One day, that memory is going to be as precious to Ryan as it is to you now. Awesome work Dad.

And I thought it was cool when I got my wife to play D&D.

Now you just gotta teach Ferris.

You rock. So very much, you rock. Go you with your Mad Dad Skillz.

You just did that thing that makes me such an enormous fan of Stephen King after all these years - no, not killing people with rabid dogs - you narrated your interior monologue. If there's one thing a writer can do that makes me do the Snoopy Happy Dance, it's when he/she gives me a sneak peek at what's going on inside their head. I live for that sh- er, stuff.

And on a personal note - I would have given my left hind leg to have a parent or step parent that I had a hobby or activity to share with. Your stepsons are some lucky kids. And *you're* lucky because they don't yet seem to have that teenage phobia about doing anything at all that isn't absolutely mandatory with a parental unit.

And I'm lucky because I get to read about it.

Dude, that is so unbelievably rocking. I only hope that when I have kids, I can have equally touching moments and memories of us sharing geekdom together like that.

Awesome. :)

My son is interested in playing D&D, and is earning toward getting his own PHB. Makes me a bit misty to think about it. Even more so when I get to run him through his first real, non-boxed-set adventure. I have a pretty good idea how you feel. :)

Man, remember when role-playing was supposed to be all Satanic and Jack Chick wrote comics condemning it? Now it's a family pass-time. What's the world coming to?

Wow. I don't read your blog on a regular basis, but as a sometimes gamer and an appriciator of all things meaningful, I must admit to nearly crying at my desk at work at the sweetness of your story. I hope you guys have all the fun in the world - it sounds like you're already well on your way to that :)

Man what I wouldn't have given to have a gamer geek as a dad! Instead when both my parents found out that I was playing D&D, they came and removed me from the table in the back of the local gaming store; "The Glass Dagger," practically by the ear...

*laughs* I suppose they thought Satan had ahold of me. ;)

Wil, thats awesome. They are so lucky to get a dad who will play with them and teach them. So many parents dont share what they are passionate about with their kids . . .so rock on!

Okay, nominating you for the Coolest Dad Ever award. That's the awesomest thing to do ever.

Wow. That's highly cool. Not that you're getting more people interested in gaming and teaching them how to be responsible gamers (which is in and of itself a great thing) but that you've found something to share with your kids that you love and that they can love as well. Great work, man.

Very cool. You write great dialogue, it's my favorite style of your posts.

reading this makes me feel slightly better about the fact that i recently starting playing that again, too.

the only problem is that i don't have the excuse of kids to soften the nerdiness. ;)

Ewige Blumencraft!

That was one of the sweetest things I've ever read. You're a wonderful father.

Wish my dad RP'd with me. Usually I didn't have anyone I could play with.

Remember, if you do kill everyone, you're the DM, what you say goes. A little deus ex machina when you're young is a fine way to be saved :-)

Y'know, I had the same, instinctive knee-jerk reaction when my daughter first touched my dice. It wasn't wrong, per se... but those were /my dice/, and I'd spent far too many hours playing with them back when I had a regular, local gaming group. And my actual reaction to her touching them wasn't dissimilar to yours, either.

Of course, now she wants her own dice. That's the next step, after all.

Kids sure do change our views on the world, don't they? :)

You. Rock.

*SNIFF*

Wil,
Its posts like that that keep me coming back to read your blog. Way to go Dad you ARE the ROXOR!!!!111

Dude you so rock! You have some awesome dad skills, and those kids (and you) are so lucky! RPG on!

---Ashley

Fantastic. Reminds me of a time I ran a game for my little brother and his cohorts. I've never had so much fun running a game.

Plus which, they fall for all the old tricks you wouldn't dream of using on your peers...

Wil,

It's always nice to spend time with those you love most and have those memories. My dad and I weren't very close when I was growing up. My sister and him were more on the same page since she was into sports. I've since come into my own, and I don't think he's disappointed too much as to how I've turned out. He does have his regrets for not being there for me while I was growing up. However, every summer, me and him would always go down to Busch Stadium (since I live near St. Louis) and watch a baseball game. It was just the two of us...our time together. Even now, I'll take my dad if he's off work. Though they may be building a new ballpark now and will be tearing down the old one, the memories will last forever.

I like reading stories like that of you and your stepkids. That is what America is all about. And it's always nice to read that not everyone in the LA area have these glamourous lives. That most are just down to earth people just like everyone else....no difference at all. Enjoy these times, Wil. One day, maybe the boys will bring a game to you and want to play. It means a lot to you now, but it means the world to them.

Wow. *sniff*

Wow. I think that's the first time I've gotten emotional reading about gaming prep.

Can't wait until my 3-year-old is old enough for me to corrupt-

I mean, to introduce her to the fine art of gaming.

That is so sweet. I love bonding over the slaying of magical creatures.

Reading this post brought back all sorts of memories of my dad teaching me to play chess, Risk, monopoly, and other, albeit more "traditional", games when I was but a wee lad. My dad also gave me my first taste of programming; he had this Star Trek text adventure that he kept on tweaking until the characters behaved more like he thought they should. He would play Monty Python records in the house, introducing me, at the tender age of three, to such wonders as The Lumberjack Song, Spam, and Four-Hour Cat Burials. Having blossomed into the full-fledged geek that I am, I can honestly say that geek-dads are definitely the most fun. I can only hope that when I become a father, I can set the kind of example to my children that you are setting for yours.

