Handbook of Erotic Fantasy: Forceful Hand (Patreon)

Intraparty romance has to be weird for The Antiparty. I mean, Paladin probably has some obnoxious moralistic policy against workplace hookups. Oracle has that creepy god-touched vibe going on. That leaves only Sorcerer and Barbarian to work off the tension, and that’s not exactly a natural pairing. You’ve gotta figure the big lady would break the poor guy in half, or at least be put off by those creepy, unnatural magics. I know I wouldn’t want to stare down the barrel of a magical fisting. Must be why I’m not an adventurer. 

They’re made of sterner stuff, you know? Adventurers are all about striding off into the unknown, seeking new experiences and pitting themselves against new dangers. That’s what sets them apart from the common folk. 

I think we could all stand to learn from Barbarian, and try to *ahem* stretch ourselves as gamers, even when it’s uncomfortable. When you find yourself dreading yet-another-wizard or another-freaking-dungeon-crawl, it’s time to shake off the creative rut and take the unconventional for a spin. Try that new game system. Follow my lead and give crossplaying a go. If you’ve never used an accent, listen to a few tutorial videos and dwarf it up. If you’re an optimizer who’s sworn off sub-optimal strategies, put your power gamer brain to use and give ‘em a go anyway. (That last one is especially useful when you find yourself rubbing shoulders with new gamers. Optimizing the suboptimal is a great way to apply a little system mastery without unbalancing a game.) 

So how about it, guys? Have you ever made the conscious decision to break out of your gaming comfort zone? Did the effort pay off, or were you stretched beyond your limits? Let’s hear your tales of experimentation down in the comments!