Drinking During An RP Session

[Turhan's Bey Company]

I don't go in for alcohol at all, myself, and now that I think on it, I don't think I've ever gamed with anyone who showed any inclination to drink more than a beer or two. People in my gaming circle over the past couple of decades have never been great drinkers, but I suspect even more than that everybody I game with has to drive home afterwards. Nobody drinks much if for no other reason than because it's just not safe.

[Joe]

In my last group, no-one drank a drop. In my current group, pretty much everyone has either a glass of wine or two, or a beer or two, during the session, just as they would at a dinner party. It works well for us.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Kromm

The thing that bugs me most about alcoholic beverages is the drink service. People who drink soda usually consume it from plastic bottles that can be re-capped. People who drink alcohol have wine glasses, cocktail glasses, and glass beer bottles. Gaming being what it is, people are reaching all over the place, flipping through books and throwing dice. I can cope with spills – they happen whether or not you're gaming and whether or not alcohol is present – but not with broken glassware. Around klutzy gamers, I've actually said, "Let's have a drink before we start," just to avoid the risk.

Being a barbarian I drink wine and beer from the same tumblers I use for soda, so it's no more of an issue with alcohol than without.

My groups are a fairly dry bunch, but from time to time one or more of us might have a beer or a glass of wine when gaming, rather than drinking soda, coffee, or tea. The soda drinkers are probably the ones with the least healthy drinking habit, because they tend to drink a lot more than the rest of us.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Rupert

The soda drinkers are probably the ones with the least healthy drinking habit, because they tend to drink a lot more than the rest of us.

The evidence that modest alcohol consumption has more beneficial effects than detrimental ones is firming up; it isn't solid yet, but it's looking to be likely. The evidence that soda with sugar in it is purely detrimental is solid and undisputed. To quote my physician, "If you must drink something that isn't water, a glass of wine is a much better choice than a Coke."

And contrary to common belief, fruit juice isn't really a great choice, either; it's only a tiny bit better than that Coke. At least fermented fruit juice (wine) somewhat clears out the arteries . . .

Coffee is apparently a really good choice, but those of us who game in the evening tend to avoid it for practical reasons. Though I've found that in daytime games where coffee is less of an issue for one's sleep, it's a far worse influence than alcohol on the quality of gaming. Caffeine-buzzed gamers are irritable and impatient.

[Þorkell]

I have no issue with anyone drinking during a session provided that person keeps it under control. however, I've never drunk alcohol during a game, but that's because I drive to games.

[gibberingmouther]

i had a couple drunken experiences with Neverwinter Nights 2. one was while my character was in a crypt and there were a bunch of shadows. i got a tingly feeling down my back ... and i was really drunk. i don't remember what i had drank, but it was a lot of alcohol. my dad said when i came up from the basement, "you're pretty f-ed up, aren't you". it was memorable for whatever reason. probably just because of how drunk i was and still managing to play a video game.

more interestingly is my other drunken experience with Neverwinter Nights 2. i had like 11 beers. or maybe 10. i had an altered state experience where i thought i was like a peasant whose village was being invaded and destroyed (this happens at the beginning of the game).

i liked NWN and NWN 2 ... i used the NWN 2 toolset to write the dialogue for the computer game i'm still developing. 30 pages of it!

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by gibberingmouther

i had a couple drunken experiences with Neverwinter Nights 2.

I don't know that this is something I'd really be proud of, and in any event it's off-topic here - this forum is for tabletop games. Bring it back around, please.

[(E)]

Drinking copious amounts of coffee at the gaming table has to be responsible for the majority of the damage my gaming books have taken over the years.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by (E)

Drinking copious amounts of coffee at the gaming table has to be responsible for the majority of the damage my gaming books have taken over the years.

I don't use coffee either, but for different reasons. Alcohol terrifies me (the older generation of my family were mostly alcoholic), but coffee just tastes unspeakably vile. I get my caffeine from Diet Dr. Pepper, now that Coke Zero has gone off the market. . . .

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard

Maybe it's different for boardgaming, but I don't mind if people drink at my table. If someone drank to excess, we would have a discussion, but generally no one has more than one or two unless it's a marathon session, and I trust my friends to know their limits and not to protest if I have to step in and summon an Uber or pour them onto my guest bed.

It's different in my experience. And in what I'll tolerate at the table.

In boardgames, the impairing effects are problematic for me - I'm so motivated to win, the impairment is unacceptable. Also, I'm often teaching the game, and a drink impedes that. Also, I'm quite intolerant of any beverages on the table with boardgames - my friends are often broke, and cannot replace anything they damage, so beverages don't go on the table. Likewise, I want my win to be because I'm a better player, not because I'm less intoxicated, so I discourage opponents from imbibing.

In RPGs, most of what's on the table is player-owned, water-resistant (dice, minis, laminated maps), or easily replaced (character sheets). So I don't mind beverages on the table. Further, the effects of light drinking are beneficial to many players' willingness to actually get in character. (anything past 2, and the system better be simple for the players.)