Inthebooks,WildCardsDayiscelebratedeverySeptember15,inmemoryofSeptember15,1946,thedaythatJetboyspokehisimmortallastwordswhileDr.TodloosedanalienvirusoverManhattan.Inreallife,September15,1946happenstobethedaythatHowardWaldropwasborn andHoward,coincidentally,wrote“ThirtyMinutesOverBroadway,”theopeningstoryofthefirstWildCardsbook,whereinalltheseeventstakeplace.
Inthebooks,September20isadayofnospecialnote.Inreallife,however,itmarksthedayofmybirth,twoyearsandfivedaysafterH’ard.September20isthetrueWildCardsDay.Itwasonthatdayin1983thatVicMilangavemearole-playinggamecalledSuperworldasabirthdaypresent,therebyunknowinglyplantingthefirstseedoftheWildCardsuniverse.
AsIunwrappedthatgift,Iwasstillarelativeinnocentwhererole-playinggameswereconcerned.Mindyou,Ihadplayedplentyofgamesovertheyears.Ihadpaidmybillsdirectingchesstournamentsintheearly’80s,whiletryingtoestablishmyselfasanSFwriter.BeforethatIhadbeencaptainofmycollegechessteam,andofmyhighschoolchessteambeforethat.Role-playinghadnotyetbeeninventedwhenIwasakid,butwehadcheckersandSorryandParcheesiforrainydays,andHideandSeekandRingoleavioandOhO’Clockforwarmsummerevenings.
Althoughmyparentsneverownedahouse,thatdidnotstopmefrombuildingvastrealestateempiresacrossaMonopolyboard.TherewasBroadsideandStrategoaswell,andallthroughchildhoodIneverlostagameofRisk(Ialwayscommandedtheredarmies,andrefusedtoplayifdenied“my”color).Afterawhilenoneofmyfriendsdaredtofaceme,soI’dsetuptheboardinthebedroomandfightwarsagainstmyself,playingallsixarmies,inventingkingsandgeneralstocommandthem,merrilyinvading,attacking,andbetrayingmyselfforhours.Andmaybethatwasrole-playingofsorts,nowthatIcometothinkofit.
ButitwasnotuntilIarrivedinNewMexicoin1980thatIbegantogameregularly.SomeoftheAlbuquerquewritershadasmallgaminggroup,andtheyinvitedmetocomesitinonasession.Iwasprettydubiousatthetime.IhadseenkidsplayingD&Datcons,pretendingtobeThongortheBarbarianandPipsqueaktheHobbitwhilekillingmonstersandlookingfortreasure.Ihadreadtoomuchbadswordandsorceryinmyyouthforthattohavemuchappeal.Andtherewerealltheseweirdlyshapeddiceyouhadtorolltodeterminewhetheryoulivedordied.Iwouldsoonerhavejoinedaweeklypokergameoranon-goinggameofDiplomacy.Iwasmuchtoooldandsophisticatedforthisrole-playingstuff,afterall.Still,ifthiswaswhatthelocalwriterswereinto,IfiguredImightaswellgiveitatry.
Famouslastwords,those.
ThisAlbuquerquegaminggroupincludedWalterJonWilliams,VictorMilan,JohnJos.Miller,hiswifeGailGerstnerMiller,andMelindaM.Snodgrass,allofwhomwouldeventuallybecomeimportantcontributorstotheWildCardsanthologies.RoyceWidemanandJimMoorewerealsopartofthegroup,andmyownsweetladyParrisjoinedinwithme.Atthetimewegotinvolved,thegangwasmostlyplayingaCallofCthulhucampaignrunbyWalter,andlessfrequentlyVic’sMorrowProjectscenario,sothosewerethefirsttwogamesIsampled.
Theyweregreatfun andnothinglikeIhadimaginedrole-playingtobe.Ihadfalleninwithwriters,andthesegameswerestories.PlayingWalter’sgamewaslikesteppingintothepagesofanH.P.Lovecraftstory,exceptthatthecharactersweremorefullyrealizedthanLovecraft’severwere.Therewastriumphandtragedy,heroismandcowardice,loveaffairsandbetrayals,andeverynowandagainashuggoth,too.OurweeklysessionswerepartcommunalstorytellingandpartImprovTheater,partgrouptherapyandpartmasspsychosis,partadventureandpartsoapopera.Wecreatedsomewonderfulcharactersandlivedinsidethem,andmanyanightneverrolledthosefunnytwenty-sideddiceatall.
Afterafewmonths,Ibegantomakenoisesaboutwantingtotryandrunagamemyself.Asmuchfunastheplayerswerehaving,itseemedtomethattheGMwashavingevenmore.Hewasthecreator,theconductorleadingtheorchestra,theteamcaptainandtheopposingteamrolledupinoneomnipotentpackage.“God,”thegroupcalledourGMs.Whodoesn’twanttoplaygod?IfinallysuccumbedtothetemptationsanddesignedmyownCthulhuadventureforthegang.OnceIhadtastedthejoysofgodhoodtherewasnoturningback… eventhoughthisparticularlotofplayersweresodamnedsharpthattheyunraveledthecentralmysteryofmygameaboutsixteenminutesintotheaction.
Thatwasmoreorlesswherethingstoodwhenmybirthdayrolledaround,andVicgavemethatfatalcopyofSuperworld.Theganghadtriedanothersuperherogamebeforemytimeandhadn’tlikeditmuch butthiswasanewsystem,andVicknewthatIwasacomicbookfanfromwayback.IhadcutmyteethonfunnybookswhilegrowingupinBayonne,NewJersey.SupermanandBatmanhadmoretodowithmelearningtoreadthanDickandJaneeverdid,andthefirststoriesIeverpublishedwereamateursuperhero“textstories”inthedittoedcomicfanzines.Superworldseemedmadeforme,andmeforSuperworld.
