B: One of the joys of gaming with other people is the uniqueness of every group playing them, compounded by the variety of experiences and preferences each member brings. And while this is true of most group activities, gaming is unique in that it's based around structure: rules, modelling, records of events... it all becomes part of the process and "gaming experience." This, I think, results in customs and practices moving far more quickly through groups of gamers than the culture at large. A tradition you do yearly at your Thanksgiving table? It's a family practice, distinct to your group across generations. Do something people like during a convention game? By the next year, it's spread around the world, with everyone saying they've done it for ages. And, in a way, they have, because tabletop gaming takes place far more frequently than just about any other secular activity - do something for a few games, and it will feel like you've been doing it forever.
A: Tabletop traditions at the can start with something as simple as a “house rule”. When you start games, you might always have a certain way your group goes about character creation. Something as basic as rolling dice to determine stats versus using a point by system can be a tradition within your group. You might have a traditional house rule for when someone is unfortunately unable to make the session - their character might be picked up by the GM or by another player, or they might be simply walking along in the background eating from a bucket of chicken. House rules can also be focused on the successes and failures in-game. For example, Critical Role has introduced the world to How do you want to do this? The possibilities of that, and of your own house rules, are pretty open.
B: These out-of-game traditions also serve as memorable initiations for newcomers. Once someone has done something strange with a group that they wouldn't do anywhere else, they have a connection with that group. Likewise, with ongoing participants, it signifies the distinction of this particular collection of people. It's easy to see why so many of these involve dice, they're going to be one thing among all games across genres, playstyles, and even languages, with specific shapes not generally seen elsewhere.
A: Even if they're “just" games, we still bring our own traditions, whether it's year after year or session after session. Perhaps you see yourself and your own gaming tables in some of the traditions brought up in this post. Maybe we’ve introduced you to a few more you’ve decided you might want to try out. Obviously, we can’t cover all of the possible permutations in a simple post. The best thing to do is to share your traditions with the tables you visit, and exchange those ideas. While some of the ideas may not seem like fun for everyone, someone from the table just might pick them up for their future games. Here at Never Say Dice, we’d love to hear all of your traditions from your games. Please drop us a line at our email, Facebook, or Twitter*. Until next week folks, keep enjoying your tabletop traditions and get out there and break some dice.
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