As faithful readers of my blog will know, it is no secret that I have dabbled in the dark art of Dungeons and Dragons.

I must admit that I have been drawn again to the siren song of fantasy role-playing games (RPG).

However, I’d like to take a cautious step into the unfamiliar, blossoming world of other RPG games, to a world outside D&D, perhaps to a world without tragedy — where a gnome thief in his underpants getting bit by a rat and nearly dying is only a troubled teen’s fanciful nightmare.

At this point, I’m considering two possible options for my new RPG adventures.

I’m intrigued by RuneQuest, the RPG Royal Crown Cola to D&D’s Coke.

I have taken an interest in this particular game module.

I tremble at the description of the world I may be thrust in:

“Taint is evil. It is a corruption so deep that it warps the very plane of reality.”

I have one more fantasy RPG I am also considering — Werewolf: the Apocalypse. I am having some difficulties following the elaborate details of this wondrous game, but this particular entry caught my eye in the game’s House Rules:

Triatic Taint – This rule covers Wyrm-Taint, Wyld-Taint and Weaver-Taint. As described in the Player’s Guide to the Garou, Taint is a trait ranging between 1 and 5 dots. When sensory Gifts are used to detect Taint, the difficulty, normally left vague in the books, acts upon the following base of 9-Taint level. Thus a Fomor with 3 Taint is detected with a 6 difficulty unless other modifiers apply. STs and Assistants may determine what outside factors will affect this difficulty such as ambient triatic energies and assign a modifier at their discretion. Detecting a Gorgon is obviously much easier in the midst of a factory than in the middle of an insane asylum. Levels of Taint for various character types are listed in the FAQs relating to those character types, but a ‘generic’ possessed creature with no Autonomy trait can generally be assumed to have about 3 dots of Taint unless specified otherwise. Characters with the Touched Background also have one dot of Taint per level of the Background.

I’ll keep you informed as to my decision. As Marachi Zed Caracas, 3rd Level Ranger of Ooln once said, “T’aint a decision to be taken lightly, me lads.”