10, D12, D20.

That's probably enough... I don't want to get too carried away detailing my own descent into gaming OCD madness and I think you get the picture. How about you? Are there any particular gaming rituals you preform before/after or during the games you play?

Progress Report - New dice bag arrived!

Wow. Where did November go? It is already December 4th and the days show no sign of slowing. I'm still hoping to have my VC army done by the end of the year but there is a considerable amount of work to complete to get to that goal. I spent a little bit of timing painting my Dire Wolves this week and finished the first test model.

Today's cloudy gray day wasn't interested in lending a ray of sunlight for the photo, but you can still make out most of the details on this dead-eyed dog. I have three more mostly done and a method for the rest so I hope to have them done next week. I'm quite happy with the final gross/undead look of the model overall. I painted the dag's fur to match the color of my dog Udo. He isn't nearly as fearsome. Comment and critiques are welcomed and encouraged as always!

In other news, look what came in the mail for me yesterday!

My new awesome (reversible) dice bag! So long dirty Crown Royal bag, hello cool looking skulls. The bag was made by Marsbarn Designs and only cost a few dollars. The quality is top-notch and you can custom order what fabric designs/types are used if you wish. I highly recommend these dice bags and I am considering ordering another one down the road (once I move, get a job, and have my finances sorted out).

It's too late to order a custom one as a Christmas gift but if you act fast you might be able to pick up one of the pre-made types available through the Marsbarn Etsy shop (there might even be a sale going on). Don't be jealous of my swanky new bag, go get one for yourself now!