Mark Meredith

I cut my teeth in RPGs with the Star Wars d6 Roleplaying Game by West End Games. I was 14, and had a friend, Mike, who had played for a few years with his brothers. We were both in the same musical in high school, and he began teaching me the game in between rehearsals. We played anywhere we could, back stage, in the green room. Soon, he introduced me to the Usagi Yojimbo RPG. The idea that you could be anything you wanted to be really inspired me. However, when the show’s run ended, so did the games. It would be another year when, while at a gaming store, I stumbled upon the recently released Star Wars D20 RPG by Wizards of the Coast. I saved my money, and snatched it up. I was able to gather up a group of friends, including Mike and his brother, my brother, two good friends and a female friend of mine. Playing in the time of Episode 1, we played every other weekend for 8 hours, the group continued on for a full year, with me as the game master, and a couple of the players guest game mastering. With time, the group split up. Personal conflict amongst a few players, and a slowing lack of interest slowly led us in other directions. I tried to pick up games here and there, bringing a few players back for a one-shot game of the Lord of the Rings RPG, and a few one shot games of Risus. I began working at a game store, the now defunct Getaway Games in Spokane, Wa. There, with a 40% discount, my RPG collection began to grow. I’ve played and run a few games here and there in the intervening years, including a lot of Star Wars. My skills have continued to flourish and grow, leading me to where I am now. I have experience in over a dozen RPGs, and own more than 50 board and card games. I’m married to an amazing wife, who has been steadily being corrupted by my gaming powers, and a son who has a Charisma score of 18.

Bridget Meredith

I am a 26 year old wife and mother who did not begin to play any sort of RPG till I was 24.  Until then I knew nothing of RPG’s or D&D.   So much so that when my husband while on deployment asked me to send him some saved files I wrote it out as “D and D”. Since that time I have been educated in the proper syntax of using an ampersand or a simple n’. Okay, I know better now. Well you see my wonderful husband tried and tried to convince me to play with him but my poor imagination just went into overload and I would destroy any story line he would set up for me. In an attempt to reign me in he introduced miniatures in a Star Wars game. I loved it. I was hooked. When I could simply see the map before me the rules began to make a whole lot more sense and I felt a much bigger part of the story and the following outcomes. D&D was still; however, a little beyond my grasp. The only class I was really interested in considering was the wizard but then I was informed that wizards run out of spells…Well forget that! I don’t want to run out of spells. I explained in exasperated tones, “that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!” Apparently, I had been living too long in the world of Merlin and Harry Potter. Then came 4e. That’s right…wizards got smarter and they got tougher. They don’t run out of spells anymore. They have gotten with the times. Sure the daily powers go, but you have cantrips that you get to use repeatedly. My personal favorite has been thunderwave. There is nothing quite like destroying 5 opponents, granted minions, all in one fell swoop. It’s beautiful actually.

Now I am a regular player and occasional GM.  This blog has been in production for over a year and I have greatly enjoyed writing for the RPG community, learning new things about gaming on forums and overall come to greatly enjoy the world of RPGs!

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