How about model rocketry? Now there's a geek hobby to pass to your offspring, and the source of stories I remember to this day...

That's why I wanna have kids someday, to teach them how to play D&D. Ah the glory of dorkdom.

Oh Man! Curse of the GM! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER touch the GM's dice. It's bad mojo.

Hope you all had a great game! :)

Having a kid myself, and being involved in "step" (or whatever) situations - I really look forward to when you talk about these boys. This one brought a tear to my eye and made me resolve to pay even more attention to times like that in my life. Thanks, Will.

Eric

Very cool.

Well played.

I loved reading the reference to gaming with your kids. Very cool move.

Amazingly what brought me here today (on the day you posted about gaming) was a link to your site posted on our gaming forum, and the link was made "before" your post...lol. The post was about blogs...not gaming.

Way to go, Wil.

Wil,

One of your best posts in a long time. Great work.

Man That was a great story.

The strange thing is as me and my friends get older I can see the day we gather our kids together for their first RPG coming sloser . Also as a table top RPG designer I love the fact that people are still playing and passing on table top gaming to their kids.

Now I have to kick myself for not giving wil a copy of my RPG when he visited my table at Comicon 2003! So Will if you ever read this email me and I'll ship you a free Copy of the Core Rules and the GM Screen on the house!

I just started playing D&D again with my girlfriend and some friends of hers. I haven't played in about eleven years but I love the power of 3rd edition when compared to second.

I'm running as the DM which is a little scary. I DMed before and I thought I did a pretty good job but its tough learning the rules and being the boss at the same time.

Good luck and have a lot of fun.

Great story!

You make it cool to be a geek :)

Damn Wil, that is beautiful! You are a great writer and an inspiration, I wish I could run a game with you *grins*. I hope you tell us how it goes.

Oh wow, you guys are going to have so much fun.

RAWK! *metal horns*

Man, I've never gotten misty-eyed over a story about an RPG before. That's some fine writin' there, mister.

It seems that every time I just hugely geek out, the next day you make an entry reminding me how very great it is to be a geek. Thanks.

AD&D is all well and good, but for the ultimate experience in fantasy gaming (in my opinion), you have to go with Hackmaster.

I like to say it's AD&D first and a half edition. It takes the best of 1st edition AD&D, the best of 2nd edition AD&D, and adds a good dose of humor and great rules as well.

Nice post, Wil. When you mentioned the "cool dice bag", it made me thing of these guys. They're a husband and wife team who make these awesome dice bags, with custom embroidery, fabrics, cool grommets, the works. I got one for a friend of mine for Christmas and instantly regretted that I had it monogrammed, because it meant I couldn't keep it for myself.

Anyway, they've recently had a string of Real Life Hard Luck, and are trying to overcome some financial difficulties by getting the word out and selling as many of their cool dice bags as they can. So if anyone was hit by a wave of nostalgia after reading Wil's post and wanted to give their old sacred dice a cool new home, go to www.thegamersbag.com and place an order. We need to make sure they're still in business for the next generation of gamers who will want a place to keep their own dice.

Oh, and by the way, Wil... I have the exact same black dice with red skulls on them. They are the best character creation dice I've ever had.

So sweet.....you are an awesome step dad....these stories always make me tear up, thanks for sharing these cool moments you share with the boys

Wil-
I just hope you have not condemned him to not be kissed by a girl until he is 20 and have a future of replica sword collecting.

'Cuz that is lonely and expensive.

Kick Ass Dude. Truly Kick Ass.

Wil, I truly hope that the games are everything you want and more. I hope the boys love it like you do. You deserve that and more for how hard you try. Thanks for your site. Helps me start my day at work every day. Thanks for Dancing Barefoot...can't wait for Just a Geek.

Whoa. I'm playing D&D tonight for the first time in years and years also. I'm getting chills, especially because I feel like I'll be sharing a special moment with you guys. Be sure to post how it goes ;-)

I hope those kids realize how lucky they are to have you. :)

you have GOT to stop making me cry at work.

I believe very strongly that the measure of the maturity of someone is their ability to not take things too seriously. Your ability to be able to calmly explain that was something that you don't want them to do, rather than exploding speaks very well of you as a person and a parent.

I sympathize with the feeling, knowing the gut reaction of wanting to scream "What do you mean you messed with my dice/computer/first edition Tad Williams hardcovers/mint condition transformers/whatever!?!". The beauty of it is, Nolan and Ryan will absorb that attitude and it will become a part of them.

Have fun with gaming. Rock on!

And people say step-parents can't be real parents! In many ways, my step-mom feels like more of a "mom" to me than my real mom, even if I'll never feel comfortable calling her by anything other than "Ann".
I wanna be a parent... (But let's wait 'til I'm older than 18, eh?)

Wil-

So glad to see that you're teaching the little ones to play.....try not to kill there characters.... :-)

So, when is Anne gonna pick it up?

Be sure to let us all know how the game goes!!!

Watch those crits, they can be detrimental to the health of PC's.

I, Andrea Fangirl, hereby nominate Wil Wheaton for Stepfather of the Year Award.

Since I am the president of this association, as well as the sole member, the commentator, and the treasurer, I will now take the vote.

