Friday, April 9, 2010

Papers And Paychecks RPG

Papers and Paycheques is a great new fantasy role-playing game. You pretend to be workers and students in an industrialized and technological society. Or so goes the related promotional material.

In point of fact, this supposed preview is another knowing-wink, tongue-in-cheek cartoon by Will McLean, poking fun at the idea of role-playing games. The cartoon appears in the original Advanced Dungeons and Dragons DM's Guide. But instead of workers and students pretending to be adventurers, in this cartoon you have just the opposite.

This approach to D&D humor is typical for Will McLean's cartoons: he draws the reader in, by referencing some modern cultural reference, whether it be airplanes, poker, boardgames, mickey-mouse hats, television game-shows, backscratchers, or (in this case) role-players gathering for a friendly game.

6 comments:

JB said...

For some reason, this appears to be the only illustration where the wizard's hat is NOT bent. What strange message is Mr. McLean trying to send?

Aaron E. Steele said...

It's funny you should mention that. I was going to note earlier how every wizard's hat was bent, and then I looked at this cartoon and I was, like, WTF?

I have my suspicions about that Wiz.

christian said...

I was hoping you'd get to this one. It's my favorite. :)

Blair said...

Look at that un-bent hat wizard's eyes...dude is definitely stoned!

Jim said...

I totally forgot about this one! A classic!! Thanks for sharing.

maxam said...

I really like the fact that they are rolling two six sided dice - how exotically pedestrian! (in keeping with the games subject matter)