I awoke this morning in a cold sweat - screaming. I sat up in my bed, the cookie crumbs cascading off the sheets as I tried to catch my breath. What a horrible nightmare!

I had dreamed I was at major gaming convention. I had been waiting all year to attend this event. Scarcely able to contain myself, I sought out a table where my favorite RPG was being ran.

As I pulled up my chair and assembled my pencils and paper, the residing Gamemaster looked at his watch and cast an annoyed look my way.

He handed me a stack of character sheets and told me to choose one. I thumbed through the pre-generated characters and then paused to scratch my head. I had my choice of a Cleric, a Warrior, and a Female Mage.

"Is there a problem?" snapped the GM, his intonation persecuting me for apparently holding things up.

"It's just that I’m partial to thieves. You wouldn't happen to have a thief I could run?"

"Mr. Blackburn, you know that evil characters are against convention policy."

"Evil? Well, er, I play good thieves, ya know, like Robin Hood?"

"Convention policy forbids characters who flagrantly disregard the law or figures of authority!"

"Oh," I replied, realizing I wasn't in Kansas anymore. "Excuse me, but just what's this adventure about anyway?"

"Well, it centers around a great famine that is sweeping the kingdom. The players must travel to the City States and persuade them to provide food and supplies for their people."

I began to push my chair back from the table, anticipating my escape.

"Oh, I see. But tell me, really, there is an evil mage behind the famine, right? And our party will have to bash a few heads to set things straight!"

The Gamemaster slammed his pencil to the table in disgust. "Mr. Blackburn, have you even bothered to read the convention program?"

I shook my head no.

"Let me give you the highlights then! At this convention there are to be no adventures that require the use of force or violence in order for the player to successfully complete the adventure. There are to be no evil player-characters. Non player-characters involved with law enforcement or authority will be portrayed in a favorable light...."

"Now just a damn minute!" I interrupted. "You mean I can't run a Sheriff of Nottingham? Or a Robin Hood? I can't even expect a climactic battle at the end where I hack my way to victory?"

The GM stood proudly behind his screen and crossed his arms in defiance, "Not at my table you won't! This is a sanctioned game, mister!"

I woke up screaming. Thank God it was only a dream. It was, wasn't it?