All in favor of awarding Stepfather of the Year Award to Wil Wheaton, say Aye.

AYE!

By unanimous vote, I, Andrea Fangirl, hereby award you, Wil Wheaton, the Stepfather of the Year Award. Congratulations! You've earned it. To claim your prize, hug your stepsons, and bask in the adoration of them, and your wonderful wife.

Very sweet story. To get to take a childhood pasttime with the new important children in your life is a great great thing.

Just don't kill the entire party in your dungeon, this time, or else someone younger may take your job as DM!

Hah.

So what classes are the kiddos playing?

I swear Wil, when you're on, you are REALLY on. This just cracked my heart wide open. Thank you so much.

Ronda

damn you, Wheaton...::wipes the mascara stains off::

I'm always nervous before every game I run. I realize this is an important personal moment, but be cool; it'll be great. Trust yourself, and thanks for sharing your moment with us.

Wil, I really enjoyed reading that entry. So funny and poignant, truly a pleasure to read and re-read. Hopefully in the near future our son will be old enough and keen to play as well. My husband brings it up now and then, is he old enough, what should we play, should we get some of his friends to join in?

As for the dice thing, many of my friends don't like their dice being touched by others, especially by me. But that might be something to do with my 'unlucky' touch. Never will you see as many bad rolls in a single game as you will when I play. When I need to roll high, I roll low. When I need to roll low, I roll high. The briefest of my touches will render other 'lucky' dice 'unlucky' for the remainder of the night. Of course that can work in our favour if the GM is planning some truly heinous events. Bathroom break, and the dice are given for me to touch.

Really touching

*sniff*
Will, that's beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this.

Y'know, it's stories like this one that let me know that it's okay to be a Geek Dad! My little guy's only 2, but he already knows Batman, Superman, recognizes the Star Trek and Star Wars theme songs, and it's only just begun.

But regardless of whether you're a geek dad or not, the important thing is spending time and showing your passions to your kids. My dad was a mechanic, and I spent ENDLESS hours in the garage when I was young. Me? I HATE working on cars! But I know how passionate my dad was about them, and to this day I'll treasure the time with him, leaning over the engine of some old Ford. Not because we were doing something I liked . . . but because he loved me enought that he wanted to share what he liked with me.

Thanks, Wil. I really needed that gentle reminder of what a loving father I had.

Wow, thanks for sharing those beautiful moments.

Wil,

What talent you have to turn a simple roll of the dice into a brilliant piece of literature. If you ever teach your kids to play cards, be sure the deck is sufficiently randomized (as Data would say).

Freeman.

Thanks for such a great share...it brought tears to my eyes.

hey wil,
you really do rock! i know i've said it before, but thank you so much for sharing these really special moments with us. it sent a shiver through me, and brought a smile to my face.

Its those moments in life that make it all worthwhile.

take care

Wow. You don't know me, and I don't know anything about gaming, but your story touched me.

Wow. I've been a lurker here for a couple of years now, but one has compelled me to post.

In my early teens I was right into roleplaying, but found it woefully hard to keep my group focused. Though I didn't look at it like this at the time, I see now that being with my friends was far more important than completing my precious story arc. Luckily I didn't push things too hard when attention waned and we'd just stop and pick things up next session. The people from that group are still my closest friends today.

By the sounds of that dice thing roleplaying was a far bigger part of your childhood than it was of mine, and I'm glad that you're getting the chance to share that with the boys Wil.

Well, even though I'm #69 on the comments, and you probably won't even read this, gotta add my kudos. I don't read you often, although my husband does regularly, but my god...what a beautiful post! My husband is my children's stepfather too and they love him dearly. Good for you!

You know, I couldn't even tell you WERE his step! I found out from the comments; I thought you were his bio dad. :-) You go!

Hey Wil,

you're gonna write the sequel to this and tell us how it turns out, right? and if the boys like it, are you sure Anne will be able to cope? perhaps she'll join in?

reading what you're doing with those guys makes me think about my relationship with my dad....he got me hooked on video games when I was a wee little lass. I was the first kid in my class (5th grade) to have Super Mario Bros. 3! I was the first, mainly because my dad wanted to get his hands on it.

I never played D&D till I started dating a guy about 4 years ago though...and have been playing quite a bit for the last year and a half.

dangit, so many of y'all are just starting to play D&D for the first time in years lately, and here I am, forced to give up on the campaign that has kept my sanity for the last year and a half. I sure hope I can get back to it in about 5 months!

Good job Wil! getting kids of any age to be interested in what you like is a hard thing to do. just don't screw it up! :P

Great story... It reveals the reason why man learned how to read and write.

I'm 32. It was 7th grade, and Keep on the Borderlands.

About a year ago I was GMing for my sister-in-law and her (then) boyfriend. The subject of when we had each started came up, and the boyfriend's response was, "Man, that was before I was born..."

That was the first time I specifically felt old.

(And you still have Car Wars in plain sight? You geek! My copy's in a box next to my desk, with the old Star Frontiers and Battle Tech. The boxed edition of Rune Quest might be the favorite of that stack, though.)

I had a very similar moment today, when I realized that I'd been playing d&d for 18 years now.

After relaying the story to my very understanding wife, she replied with "Did you read Wil Wheaton dot net today?"..."no"..."Go read it."

