The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 02, 2005, Page 13, Image 13
Role-playing games gain popularity on campus
James Hichson
FOR THE GAMECOCK
Students come alone or
arrive in groups to a dark
secluded part of the USC
campus. Some are dressed in T
shirts and jeans, or in black, but
others look as if they came out
of a history book, and some
even have fangs. They greet
each other cordially, and begin
to talk of strange matters, and
of blood.
They are not real vampires,
but students participating in
live-action role-play, a form of
role-playing game where
players form troupes to act out
the actions of their characters.
The students in question are
playing a form of the game
“Vampire: The Requiem.”
“It’s close to improv,” said
Derrick Holladay, one of the
game’s organizers. “You have
the basics of the characters, and
the situations, but there is no
script as to what everyone will
do; instead you act and react as
if you were the character you
are portraying.”
Brenna White, a second-year
theatre student, said, “I feel like
building and playing the
characters helps me to get more
practice as an actress.”
“Vampire; The Requiem”
was created by White Wolf, a
gaming company known for its
“World of Darkness” series,
which focuses on role-playing
in a horror setting. Other titles
in the series include “Werewolf:
The Forsaken” and “Mage: The
Awakening.” The game focuses
on predominantly goth-punk
settings for the games,
reminiscent of Anne Rice’s
“Vampire Chronicles” series.
Despite the name of the
game, players say no one
actually gets bitten in the game.
“Physical contact is
prohibited without express
permission,” HoUaday said.
Unlike most role-playing where
the game play is mostly combat
based, “Vampire: The Requiem”
is primarily focused on social
and political interaction
between a community of
vampires. Combat is allowed,
but it is rare.
“Instead of actual fighting,
we put any and aU conflicts into
a mathematical system,” said
Gregory Nitchals, a fourth-year
philosophy student and the
game’s main coordinator and
storyteller. The storyteller’s
duties are to resolve conflicts
that characters cannot resolve
on their own, as well as describe
to players the situation and
setting they are playing in at the
beginning of a session. When
combat cannot be resolved by
character statistics (determined
during character creation)
alone, cards numbering one to
10 are used.
“Sometimes people will
enjoy playing their character so
much that they will begin to
believe they are that character,”
said Holladay, who quickly
pointed out this is rare and has
never happened with this
group, “but when it does, the
standard response is to
immediately ban that person
from further participation until
they get some professional
help.”
USC’s campus group*
Columbia Underground, looks
to eventually, become part of
the national White Wolf troupe
network known as the
Camarilla. By joining this
network, players’ characters
would be playable in games all
over the nation and at
conventions. Columbia
Underground has 25 members;
about 15 are active in the
troupe.
The group occasionally gets
some odd stares and questions
from observers and passersby
during the game.
“It takes some time for
people to take the idea all in, so
it doesn’t surprise me
sometimes,” Nitchals said.
When asked if they
, considered their hobby geeky,
the players had mixed reactions.
“Geeky? I don’t know about
that. It’s enjoyable, helps me
and my friends unwind, and
doesn’t hurt anyone, which are
the only things that matter to
me,” Holladay said.
• “I’d call it ‘geeky’ based on
two things,” Nitchals said.
“The first part is that some
basic math is involved and is
used to extrapolate meaning in
a symbolic fashion. That can be
a bit much for people new to it.
Also, you act like some other
character, just like an actor in a
play. Seeing someone do that
can appear ‘geeky’ as welt to the
unaware.”
Those interested In joining
the troupe can e-mail
Columbia. underground@gmail.
com.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gtvm.sc.edu
From Autumn to Ashes
Today
FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES, BOY SETS
FIRE, THE ESOTERIC, BIOLOGY: 7
p.m. New BrooklandTavern, 122
State St., $12, all ages
“A SEAT AT THE TABLE”: 7 p.m.
Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main
St., panel discussion to follow
screening, $5.50 with student
ID
MR. B'S GOODTIME KARAOKE: 8
p.m. Art Bar, 1221 Park St., no
cover, over 21 only
Thursday
“THE NATIVE WORD,” “GOODNIGHT
IRENE,” “YELLOW WOODEN RING": 9
p.m. Nickelodeon Theatre
DAVE BARNES: 9 p.m. Jammin’
Java, 1530 Main St., $8, all ages
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Bucket
5 Muslim faith
10 Basics
14 Former science
magazine
15 Weeper of myth
16 Cutlet meat
17 Soft-toy stuff
18 Lubricating goo
20 Deliberately
undeveloped
park area
22 Messed up
23 Clark’s Lane
24 Tank filler
25 Wooden slat
28 Bishops’
jurisdictions
33 Exact copy
34 Book before
Micah
35 Pampering letters
36 Boffo review
37 Lacks
3b_Abby
39 Had a bite
40 Takes the bus
41 Look after
42 Long golf holes
44 Rudely watched
45 Sturgeon eggs
46 Give the once
over
47 Icy rain
50 Stray felines
55 Walker
57 Actor Baldwin
58 Nasty
59 Play to the
balcony
60 Island off Scotland
61 Populous place
62 Units of force
63 Viper collective
DOWN
1 Pioneer video
game
2 Part of OAS
3 Memo starter
4 Deep-sea diver’s
connection
5 Soon
6 Crapshooter’s
boxcars
7 Recline lazily
, 8 Assist in crime
9 Ryan or Foster
© 2005Tribune Media Services, Inc. 11/05/05
All rights reserved.