Whathappenednextwasalmostscary.Icameupwithacampaignandmyfriendscameupwithcharacters,andwebegantoplay,andbeforeanyofusknewwhatwashappeningSuperworldhadswallowedusall.Atfirstwewereplayingonceaweek,alternatingSuperworldwithsessionsofWalter’sgameorVic’s.ButsoonwestoppedplayingMorrowProjectentirely,andthen…CallofCthulhuaswell.
ItwasallSuperworld.Wewouldassembleatsuppertime,playuntiltwoorsometimesthreeinthemorning,thenpost-mortemthegamewehadjustplayedforanotherhourorso.ManyatimedawncaughtmewhileIwasdrivinghomefromAlbuquerquetoSantaFe.Withinhalfayearwewereplayingtwiceaweek,withonecampaignrunninginAlbuquerqueandasecondinSantaFe,andthesameplayersparticipatinginboth.Once,atanespeciallydullSFcon,weadjournedtomyroomandplayedSuperworldallweekend,leavingthegametodoourpanelsandreadingsandthenrushingback.
AnumberofcharacterswhowouldlatergracetheWildCardsbooksmadetheirfirstappearancesinthosegames,albeitinearly“roughdraft”versionssignificantlydifferentfromtheirlaterselves.Melinda’sfirstcharacterwasTopper,butaTopperwhohadonlyhercostumeincommonwiththebitplayerwhowouldappearinAceintheHole.Walter’sfirstbornwasBlackShadow,withpowersandpersonalitybothratherdifferentfromhislaterWildCardsincarnation.Inthegame,ShadwasthebrotherofVic’scharacter,whowouldbecometheHarlemHammeroftheanthologies.ChipWidemanplayedasuccessionofsurlyantiheroesandthesweet-naturedToadManbeforedevisingCryptKicker,toxicshit-kickerfromhell.JohnJ.MillerhadNightmare,whoneverdidmakeitintothebooks.AndJimMoore well,IcouldtellyouaboutJimMoore’scharacters,butifIdidthePCpolicewouldhavetokillyou.ThefirstincarnationofHiramWorchesterwaspurecomicrelief:awell-meaningoafwhofoughtcrimefromablimpandcalledhimselfFatman.AndtheprimordialTurtlemighthavehadTomTudbury’sname,power,andshell,buthesharednoneofhishistoryorpersonality.
Manyoftheseearlycreationswereretiredwhentheplayersgotabetterfeelforthecampaign,andforthenuancesoftheSuperworldrules.Topperhunguphertophat,BlackShadowfadedbackintotheshadows,theHarlemHammerwentbacktorepairingmotorcycles.InplaceofShad,WalterintroducedModularManandhismadcreator.VicMilanunveiledCap’nTripsandallofhisfriends,andJohnMillerbroughtinYeomantodisplaceNightmare.Someoftheganghadgottenitrightonthefirsttry,though;GailneverplayedanyonebutPeregrine,andParriswasElephantGirlfromthestart;thebookversionofRadhaO’Reillyasprettymuchacloneoftheearliergameversion.
Thegamewasdeeplyandseriouslyaddictiveforallofus butformemostofall.Iwasgod,whichmeantIhadlotsofplanningandpreparationtodobeforetheplayersevenarrived.Thegameatetheirnightsandtheirweekends,butitatemylife.Formorethanayear,Superworldconsumedme,andduringthattimeIwrotealmostnothing.InsteadIspentmydayscomingupwithingeniousnewplottwiststofrustrateanddelightmyplayers,androllingupstillmorevillainstobedevilthem.Parrisusedtolistenatmyofficedoor,hopingtoheartheclickingofmykeyboardfromwithin,onlytoshudderattheominousrattleofdice.
Itoldmyselfitwaswriter’sblock.Mylastbook,anambitiousrockandrollfantasycalledTheArmageddonRag,hadfaileddismallydespitegreatreviews,andmycareerwasinthedumps,enoughtoblockanyone.Lookingbacknow,though,it’splaintoseethatIwasn’tblockedatall.Iwascreatingcharactersanddevisingplotseveryday,likeamanpossessed.Itwastheoppositeofbeingblocked.Iwasinacreativefrenzy,ofthesortIsometimesexperiencedonthehomestretchofanovel,whentherealworldseemstofadeawayandnothingmattersbutthebookyouarelivingbydayanddreamingofbynight.Thatwasexactlywhatwashappeninghere,onlytherewasnobook …yet.Therewasonlythegame.
Idon’tknowjustwhenmyfeverbroke,orwhy.Maybemysteadilydiminishingbankaccountandrapidlyincreasingdebthadsomethingtodowithit.Ilovedthegame,IlovedallthesewonderfulcharactersthatmyfriendandIhadcreated,IlovedtheegobooIgotfrommyplayersafterandespeciallyexcitingsession butIlovedhavingahousetolivein,too,whichmeantIhadtokeepmakingthosepeskymortgagepayments.Andgodhood,intoxicatingasitwas,didnotpay.
Thusitwasthatoneday,whilerollingupyetanotherbatchofreallyniftyvillains,Isaidthemagicwords”There’sgottobesomewaytomakesomemoneyfromthis.”
Itturnedouttherewas… butforthatstory,you’llneedtocomebacknextmonth.
ByGeorgeR.R.Martin