Now I'm all sniffly.

Oh man, I know exactly how you feel about those dice. I still have the original set (d4, d8, d12, d20) that my brother and I used for our first adventure when I was twelve, which was... well longer than 19 years ago. I play & DM rarely these days, but when I do, I still use those dice for the "special" rolls, the oh-my-God-I-might-die rolls.

Good luck with your kids. Just remember that DMing is as much about storytelling as it is about administering the mechanics of the game. In all the good stories, the characters are put in jeopardy, but they manage to pull it off. The trick is making the risk credible. You just have to hurt them enough to make the consequences real, but don't go too far. With new players, it's always best to err on the side of forgiveness. Just don't let them know you're pulling any punches.

Good luck. I just can't wait to do this with my kids.

I'm also looking forward to the day my son is old enough to play RPGs with myself and my husband.

This was a really touching entry.

This has got to be one of your best blogs. Perhaps because it reminds me so much of my own "stepdad" (although I really do not like calling him that because he is just plain DAD to me). He is a very patient person, and taught me some cool things as well.

Not to get all cheese-o-rama on you, but I just want you to remember that ANYONE CAN BE A FATHER, BUT IT TAKES A GREAT MAN TO BE A DAD!

Gotta go with Ryan. An 11 totally blows.

Never tell me the odds.

Thanks.

Hey, you never know; the kid might bring luck to the dice.

I'm a big believer in dice and luck. I collect sixes.

Awwww. I know about the "forbidden dice" thing...i, in fact, was in Ryan's position once. Not understanding what it all means.

Its all in good time. Great entry.

MOM.....Wheaton made me cry again!

My dad played DnD with me back when I was in elementary school. I remember that it was the G1-2-3 Giants series. He didn't really get the game that I loved. I DM'd and he played a group of characters. We sat at this counter that was the place I ate the majority of my meals in the formative years.

I don't think he even liked doing what he was doing, but he did it for me and never told me it was stupid or wrong or that I should have been playing baseball instead.

It's moments like that which make the word "love" too weak to describe my pride in him.

Ok, Wil, 'fess up -- you were secretly wearing your +4 Mantle of Parental Coolness at the time, weren't you? It's all right, you're among friends, you can tell us....

Nicely done. Hope you and the lads have a splendid game. Cheers.

Cool beans :)

My mother never had a husband who stuck around long enough to game with me. I have a six year old, who my wife and I adopted at the age of two. About a month ago, we played *our* first game of D&D ...

Well, it was just a round of combat with D&D miniatures, disregarding most of the rules. But he's six :) I keep my blessed dice under lock and key for when I GM. My son is welcome to use the cursed alternate dice whenever he likes, though.

D

Dude, get a grip. They're frigging DICE, not your balls. Sorry to sound so crass, but geez. It wasn't like he was going to flush them. My dad taught my sister how to play chess and gave his prized chess set (that he'd saved up for for over a year when he was a kid) to her because it meant so much to him that he wanted to share it with her. But it sounds like he took it well.

Wil, thank you so much. What a fabulous post. You are a hell of a dad.

I've always wanted to play D&D but never have. I think I'm going to have to talk a friend into teaching me. 37 isn't too late to learn, is it?

Wil, that is hella awesome. I hope you guys got to play until you saw the sun come up, the snacks and pop were all gone, every last monster was vanquished, and all XP and loot was awarded (just hope the boys don't spend it all on ale and whores ;) )!

~Delurks~

Dittos, dittos, dittos.

I'm going to send this to the woman I want to marry, so that she understands why I want to adopt her kid; it's good that you didn't wind up being the evil stepdad (crosses fingers).

that's the most touching thing i've ever read in a blog ever. also, you rock.

That is so touching! You had all of us at #MxO welling up!

thanks for sharing that...it reminded me of my once upon a time youthful perspective...sometimes real life is more magical than all the dreams you could ever dream.

Tears.... I got tears.

Wil Wheaton, I am so proud of you. You have grown so much in the past year.

So have I, from watching you.

I am so very envious of you right now, Wil. The love you share with your step-sons is truely moving, and when you add to that a true milestone on the road to geekdom it creates an emotoinal moment that rivals any literary work I can think of. Please make a follow up entry and let us know how their first sesion went.

X&

Wil, I'm glad I discovered your site. I check it often and am always delighted when there is a new post.

At the tender age of 22, I haven't even imagined what it would be like to have a child. But I hope when I do I will not only share some the same emotions, but perhaps be able to write about it half as eloquently as you.

Get off your duff and go out and buy those kids each a set of dice right now. They may not take up gaming, but it's a unique gift from you that's about this time you spend together. Shame on you for scolding Ryan, but kudos for being patient with him.

Go....Go now..make sure they a nice set..

Isle of Dread? Oh man, now I feel old! I must have been 11 when I played that for the first time.

Thanks for the blast from the past, Wil. :)

Good stuff...I hope I can do as well as a parent. On a side note, I never played RPG's, so can you explain why you become so attached to dice? I was more of a sports guy and can't remember any sport stuff taking on such significance

Beautiful. Just plain beautiful.

Have a good time with the game.

Rock on! You're never too old, or too young! ;D

That was a great story... I hope you have many more memories like that!

That was a marvelous read. Thanks for sharing it.

