Dice scattered over a dungeon map and a copy of an old D&D rules booklet.

My Current Gaming

May 16, 2021
What am I currently running and/or playing as of May 2021?
📕 3 min.
Share:

What am I currently running and/or playing as of May 2021? Like everyone else, my gaming has shifted entirely online over the last year. For a time, I was averaging playing in or running five sessions every two weeks. I've pared back on that a bit recently. But I thought I'd talk a little about the games I'm involved with at the moment and what I'm feeling about each of them.

Currently Running

Late last year, I started running a weekly space-faring sci-fi campaign using GURPS. Set in the Phoenix Sector from GURPS Space Atlas 4, this game centers on the crew of the trader Sirocco, navigating the uncertain peace between the democratic Terran Federation and the neo-feudal militaristic Phoenix Domain. So far, they've armed rebels on an occupied planet, saved a space dragon from pirates, and stolen a potential plague cure (and some unknown psi-drugs). The sector may be on the edge of war, however, with possible return of techno-fascist aliens from beyond the frontier.

I'm really enjoying running this game, despite the occasional bout of imposter syndrome. My players are great, and they've developed some really interesting characters. I'm hoping to go for around six more months, rounding the campaign out after about a year of weekly sessions.

I'm also still running a monthly D&D 3.5 campaign based on the Castle Whiterock megadungeon from Goodman Games. This game is approaching its fourth anniversary, but playing only once a month, the party is just reaching 11th level. I feel like this is possibly the best campaign I've ever run, and it has years left in it.

While it is based on published material, the campaign has grown considerably beyond what's in the big boxed set. The players find themselves increasingly concerned about the local geopolitical conditions as war in neighboring lands has sent thousands of refugees into their kingdom. They've thwarted a coup in the elf woods, destroyed an ancient hag who blighted the land with unnatural ice (and scattered or destroyed most of the PCs' families), and are now delving back into the dungeons below Castle Whiterock with the goal of slaying a powerful red dragon.

Currently Playing

As a player, I'm in a D&D 5e game as a halfling Oath of Redemption Paladin with the Chef feat. In some ways, I'm basing him off the main character from the Apple TV series Ted Lasso. Our DM has put a lot of work into crafting an interesting world that feel real and broad. My fellow players are also great, being mostly newer to the game but willing to dig into the rules and the lore and figure things out. It's very refreshing.

My other regular group has also been slowly working our way through the Dungeons & Dragons vs. Rick and Morty adventure. Various pandemic and normal life issues have kept us from getting through this one as quickly, but it also feels like it's not a very well designed module. Still, our DM is doing a lot to make the individual moments as fun as she can. Once we're done with the module, though, I will probably be taking the GM chair back with this group.

Wrapping Up

And that's what's on my gaming plate right now, with the exception of the occasional one-shot here and there. I wish I had the chance to play more, especially games other than D&D 5e. Other than RPGs, I've been playing a lot of Magic: the Gathering lately, both digitally on Magic Arena and with actual paper cards using SpellTable (and the real table, when my lovely wife humors me). I will try to do a follow-up post in a few months if and when my schedule shifts up.