Tonight is the beginning of a new group in a new venue playing a new game. It’s the return (for me) to face-to-fact play and I’m both very excited and almost entirely overwhelmed by the prospect.

A few weeks ago, ShandyAndy and I met to talk about playing together and we decided it’d be pretty neat to set up a game of RuneQuest Glorantha. We set a date (today) and decided to try and find space at the game store in Belper, Derbyshire. Andy sorted out the venue. Talking about it on the RPR Discord, we picked up a second player who can make that venue and so… tonight we meet for an initial session.

I’m excited to meet face-to-face. It’ll be good to get out of my comfort zone and visit a new town and a different game store. But my social anxiety is lying to me too, I must confess. The great soul-destroying, “What if…?” whispers seductively in my mind.

Why do we so often feel like the imposter? Perhaps it’s because these games deliberately play against the sense of safety that comes from knowing the story, planning the scenario, and setting up the outcome. So much of life seems to operate in the illusory world of control, order, and certainty… but it is, of course, all illusion. We don’t know how it’ll go… and that’s a big part of the point with roleplaying games.

I’ve determined to get in the car, drive over, and see what happens. I have the intention of us talking over what we are seeking, making some choices of when and where in Glorantha, and then setting to with character creation. Beyond that, it seems like folly to prepare.

I want to respond to the other players. Find out their character. See what they are seeking. Then we can plot a course together. That’s the joy of gaming.

Game on!