Good job! You've laid the groundwork. Now for a whopping 5d12 geek points, you need to get them dice of their very own.

Then they'll understand. The geekdom will be complete.

Wow, you don't always let us comment on the ubergeeky stuff. (I mean being a player itself only slightly geeky, a trip into the imagination, you know; but there's so much detail involved in running a game!Which rules to use versus imagination fillingin the blanks, etc.)

Anyhow, thanks for sharing both the gaming experience and the family experience with us. I think you'll have fun role-playing the stranger NPCs with different voices and body language and stuff. Its often the descriptive environment and the weird people, as much as the puzzles involved in fantasy roleplaying gaming that kept me engaged as a player, and kept my players engaged when I took up running scenarios and games.

So, I've never made a response before, but have wanted to many times. This was the one I couldn't resist.

This was beautiful, and thank you for sharing it. I've got several gamer dads who need to read it.

I wonder if, at your game, it might be nice to give the kids reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally cool dice of their own - but just one each, to start them off. I bet they would love that, and it would give them a "treasure" to keep. All D&Der's love treasure.

Thanks so much, Wil.

He he, you're a geek. But it's cool. Geek on buddy. There aren't enough of us in the world.

I have a set of red dice from the old D&D Basic Set. They're so old that the corners are rounded and the numbers are starting to decay (the 6 is really 5.99995, the 3 is almost a 2, and the 1 is now the square root of -1; so whenever I role a 1, the die ceases to exist for moment).

I love them very very much. I can't say why, but I'm glad I'm not the only one.

wow dude,
thats horribly geeky, but touching and way cool at the same time.

I still have my dice bag from when I was a kid.

you are such a sweetheart:) anne, ryan and nolan are damn lucky

Your post made me smile and really made my day! It sounds like you have such a great family and I'm so glad you've found something you and the boys can share together that's all your own. They sound like great kids and (I was going to say they're lucky to have you, but really I think you're all lucky to have each other.)

Good Luck to you, DMing for the first time is not an easy thing to do. Main thing is you and your friends enjoy playing.

Helpful hint in being a DM from my point of view is to use a screen to hide your dice rolls, means you can fluff it easier if you feel someone is getting really bad luck and you don't want to kill them :)

Only thing i'm sad about is I gave away my tub of D6's that I used to play Tunnels and Trolls years ago. (amend that, many years ago :) )

At least I can blame my sniffles on my cold...

This was a beautiful piece. All the more poignant for me because I lost my father 34 years ago this year (damn, I'm old...). I can remember playing all the traditional games with him and the rest of the family, and even though I usually got skunked, I still enjoyed playing. One of my favorite memories is playing Pokeno (it's kind of a combination of poker and Bingo), and totally wiping everyone out at the tender age of 7. (We only played for pennies, so no, I didn't make my first million that night!)

Never was able to get someone to show me D&D (I was so geeky even the geeks ignored me), and sometimes wonder if it's too late to try. Anyone want to tackle teaching an almost 45 year old how not to get killed in 10 easy lessons?

Wil, you totally rock. If I ever adopted any kids (highly unlikely at this stage of the game), I hope I could be half as cool as you. I'm sure Anne knows how lucky she is...but why don't you go remind her, just in case??? ;)

Hey, Wil. This is a little bit off-topic. Sorry.
I just noticed that In these days of "anyone-saying-anything-bad-about-Bush-or-the-war-is-unpatriotic" (which I find to be complete and utter BS) It seems that PABAAH.com has put you on some sort of fruity boycott list.
What a sad and miserable world we live in...

Wil, as a parent and writer and (yes) someone who railed at Wesley Crusher years ago, I have to say that this is one damn fine piece and I'm sorry about that railing against Wesley stuff.

Nice job and thanks.

That was sweet.

Just make sure they go outside now and then so they know how to walk on dirt.

RE what Sean O'Hara said: Yeah, it's really kind of eerie, how mainstream RPGs have become. When I started gaming in the late 70s, I'm pretty sure I was the *only person* in my entire high school who knew what this stuff was.

Trying to explain it . . . man, it was like having an 11th toe; you're better off keeping your shoes on.

Although, thinking back, I remember introducing a few people to MELEE* as a senior.

Stefan

* Proto-GURPS combat system.

Ahhh, their first trek through a dungeon. I remember my first game, though I wasn't plowing through a dungeon. I was crossing a vast plain, fighting wights and other interesting critters, on my way from one town to the other to get information and gather a party for the quest.

This is totally awesome, Wil. You guys are going to have such a blast. The passing of geekery such as this is a beautiful thing. The bond you share with Ryan and Nolan is amazing, and deserves to be recognized. Though I'm not a stepfather myself, I understand how tough a situation that can be. But you've conquered it well. In fact, VERY well. Anne is lucky to have a guy like you who can bond with her kids.

Go easy on them, though, man. If this is your first time GMing in (undisclosed) years, resisting the power trip is going to be a challange. Funny-ha-ha power trips aside, you guys are going to have a great time.

Good luck, boys! And welcome to the world of REAL RPGs!

Let me just join in the rest of horde here in praising you for "breath of life". Great stuff.

But doesn't Nolan read your site from time to time? If he reads that one, he'll know you intend to give him those dice.

Worth it though... great stuff.

\m/

Wow! Awesome, man!

You'll do fine just get in the groove.

