I have two names on the journal; Swivl, and Hazard Stormwalker (for my character of the same name). The thing is, after starting the game the second week of May, we're as of now almost halfway done with the game. If you think that's a while, well, we're ahead of the game so far, as the original adventure was published over the course of a year.
It's still a bit troubling, though, as my group could use more cohesion. I have a power gamer mixing in with people who aren't nearly as interested as he is in character optimization. The result, usually, is that he takes attention away from the other players, not giving them too many chances to shine in their roles (killing all the monsters, finding all the traps and secret doors, seeing all the enemies through their disguises and hiding spots, etc.). I could go on for days on the subject, but the point is that my job as mediator is very difficult, and this group can potentially split, leaving our power gamer behind. I'd rather find a way to make all involved happier, but I know it may be an impossible task.
While this is going on, I'm still writing my own game, albeit slowly. I decided on a good goalpost, though; as soon as I get the disciplines up and running, I'll convert an oldie-but-goodie module to work with my game system: the original Ravenloft I6 from AD&D. It's the definitive horror adventure, and possibly the best adventure ever written. My game isn't intended to be like D&D, but I thought that this is still a good idea because I didn't want to introduce too many new things at once to whoever tests this game out with me. Plus, since the adventure itself borrows heavily from many horror classics, the atmosphere of the game will be familiar regardless of experience with tabletop RPGs.
After my seat at the Game Master's chair is relinquished, it is likely that I will stay out of it for quite some time. I'm looking forward to the adventure, as well as its conclusion, because now I have a plan of action for what I do next.
