Passing the Torch

For the last two and a half decades I have played role playing games for many reasons, but mostly for my own enjoyment. However, over the last couple of years, my oldest son Michael has played an increasing role in my gaming. He has added an entire new dimension to my hobby which has brought us together in ways that I had not foreseen.  I get a sense of pride when I see him enjoying the games that have meant so much to me over the years. Away from the gaming table, I have found that he will communicate with me more, sharing his thoughts and feelings with me as though I am a trusted friend. This is very strange behavior for a teenage boy. I know that he is learning something that will serve him the rest of his life, just as it has in mine. There is something magical about passing the torch, even if I am reluctant to let go entirely.

Michael takes after his old man in many ways. He is a large youth, with a charming smile, a generous heart, and a jovial soul. He is almost six feet tall, and at thirteen, he still has a lot of growing to do. He still has a lot of maturing to do too, and has a bit of “silly boy” left in him that expresses itself in various ways at the gaming table; usually at the discomfort of the other players. Sometimes he will run off on some childish tangent that involves cartoonish humor, flapping arms, and copious amounts of noise. Other players expect him to act his size, not his age. It’s like looking through a time machine. Was I that silly when I started playing? Looking back I honestly can’t remember very well, but I hope so.

We have the best conversations on the way home from the game. After we recount the night’s adventure, he inevitably asks me for advice about something going on in school, or I’ll ask him about how things are and we talk for the next twenty minutes about stuff. He would be embarrassed to know that his father is sharing this with the world, but as his father, it makes me very proud. It’s easy to take these small moments for granted, but I know that they are precious.

This experience will be very valuable for him as he has set his sights on being a video game designer. He is learning about all of the elements and important details that will make him great one day. Maybe he will go on to design the digital wonder that will finally connect the tabletop and virtual experience. I teach him to dream big and take small steps, so who knows, he just may. He is soaking in the math, story weaving, character development, and social dynamics that make this game so amazing. I always point out the details that two decades of running games teaches you, allowing him to advance his perspective. I guess you could say that I am grooming him to be a great game master, but it just feels like fun to me.

Every session we play together, I know we are getting closer and closer to the next big milestone. The day when he lovingly crafts his first adventure and we role dice again from opposite sides of the table. Maybe, if I am lucky, but it may be more likely that he will have his own group by then. Friends he has made playing this peculiar game of imagined worlds and shared perils. Maybe he will just ask my advice and pencil in a few changes suggested by the old man. Either way I know he will make his mark on our community, after he takes up the torch, and the game will be better for it.

Tags: Gamer Dad, Role Playing Games, RPG