My only bit of advice is not to let your story get in the way of their creativity. And when in doubt...punt!

Have lots of fun!

Both my fiancee and I are gamers - and I broke my then 5-year-old daughter into RPGs with Baron von Munchhausen, which is mostly storytelling and uses rock-paper-scissors for conflict resolution.

She's looking with greater interest at dice now that Dad and Mom and a couple of friends are playing HeroQuest...she thinks Sedenya looks cool.

Maybe we'll have to have Dad run us through a low-key dungeon crawl soon. She's 7 now, so that's old enough, and it's been a long while for us too.

Anyhoo...yeah. I get it.

Wil,

Being a stepdad is one of the hardest jobs around, especially when you have The Ex actively trying to subvert your relationship with the kid(s). It's great that you're finding something you can share with them that he can't upstage or take away. We only have my stepdaughter alternating weekends, which makes it even harder to build a good relationship.

What's even harder is if & when you have kids of your own. It's a constant struggle to treat them all the same and not play favorites. But it's worth it. If you & Anne ever hatch out one of your own, you'll know. I thought being a stepdad would have totally prepared me for being a father, but it really is different on a deep-down emotional level.

Very cool Wil! I started gaming in 9th grade and have now been a DM for over 25 years (not much recently :^( Regarding killing your entire first party quickly: remember, keeping the game going by fudging die rolls and what-not is not cheating. It's an important component of being a good DM. Any idiot can roll dice and blindly follow rules. The good ones concentrate on the story that is evolving.

Welcome back to the GM's guild. You might find this useful: http://roleplayingtips.com

If that isn't the beginning of a great D&D meets The Princess Bride type of story I don't know what is. It's a little difficult to picture Peter Falk as you, but it sounds like you're going to have a blast. Since I'm posting this on the 20th hopefully you already did. Thanks for sharing!

Will, Will,Will... you are such an amazing guy! No really, what you write is so personal and touching, you are a true inspiration to us all in every way. I've been writing a diary since i was nine- okay i'm only 16 now but i've filled 15 in that time. i've been globe trotting because of my Dad's work i have always felt a constant fear of forgetting the major and minor things that have happened to me, and just the things that have made me smile on a specific day- i'm sure you know exactly what i mean as you have just demonstrated that exact thing. Sigh... Ann is such a lucky woman as are Ryan and Nolan - as are we really. Just make sure you don't stop writing on the site and i'll make sure your fan club will grow over here in bonny Scotland!!!! Although (in the words of Vern Tessio) - "there's one thing i don't understand" what's wrong with Corey Feldman?!!!! JennX

Amazing Wil. What a beautiful moment in life. One question: What version of D&D are you playing?

Reading the bit about the 'Forbidden Dice' reminded me of Brent Sienna's line in PvP - "I've used these dice since 1986 and now you've gone and jinxed them."

I wish I could get more people into DnD...

I wonder who is looking forward to it more, you, or the kids?

You'll do fine, I'm sure. Just remember the best advice for any DM: +2 or -2 to a roll will handle most ad hoc situations. And the best advice for any dad: they'll love you no matter what just for trying.

Good luck!

My friends always rave about your site. I peek in now and again, but I'm a really sucky geek. I don't have dice. I never played D&D. The only Star Trek I've ever gotten into was the 70's version while still a kid and watching with my parents.

This, though...wow. This I can relate to. I turned 34 two days ago and it's not old but...when you look back, sometimes it feels old. What struck me the most was the thoughts between the words to Ryan. I have two kids who I want to amaze and thrill and be cool for. I want them to see my stuff and yet...save my stuff too, for when they're older.

I really, really enjoyed reading that. I should peek in more often! :)

I read your blog on a regular basis. I have never responded, but after reading this anecdote I have to post. That was so incredibly touching. I agree with ~D~ about the interior monologue, and that was a great glimpse into your heart, which seems huge. It is touching to hear that there are guys out there that love the children in their lives, who are not blood related, to that extent.

that is soooo sweet!
(insert violin music here)
:)

that is soooo sweet!
(insert violin music here)
:)

that is soooo sweet!
(insert violin music here)
:)

sorry 'bout that, kind of hit the "post" button too many times, haha...

Damn. You made me all teary-eyed. AGAIN! I have a three year old son, and on of my best friends and the best DM ever has a three year old daughter, and we fantasize openly about this very moment in our future. I will say it again, like I did in the audience at your panel at Comic-Con last year. "You ARE a Writer."

Can I play in your game? :)

Wil, they're going to grow up to be /horribly/ soft and spoiled if you keep pampering them like that. When -I- am a father, anyone who touches my dice will automatically lose 1/2 their current level's span of experience points, even if it means they lose a level.

Spare the exp. penalties, spoil the child, I always say.

Reminds me of the horror I had a few years back when my now 5 year old daughter got ahold of my dice from back in the day. [Still keep them in an old gold dicebag I got at a con almost 20 years ago.]

I can't wait [or at least hope for] the day I can teach her how to play.

Great post ....

Way down towards the end, so who knows if you'll read it, but that was great Wil.

I've been going through my old original 3 books to introduce my son to D&D myself. (Egads! Copyright 1979! With my name written in the front in case it should show up mysteriously in my brother's room. With notes in the Dungeon Master's guide from my mom from the first dungeon she ran!!!)

