Since you asked, in my region* we never told jokes on Halloween.

Occasionally people would think they’re smart and ask “So what’s your trick?” and we would just stare dumbly.

*Victoria, BC, Canada

It’s Chekhov. Anton Chekhov was a brillant, if gloomy Russian playwright. Paul Chekov was a character on American TV show “Star Trek”.

It’s all good to want to describe more, but if your players aren’t into it, you’re wasting everyone’s time. Know your group and GM accordingly. If your players aren’t into hearing about the Innkeeper’s mustard stains, or if your GM keeps yammering on about the local politics and grain merchant follies, maybe you’re in the wrong gaming group.

Nothing wrong with a flavor adjective here and there, and a quick description of smells or trees, but I would stab my eyes out if I had to sit in a game where the GM wanted to endlessly describe the campaign world he lovingly created over months of campaign prep, instead of creating compelling plot hooks, interesting NPCs and deadly crafty villians. Just my .02

Great job Pat.

I do have to say that listening to 4 white American men in their 20′s-40′s talking about “going big or going home” when it comes to RPing hateful or bigoted characters to be…interesting. It might be a topic to revisit someday with a diverse mix of guest hosts.

@DocHunter – Good catch on the typo! Fixed now.

@Tom – Since I wasn’t on the episode, I’m not sure I can properly reply to your comment, but I’ll give it a shot. While their discussion did hit on racism quite a bit, the topic (as framed in the outline they were reading from) was about hateful or offensive characters in general. While racism seemed to be a favored example, the subject also includes personal insults, social maladjustment, bigotry against your character, violent criminals, etc. So even if you feel four white Americans have a somewhat limited perspective on racism, that wouldn’t diminish the overall topic of characters that are offensive to you, personally.

If you’re interested, I had a much more in-depth conversation on racism with Chris Mais over on Kicked in the Dicebags a few years ago (http://kickedinthedicebags.libsyn.com/episode-26-forever-stillborn). He also runs an intentionally edgy blaxploitation game at Fear the Con every year. Despite having a black man running it and a black man that tagged in as a player, the only person to get offended by the language was a white guy!

No jokes in Wyoming/Montana where I grew up and no jokes in Wisconson/Minnesota where my wife grew up. Must me a mid-midwest thing. I’ve never heard of it until now.

PAVEL Checkov was a character on Star Trek.

No jokes while trick or treating here in the Metro Detroit area…

No jokes in the various areas of Canada I’ve lived either.

Thanks for the response Dan, I’ll check out that link. I definitely wasn’t offended, and indeed agree with most of what was said. I just said it was interesting. The opinions were valid and thoughtful.

Anyways, great episode as ALWAYS. Thanks so much guys.

@Tom – Dan’s comments are pretty right on. I’d feel the same way if the scenario was about reverse discrimination (which is really an odd term, when you think about it), sexism (of any sort) or even ageism. That said, I like your idea of a cross-cultural episode, or even a cross-socio economic episode.

I’ve lived in Seattle, WA, near Boulder, CO, in Norfolk, VA, on the coast of Oregon, and north of Washington DC in Maryland… have never heard of the “tell a joke and get candy” concept. O.o Was always just “trick or treat” and give ‘em candy (and since I wasn’t allowed to trick or treat, naturally the first year I was in university across the country from the wardens, I did xD ).