Why do we do it?

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

So, why do we play rpgs? Why do we gm rpgs? Or larps or pbems, if you prefer?

I'm not asking for abstract reasons. I'm asking for up to 10 moments in an rpg -- or larp or pbem, if you prefer -- that you point to and say, "That. That's why."

Comments

[mneme]

1. In Cthuhlupunk, The Firemaker vs Glacki stories.
2. Quetly storming out of a room in the Arisia Mad Scientists game.
3. In Altclair, The Michael story where he retrieved Delilah's soul.
4. In Cthulhupunk, The moment when I realized that Firemaker was going to go back in time for Margeret -- that someone who had made a marriage as a joke had fallen for his own lies -- and been transformed.
5. Everway: The end of the Celestial Mechanic, with Eugene's character taking on a divine mantle. And realizing in the aftermath of that game that I had a new replayable character if I wanted to work those events into Many Questions' future history.
6. The finale of the "Dragons" Everway adventure run by imogena -- with Manifold (the renamed Many Questions) showing off her transformative magical abilities by freeing the prisoners, a winged maiden and a dragon.
7. Playing John Steed in the Airship LARP. Playing a secret agent in disguise was cool -- falling for my opposite number and realizing that I was disguised as this world's "Clark Kent" was even cooler.
8. Hub, Slipping into Jealousy Jones in her first fight scene, and realing it was going to more or less fulfil my imaginings for the character.
9. Altclair: Michael fighting Michael for an exception to the bigamy prohibition.
10. Running Everway, the finale of the Deliveror plot, complete with the dirigible reveal.

Those? Yeah, those.