Pass on this bit of news to Sean Astin: My son named his character Samwise. ^_^

Although about 85% of this story went over my end, thanks for sharing such a personal moment. It was really sweet and hopefully, someday, Nolan will become the geek you proudly are... and perhaps you will both develop a secret, telepathic language. :)

- A new fan of WWDN (who somehow hasn't been receiving email notifications of new posts. Hmmm...)

Wil, you cannot leave us hanging like this. After writing perfectly about the joy in looking forward to this event, how'd it go?

Wil
great post!!
I havn't played D & D in more years than I care to admit , but hell I still got all my stuff all the old pc sheets, world maps, dungeon maps enerything all and all a set of files about a foot thick and add on a box of book that ways 50 lbs. or so
you got me to thinking about my old set of dice and damm I'm not sure where thare are black leather bag and draw string one set of black with silver numbers one set of clear with black numbers ( you need the right set of dice depending on what side of the aliment table you sat ) and a green d30 that I never really fig. out what to do with.
I hope your game went off well and I hope you the next time to play aready set up because you KNOW you will all have to play again soon
anyhow keep up the good work both with your writing and most inporten with your stepkids
peace out bro

Oh my god. My heart. Literally warmed. I wish they could bottle you and sell you in stores, Wil Wheaton.

Hey Wil, first time poster here.

I'm a big fan of your stuff now that I've become a regular reader here at WWDN. I even like most of the geek stuff I don't understand.

But hey, even the coolest of cats do silly, irrational things. So what's the deal with the damn dice? He's a kid. Your a grown man. If at your age you still find yourself obsessing about material possessions, you either haven't been married long enough or you need to grow up.

Now don't think I'm some old fart trying to talk down to you. I'm not. Were the same age. I just find it hard to teach kids the importance of sharing if we, as parents, are unable to be a good example.

Anyway, thanks for the mushy reading.

Wow... that's so sweet! I greatly envy your kids.

A couple of my friends just recently started teaching me to play D&D (got my very own dice just last weekend, as a matter of fact), and I can't believe how much fun it is! It's got to be ten times better having your dad show you how to play.

My job has turned into a LARP version of Paranoia. Luckily, Paranoia is being re-released this fall! That's a game to get the family hooked on.

Greetings, Troubleshooters!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/uclickcomics/20040216/cx_crstr_uc/crstr20040216&e=6
Corporate Radio for you.

I can see this happenign to Wil.

say, just as a total aside to kill time while the sponsorship page comes up, in may my boyfriend pete and i are going to the coachella music & arts festival in indios in calfornia. radiohead are headlining the first day and the pixies are reforming and this is the big kahuna show of their reformation. we are coming from sydney in australia to go and i was just thinking it might be another amazing thing to share with the boys - taking them to a music festival with one of your bands headlining.... we are so excited i can't even tell you. am so proud of the humanity you express with this site and everything else you do and am going to start looking in good bookshops in sydney soon for your books
j

I am so damned envious right now. I wish I was playing AD&D with you guys.

Wil, i know exactly how you feel. my husband and i love rpgs and we have been heavily into everquest for the ps2 for the past year. well this weekend he is going to help our six year old son set up his first charachter and they are both so excited about it!!! he still has all his dnd stuff from growing up to although ive only played once it was fun. maybe i should talk him into getting everything out. hmmmmm now theres a thought. cant wait until our 2 year old daughter gets interested!!! by the way wil, you are doing a great job as the boys dad, from reading your posts for the past year i can tell you really worry about these kids and being a good parent to them and believe me you are doing a wonderful job so don't stress to much. lots of love, brook

Wow. Best. Entry. Evar.

Yes, it's horribly cliched to say that, but it is true. I've been reading this site for a while now (only blog I read), and enjoy it immensely. The Geek Factor is one of the major reasons, and this is the first time I've really seen the Geek Factor intersect with the Family. These are two of the things you are most passionate about Wil (Anne and Writing being th other ones that I really enjoy reading about). You always write so incredibly well about the things that you are passionate about.

I have a daughter going on 4 and a son that just turned two. The boy is interested in the dice, and my daughter likes the dice and is excited that I told her we'd be buying her a set of dice for her own. I cannot wait to introduce them to the joy that is gaming. You are lucky to have two kids that are interested in it.

I had tears in my eyes reading this post as well. My folks weren't geeky, but were very cool about such things, trying to involve me in things that interested them. Much like an earlier poster, my father always had me out in the garage. I treasure both the time spent and the skills learned and plan to have my two out in the garage with me when they're old enough.

Thank you for being such an inspiring geek and for sharing it with us, especially the internal monologue.

I don't know if you listen to country music at all..but if not, there is at least one song that you HAVE to listen to. It's called "He Didn't Have To Be" by Brad Paisley. It's about a boy and his step-father. It's really great. I think that you would appreciate the meaning behind it. :) Have a great day. :)

Check out satellite photos of George W's ranches:

W's Ranch in Texas

and mansion

W's Mansion

Now we know what money can buy - aka the american presidency.

