We recently had a chat with seasoned gamer and avid Judge Eric Greaves, of Salem, Oregon, who told us of his love of RPGs and boardgames, the fun of introducing youngsters to DCC, and his clever use of ‘game-within-a-game’ mechanics!
Roadworthy: Eric Greaves
What’s your name, where do you live (and game), and what should the Goodman Games community know about you?
My name is Eric Greaves. I live in Salem, Oregon and I have been at grade school teacher for 21 years. I am also an avid Scouter with the Scouts BSA. I love board games of all kinds and when I am not playing DCC I am neck-deep in a complicated Eurogame about zoos, Mars, or shipping goods.
I game at Wild Things in Salem, the Salem Public Library, and anywhere we can roll out a dungeon!
Tell us about how you first got into tabletop RPGs.
I got introduced to RPGs with the TMNT RPG from Palladium books in the early 90s. We were all fans of the Ninja Turtles back then and I really enjoyed the creativity and adventure the game allowed us.
How did you first discover Dungeon Crawl Classics?
I got into DCC around 2014. I had a friend who did the initial Kickstarter and would never stop talking about it. I set up a series of sessions at my place with nachos, beef stew, and all sorts of good stuff. We had a blast, and it really brought me back to the fun days of my youth.
What adventures are you running from your Road Crew games? Any great moments from a game?
Right now we are working our way through the MCC adventures, some homebrew ones, and occasional random funnels.
One great moment that comes to mind is when I was asked to help with the game room at a youth dance, so, of course, I brought the DCC goods! I ran the interested kids through the “Not in Kansas Anymore” funnel and it was awesome! The best part was one of the kids rolled themself as a school bus driver and that group made the most incredible use of that school bus until it was impossible to get it up some stairs. Just a wild ride.
What is your favorite DCC/MCC adventure?
[DCC #82:] Bride of the Black Manse is one of my more recent faves. We loved the ‘countdown’ mechanism and how it built the tension and excitement up until the very end.
Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?
So, I worked at Baskin Robbins for two years as a teenager, so I clearly am an expert on this one. Vanilla is the best, especially in a sundae. It goes great with everything!
Do you have any tips, advice, or creative musings for your fellow Road Crew Judges?
I like to do what I call ‘inception DCC‘ where I will place a game within the game. Like with the ‘Rat Snake’ game, I have various games that players can play with each other in the setting of a tavern or inn. Sometimes the game must be played against a vicious foe at a penultimate point in the adventure. Bluffing games, Tarot or card games, etc… I have several books of card games through the years and I will pick one or two to weave in where appropriate.
I also like to make a big deal of when characters level up. I’ll print out the new spells, abilities, or weapons on a page and roll it up with some cool string and then present them to the characters at a special session between the main adventures. New dice and other fun things are also fun to sprinkle in.
Thanks for the chat, Eric!
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