This question was a stumper for me, I thought on this one for more than a few days trying to think of who over the  years would have affected the way I play the most at the table. Yet it is difficult to name one gamer that affected the way I play that rises to the top in the crowd. I will boldly say that I game with some of the best gamers I know. I take a little bit of each of them and use that to make myself a better person and player. Then just as I was beginning to write this blog and say that I had forged my own way, I looked at it in a different light.

So here is my story of who affected the way I paly the most.

I for a time I was greatly affected by a gamer in the way I play. But not in a positive light. As 3.5 D&D was drawing to a close and pre 4E & Pathfinder something monumental happened in real life as well as at the table. This involved one person and he had a tremendous affect the way I play the game. I let a very his very loud descending voice influence how I play the game that I love. The anger and rudeness of it all and his passion arguments directed at things I held very dear in gaming was crushing. In short, I walked away from the hobby because I was convinced by him that the only reason why anyone took part in anything I ran was because there was no one else willing to run a game.

I let that very loud descending voice influence how I play the game that I love. The anger and rudeness of it all and the passion of arguments directed at things I held very dear in gaming was crushing. In short, I walked away from the hobby because I was convinced by a hateful person  that the only reason why anyone took part in anything I ran was because there was no one else willing to run a game.

He was bitter and spiteful and lashed out because I had begun to see him for who he was and remove him from my life as a bad influence. But as often is the case this moment also broke the group up. For better or worse.

For me at least in early months, it was for the worse. I stepped away from the hobby and began to tell myself it was time to move on. I nearly did sadly, until one of my other friends stepped up having seen what was going on and intervened.

Even then I was stubborn. I kicked and fought allowing depression and the pain of the subject try to drag me down. They persisted, Literally dragging gamers to my house and running games amid my protests. With the the statement

You can either sit down and play or sit in the other room and listen. But were going to game with or without you.
-Beowulf

So, I got up and drug myself back to the table to give it a go one more time. We went through 3 maybe 4 groups of players that my friend continued to bring by the house till we could find a set of players that were the right fit. Eventually, we found them.

Lance, Amber, Nick and Joe. I still game with them to this day. More people have joined our group since then.  In 2009 we met and we still come together 2 times a week to game. Of the three or four other groups, I made more friends that I still game with once or twice a month as well. But that is another story.

In closing Beowulf, you get the trophy, my friend. You affected the way I game more than anyone. You didn’t let me walk away from the hobby when hate pushed me away from the table.