Wil, and anybody else reading this "later" :-)

Wow :-) Gosh :-) Super and then some :-) You guys and gals sure do know how to pull the heart strings. Thank you :-)

In words I learned from the movie "Little Big Man": "You make my heart sing" Hope and love abound :-) In words of ST. Exupery "If you want to build a ship, don't dream up people to collect wood and don't assign them jobs, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." We do want to build a "ship", each of us. The ship is different for each of us, maybe, but seeing the RPG torch being passed sure does reward us when and as it happens. My sons grew up with RPG and because my path was different I couldn't join him--hell, I was almost 41 when he was born so "it ain't my fault"--but maybe now I can, maybe now I can :-)

Hummer Pleshe, 67 :-) So?! :-)

I echo the teary sentiment expressed by others; and I'm forwarding the link on.

Please keep up abreast on the campaign!

I wish my dad had taken an interest in some of the things I was interested in when I was younger. Way to go Will!

Oh, and PLEASE keep us updated on the campaign! It sounds like it could be a lot of fun!

hi! tthis entry really touched me. ryan and nolan are the luckiest kids i the world. i really needed (still do) someone like you while i was growing up ... ;) thanks. great blog.

There's something completely special about one's very first bag of dice. I didn't own my own til I was 32 (they're the malachite dwarven stones), but I don't love them any less.

This story reminded me of that, of how my husband used to carry his dice bag with him EVERYWHERE when we first met, and of how I eased into a friendship with my own stepfather.

Thanks for sharing, and for making me smile.

Wil,
It seems that you are turning into a great father. Keep up the fun work.

FG

Sounds like a fun night! Let us know how it comes out! I may not know exactly what you're talking about, but your kids are really lucky!!
Ilya

So..?
How'd it go??! Come on Wil, don't keep us all in suspense!
Lis in Aus :)

Wow. I never knew something so geeky could be so heart warming. I have tears in my eyes.

Remeber these great times with the kids. When they have done something wrong, it will keep you from getting really mad. I think it is great that you have something the "DAD" cant take over and isn't sports. Not that my 2 cents is worth a lot, but I am proud for you as a dad. I also am proud that you are helping a friend in need, and brightening her day.

Have you ever played Rifts? I've never played any role-playing games like D&D, but I once read a guidebook for Rifts and thought it looked awesome.

So when are you going to tell us how their first gaming session went?

Those are the memories that last a lifetime. And there's nothing more heartwarming than recalling them years later.

Hope y'all aren't getting the flash floods that we've got here, down at Camp Pendleton.

update stupid!

Come on people, relax. It's possible that the gaming session didn't go so well, or went badly, and Wil doesn't want to spill to a bunch of strangers. Sometimes kids find that the rule mechanics are boring or annoying, and they just don't get into it. It's also possible that kids who have grown up playing (video) games which are (at least in principle) objective, get frustrated when they perceive that the DM (a close family member in this case) is playing favorites.

I'm sure that we'll get the story In The Fullness Of Time(TM).

God above Wil. I absolutely want to cry. I have a step bitch instead of a stepdad and if I had had a step dad, I would have loved for him to be someone like you who looks at his step children as his own and loves them as his own in stead of being jealous of them as my step bitch was of me and my sister.

You're an awesome dad and a wonderful example to those out there with step children or those who are getting ready to inherit some step children.

This is so great, Wil. My dh has declared one night a week D&D night in March. I played a long time ago with him, our ds10 has never played. My dh has *his* dice as well. They are safely protected in a small purple Crown Royal bag.

29 yr. old male gamer, professional, married.
Just suckered a bunch of my fellow married professionals (doctors, web designers, managers, etc.) into getting back into D&D (or trying it for the 1st time) with me.
Playing v3.0, switching to 3.5 one of these months.
Got lots of extra dice sets in purple Crown Royal bags that I am happy to share, but I get to keep the pretties for myself.
MY PRECIOUS!
Great post Wil, keep carrying the torch. We luv ya!

Wil,

One day I can only hope to be as cool as you. I doubt, however there's that much cool left in the world.

I just wanted to say that this entry made me tear up a bit . You see, my husband is also a proud , self proclaimed geek ..and I absolutley love him for it . I saw alot of him , and the way he will be with our children someday in this entry .
Last year we spent a month in Flordia with my family , and my fondest memory of the experience? Sitting around the table with my younger brother , my husband , and all of us helping my mother roll up her very first character, an Elven Archer . Good Times.

And the Geek goes on ..

~Erin

Gods bless people who understand dice privelege. (And make sure Ryan knows that a nine isn't as bad as it gets...just be careful where you put it! *grin*)

I sincerely hope the Ryan comes through with a set of appropriately sarcastic in-charcter comments during the game, or he'll have his teenager permit revoked.

I re-discovered gaming about three years ago at 32. Your story gave me goosebumps. Thanks!

Cool article!!!

I saw this column in Dungeon and my inner math geek feels compelled to point out that Ryan's choice to re-roll the 11 was correct since the expected value of 4d6 throwing away the lowest roll is about 12.2.

Truly touching. My boyfriend recently re-entered his son's life on a permanent basis. We had postponed our campaign for a few weeks until the child I affectionately call 'the boy' got situated in his new surroundings. Everything for both of them is a first. First day at new school, first time downtown, first bus ride, etc. We're so used to it we joke about it. Last night we decided to call the group and get the campaign going again. I don't think I ever could have understood the pride/joy/overwhelming emotion my boyfriend must have felt when the boy asked him 'can i play?' But you got awfully close. Thank you.

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