I’ve been trying to get a Capes game going for more than two weeks now and without fail, every single time I’ve made plans, the other players bail on me. I don’t think I’m going to get to play at all until I run demos at the local game shop on Feb 18th, and even then that won’t really be playing, just showing off the system.

Despite having so much trouble finding people who’ll actually play these newfangled hippie rpgs with me, I’m convinced that there’s no turning back. To this end, I’m getting rid of all my old gaming crap. Yesterday I started pulling books off shelves and taking inventory. If I can’t sell it, I’m giving it away. If nobody will take it, I’ll donate it to Goodwill or something. I dunno. By the end of February, these books will be out of my house:

AD&D2 Dark Sun Revised & Expanded Box Set (Including Dune Trader)
AD&D2 Ivory Triangle Box Set for Dark Sun
AD&D2 The Complete Thieves Handbook

Dungeons & Dragons 3E Player’s Handbook
Dungeons & Dragons 3E Dungeon Master’s Guide

Fantasy Flight Games Traps & Treachery
Dragonstar Starfarer’s Handbook
Dragonstar Guide to the Galaxy
Call of Cthulhu d20

Alternity Player’s Handbook
Alternity Gamemaster’s Guide
Alternity Beyond Science: A Guide to FX
Alternity Starships
Alternity StarDrive Arms & Equipment Guide
Dark*Matter Sourcebook

Vampire: The Masquerade 2nd Edition
Vampire: The Masquerade Players Guide 2nd Edition
Mind’s Eye Theater The Masquerade 2nd Edition
Mind’s Eye Theater Antagonists
Mind’s Eye Theater Laws of the Night
Mind’s Eye Theater Laws of Elysium
Clanbook Ventrue
Prince’s Primer

Shadowrun 3rd Edition
Seattle Sourcebook

Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk Eurotour
Rifts Japan
Delta Green
GURPS Space
Vampire Hunters
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
West End Games’ The World of Necroscope Box Set
Shades of Nightfall

Some of these I don’t remember buying. Some of the things I know I bought seem to have disappeared. That doesn’t really matter, though, because I’m ditching everything I own except for Feng Shui. That one gets to stay on the shelf. Oh, and the new stuff, of course. Primetime Adventures, Dogs in the Vineyard, and Capes. All that other crap? I’m done with it.

• Joss Whedon’s Firefly Season 2
  Help make a second season of Firefly a reality.
  (tags: tv space scifi)
• Tripod perform at a Comedy Festival – Google Video
  This drama unfolds in geek households across the world every single evening.
  (tags: games humor music)
• List of powers in superhero fiction – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  This comes in really helpful when coming up with characters.
  (tags: comics rpgs wiki)

• MPAA admits to unauthorized movie copying
  While the MPAA is rabidly against YOU pirating THEIR movies, they see nothing wrong with copying somebody else’s movie against their express wishes (and copyright!).
  (tags: law movie)
• A study in levees
  Something must be done.
  (tags: gadgets science politics)

• KELOLAND.COM: News, Weather and Sports for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa
  South Dakota is on the verge of criminalizing abortion. This really sickens me. Whether or not it’s legal, women who want abortions will find a way to get them. This is an attempt to return to the days of filthy, dangerous, and illegal clinics.
  (tags: belief health law politics)

• USATODAY.com – Cough syrup left out in the cold
  Cough syrup doesn’t actually do anything. I can hear you saying “But I know it helps ME!” all the way over here.
  (tags: science drugs health)
• Free File Home – Your Link to Free Online Filing
  Are you eligible to file your taxes online for free? You should check.
  (tags: money tools)
• Seventh Sanctum – Superhero/Villain Name Generator
  Another generator. The names it churns out aren’t necessarily great, though.
  (tags: comics humor rpgs)
• ABC News: Iceland the First Country to Try Abandoning Gasoline
  This is the sort of thing that gives me hope for the future. Of course, it won’t happen here in the US unless something drastic happens to reduce the oil industry’s control over our politicians.
  (tags: science law society)

• The Sun Online – News: Heavy? He’s my blubber
  Worth it for the quote at the end.
  (tags: politics society science)
• Product Review: Marigo Labs Signature 3-D Mat
  I love audiophiles. They’re the logical conclusion of technological superstition. If you’re considering buying this product, I’ll sell you a rock that will make you smarter if you sleep with it under your pillow.
  (tags: kook music)
• CARA’S ADOPTABLE PETS: Marissa
  As part of her Christmas present, my wife wanted to sponsor a dog at our local no-kill animal shelter. Marissa was the one we picked
  (tags: pets)

• FolderShare.com – sync files, sync folders, transfer files, share files, web download, access files anywhere
  Share your files with your friends.
  (tags: collaboration tools)
• UncommonGoods: PERIODIC TABLE SHOWER CURTAIN
  I want to redecorate my bathroom in Science Modern.
  (tags: science wishlist)

• defective yeti – Iraqi Invasion: A Text Misadventure
  Let’s all hope that Grue is on duty.
  (tags: politics rpgs)

So after buying the Capes book (and pdf), I read through it exhaustively and then posted to the Jackson-Area Gamers mailing list saying that I’d like to hook up with some folks and play some Capes on Saturday afternoon at a Friendly Local Game Store. Three folks replied with interest and gaming ensued.

Dragon’s Lair is primarily a cards and collectibles shop, with tons of the usual knickknacks: pewter and crystal dragons, t-shirts, gag gifts, stuff like that. There was a very small selection of AD&D and D&D 3e books, some Xbox games, some used game consoles and games, and a wide variety of collectible card games. Snacks and cold sodas were also available, and it’s only block away from a Little Caesar’s Pizza.

In the back were about half a dozen tables for gaming, with two televisions and Xboxes set up for head-to-head play. While we were gettting started, a four-man Halo deathmatch was going pretty furiously and the whole time we played Capes there were a ton of folks playing Pokemon, Magic, and stuff like that. Aside from our Capes stuff, another JAG member involved in a miniatures strategy game, and the Xbox guys, I think all the other gaming going on was CCG. I’m not completely sure, though, because I was focused pretty strongly on our game. Anyway, it was a very welcoming atmosphere for gaming. The owner, Brian Brock, was really nice to us and seemed genuinely glad we came in to hang out and game.

Everybody seemed to really dig Capes. My only regret is that I didn’t get to show off the game to some of the *many* other people who expressed interest in what we were playing. At least half a dozen people came over to the table now and then to see what was going on. Half of those even asked if they could play in the next round. Unfortunately, we spent longer than I’d anticipated on the first scene and I had to leave rather than play another.

I talked with Mr. Brock about coming in again on a Saturday to demo the game for more folks. This time I’d be doing ten-minute “this is what the absolute core of the game feels like” demos rather than the much longer “learn to play by generating characters and playing a whole scene using the Capes Lite ruleset” that I did last time. He’s looking into getting some Capes books to sell to anybody who’s interested, and seems really excited about expanding his store into the rpg side of gaming, as well as trying out Capes himself. Right now I’m thinking at February 18th, starting around 2pm.

• Lee’s (Useless) Super-Hero Generator
  I’ve been pushing Capes, a supers rpg, a lot lately and this struck me as a handy tool.
  (tags: rpgs comics)