Poor Gunslinger. His quest to find a party continues to flounder. Maybe he should quest for some self-respect instead?

I think we can all sympathize with the struggle though. If you happen to live in a small town or if you’ve recently moved to a new city, it’s always something of a challenge to find that next group. But if you do get invited to sit down at a new table, it’s important to be critical. Are these people that you want to spend time with? Would you want to hang out with them in a context outside of gaming? And even if they do happen to be decent people (Druid and Arcane Archer seem like a lovely couple), do you fit in with their dynamic? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with saying, “Thanks for the invite guys, but I don’t think our playstyles match up.”

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but the advice bears repeating: No gaming is better than bad gaming. That include uncomfortable interpersonal dynamics.

For my money, I think it’s all about going in with the proper mindset. It may be weird to look at it this way, but the first session is a lot like a first date. You aren’t committing to a long term relationship; you’re trying to get a sense for the person across the table. Is there a decent sense of humor there? Do they seem interested in you? Would you actually want to invite them back to your place? The criteria for “good relationship” will vary from gamer to gamer, but you owe it to yourself to make sure you’re getting involved with compatible folks. If you’re so desperate to sit in on any old campaign that you put up with bad vibes, then you’re in line for frustration and, at worst, an rpg horror story.

So how about it, guys? Have you found yourself sticking with the wrong group for longer than you should? Did you manage to get out without too much fuss, or was it a nasty breakup? Share your best tales of tabletop incompatibility down in the comments!

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