10 Disinclined
11 Wall Street
pessimist
12 Attache, e.g.
13 Husky pull
19 Stick 'em up!
21 Zilch
24 Billy or kid
25 Abandon
26 Rio de la_
27 Paramour
28 Prescribed
amounts
29 Tour guide
listings
30 Take the tiller
31 Make jubilant
32 Young haddock
34 Mick Jagger’s
daughter
37 Active place
38 TV Superman
40 Public uproars
41 Remain
43 Without limits
44 Emotional
outbursts
46 Candidate list
Solutions
i s 3 rTM1TITnT|TTa"MT i| i |o
V N O ~F 3 1 O 1AI 3 MB ~l I A3
0 3 1 ~v1Bn~ V I d ijs 3 0 3d
" i v _o A A A 1 vB1 3 3 1 £
mju v o sjMjT o ITpMMB
a 3 d v i sis 3 a i Tm v d
oi33 ABBs 3 a i ApBT i v
d v 3 aBBi n s v hMT a v d
_o AaB-^———iB^AAAA
s 3 sJT o o i "aJ^AA 1 d £
pHHA a A A Ap
a 3 d d ~3pl^ 13 9 n A A A A
3 S V 3 d[9 3 1 X ~vllT d 3 N
3 V 3 A lU 3 9 0 I Nil N Al 0
s | o 1 g 1 vB^MTr?tTMT[TTVt^
47 Construction
detail, briefly
48 Dolly of “Hello,
Dolly!”
49 Improve copy
50 Private
organization?
51 Maned cat
52 Burn balm
53 Sawbucks
54 Jazz singer’s
talent
56 Tycoon
Turner
Quigmans ♦ By Buddy Hickerson
“I’m sorry you don’t feel well, honey,
but how do you expect me to make
my spaghetti without garlic?”
A College Girt Named Joe _ _by Aaron Warner
SO WHEN 1701
GET TO MEET THIS HE'S
NEWPOVFRI&iP COMING
OF YOURS, MONYA? OVER AGAIN
\_ TONIGHT/
/
ICWnPEUEVEYOU
MtkMYPRmP.
i wean rrs weirp wm?
JUST SEEING YOU rvtHAP
THIS WAY. LOTS Of
POYFRlEHfS.
1
s
1
2
2
2 i
I KNOW,
PUT USUALLY NOT
ONE AT A
WHM Is ThB? “oRcMc OcotluT
CRjaW?! ' NEXT DooKMV m
JCOt-SgE StWCIte^!
kin^scze snooKce Bars
OUTAIH WDRdGenatEd CHS
YouR Bodies domt e*en vm
horoscopes
ARIES You’re good at financial
planning now, and setting long
term goals. Resist the temptation
to spend it all now. That would
not be wise.
TAURUS OK, you can defend
yourself if you think it’s necessary.
Don’t waste a bunch of energy,
though, shouting at someone
who’s not listening.
GEMINI Again, you’re overloaded.
The end should be almost in sight.
Set up a date to be whisked away
on an adventure this weekend.
CANCER It’s quite possible that a
person you care very much about
wants every minute of your time.
■ 1J-.1..—
Acquiesce.
LEO Stability might be what you
want, but interestingly, you’re
more likely to get controversy.
Never a dull moment.
VIRGO Gather information from
afar, but don’t go over there.
Figure out a way to get them to
send it to you.
LIBRA Abundance is yours, but as
you well know, you can turn
plethora into dearth. Don’t goof
around; be frugal, even if you’re
feeling flush.
SCORPIO You can afford to be
compassionate. You oyi afford to
be nice. Besides, those qualities
SAGITTARIUS You’re under
pressure to act quickly, but don’t
be impetuous. If you don’t
approve of what’s being done,
stall.
CAPRICORN It might be difficult
to hear a small voice with all the
applause. Be listening for it. That’s
where your attention should be
directed.
AQUARIUS One person insists
upon compliance. Another person
rebels. You can be the referee.
Help them to fight fair.
PISCES Don’t fall for a deal that’s
too good to be true. Readt the fine
print, and check the