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Sick Game, Bro

Magazine Rack - "Team Homer"

It could be COVID with mild or extreme symptoms. It could be the flu... with or without fevers. It might be just a common cold with sniffles and coughs. Perhaps it's that explosive diarrhea that's been going around. Walking pneumonia keeping you from walking? Gallbladder attack in your back? Food poisoning? Hand cut off by box-making machinery? And then the hand started crawling around and tried to strangle everybody? Any popped eyeballs? Whooping cough? Chicken pox? Mumps? Measles? Cholera? Scarlet fever? Typhoid fever? Disco fever? Dysentery? Maybe it's just preparation for a medical procedure. Whatever it is, there's no doubt about it, no getting around it, no deal you can make with the Devil... you're sick. Should you be gaming when you’re ill? (Even if you have a license to ill?) Gaming is always an amazing escape from what ails you, but illness can prevent you from doing what you love and enjoy. In this post Never Say Dice will discuss the Dos and Don’ts of gaming when you roll under the weather. 

If you’re thinking of coming to the TT portion of your regular TTRPG session, maybe think twice. If the game is actually an in-person game with a real tabletop, it should go without saying that you don’t want to spread those germs you’ve got. Or, if you're not contagious, distracting others ore making them uncomfortable via your illness. Being around a group of healthy individuals, especially at a close-quarters table, is just a bad idea if you’re sick. (And you can tell your boss I said so, too!) The line does seem to blur when the gathering is virtual, though. What should be the protocol there? You’re not going to get anyone ill over the internet... unless it's electro-gonorrhea, the noisy killer. (Don’t date robots!) So why not go ahead and play? For some illness, including a few the crazier ones mentioned earlier, that might be okay. However, when you're sick, your judgement is often going to be impaired, even when you don’t realize it. It's still nice to have that fun distraction, though, so if you are going to attend virtually, let your GM know in advance. You can help pick someone to take over your character for that session, approve or confirm any big moves for character (if you feel up to it), and just listen to the story as audience member. It isn’t the same as getting to play yourself, but at least you won’t really be missing out. You'll get a great distraction from your illness, and won't fall too far behind the action. If you’re feeling really bad though, just skip it. There's no need to wear yourself down further by attending a game you don’t need to be at.

Dash Dingo - "Lisa Gets an A"
In the digital gaming world, it can be a similar story. Of course, there's no temptation to go play computer/console games in person with other people... or at least less temptation - if someone else in your household is suffering the same malady, you might have the opportunity to engage in some contagion couch co-op. When it comes to your own play, though, similar rules apply. If you’re ill, your judgement is likely impaired, and you could probably use some additional rest. Playing a heart-pounding exciting game that requires focus and/or skill? Probably not the best thing to be playing while you’re trying to fight off some disease, or are distracted by your sickness. You might also want to stay away from any story-driven games - unlike the tabletop where you have other people to remind you what happened or fill in details you missed while you were ill, you’re probably on your own here. (Although, modern games often have some kind of ongoing journal or chronicle to keep track of the plot for you. And there's always the internet. But there you run the risk of unintentionally coming across spoilers, whereas an in-game chronicler will only describe what you're already experienced... even if they can be rather opinionated about it.) So what can you play on your home system while your personal system is being rebooted? Any simple puzzler or minigame collection is a good bet. You might struggle with them at the time, but you won't be doing harm to your overall progress. You could also consider playing a roguelike game with persistent development. If you die repeatedly early on, you're you'll be gaining extra supplies and/or experience for easier progress once you’re feeling better. Another option is to find a sandbox game you love, turn off any auto-save features and just go wild. Just remember not to manually save over your pre-illness games! GTA rampage? Insane flu-addled minecraft creations? A sandbox can set you free for a bit without worrying about consequences for your impaired play, as long as you don’t accidentally overwrite your previous progress.

So can we play games while sick? Certainly! It can bring a bit of brightness to a weary time. Adults of a certain age who hit the hospital as kids often have fond memories of spending their convalescence with a particular game or series. Some of us even have fever dreams of being introduced to Legend of Zelda that way. Do remember that you're not entirely with it, though. Turn off those saves, or maybe set up a different save file with an easily-recognizable name. Avoid your normal groups, unless they're digital. Even then, keep your decision making to a minimum. So, until next post, folks, enjoy your table and your dice. Feel better soon! 

- A

Send questions, comments and "home remedy" potion recipes to neversaydice20@gmail.com.

Duff Gardens Hoorah 

(Yes, we know the potion will probably be chicken soup.) 

 

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