The Multiverse

The Adventure Gamer's Purity Test

By S. John Ross © 1997

Permission to Archive, Post, Circulate, Print and Rant About is granted, provided this document is never sold for profit, or altered in content.

Version 1.0

Instructions

Check the box for each "Have you ever" question to which your answer is "YES." Total the number of negative responses. Divide the total result by 75 (the number of questions on the test). The result is your Gamer Purity (or, more accurately, your Gamer IMpurity ... the higher the score, the less pure you are).

Example: You answered "YES" to 17 of the 75 questions. You have a score of 22.7% - pretty darn pure. Note that the questions assume that you have been both a player and Game Master. If you haven't been both, you're too virginal for this test. Come back when you're more experienced . . . :)

Have you ever . . ?

  1. Argued with the GM over a ruling he made?
  2. Asked your GM to let you make a new character for a campaign, because you decided you didn't like your current one?
  3. Avoided an otherwise promising game because there was another player in it that you disliked?
  4. Avoided inviting a specific player to a game just for spite?
  5. Avoided playing a game because of a bias against the author or publisher?
  6. Been coerced into GMing when you weren't in the mood?
  7. Been kicked out of an RPG session or campaign?
  8. Bribed your GM with junk food/money/favors in order to have a more powerful, or better-equipped character?
  9. Brought an S.O. or spouse into a game or campaign, knowing that s/he was only attending to spend time with you?
  10. Carried an in-game grudge into the real world?
  11. Caught yourself using game-mechanics terminology in normal everyday dialogue ("How many hit points you think that guy in the movie had?")
  12. Cheated on a die-roll in play?
  13. Cheated when creating a character (fudging attribute rolls, miscounting point-costs, etc).
  14. Claimed you were going to show up at a game you had no intention of attending?
  15. Created a fake "experienced" character, and claimed that it had reached it's level of wealth and power through actual play?
  16. Decided you didn't like an RPG or system because of a single game session you played in?
  17. Deliberately behaved in a way to ruin the mood of a game, out of anger or spite?
  18. Destroyed another gamer's property out of anger?
  19. Dressed up as one of your characters?
  20. Failed to mention a rule that you know the GM has forgotten or overlooked, because doing so would "cost" your character in some way?
  21. Fixed dice by weighting, shaving, oiling, etc.? (Marking cards in RPGs that use them counts, too.)
  22. Fudged a die-roll (as the GM) because you were angry or upset?
  23. Fudged a die-roll (as the GM) in order to injure/defeat a character you felt needed, or deserved injury/defeat?
  24. Fudged a die-roll (as the GM) in order to keep from injuring a character in trouble?
  25. Given favoritism to an S.O. or spouse in a game you GM'ed?
  26. GM'ed a published adventure and claimed it was your own work?
  27. GM'ed a session "off the cuff" and with no preparation?
  28. GM'ed a session "off the cuff," and lied about your lack of preparation?
  29. GM'ed a session modeled after a session run by another GM?
  30. Had an RPG product autographed by the author?
  31. Had your character deliberately kill another PC?
  32. Had your character hide found treasure or information from the rest of the PCs?
  33. Had your character steal from another PC?
  34. Hidden gaming material from parents, guardians, S.O. or spouse?
  35. In your own opinion - run a "killer campaign" designed to be ruthlessly brutal to PC's lifespans?
  36. In your own opinion - run a "Monty Haul" game, where you gave out far too much reward for very little challenge or reason?
  37. Insulted another player because of something done in-character?
  38. Kept your character sheet secret from other players?
  39. Kicked a player out of a game you were running?
  40. Killed off a PC in your game because you felt it was too powerful?
  41. Lied to someone about the scheduling of a game?
  42. Lied to the GM about having a read a published adventure?
  43. Made a "new" character by writing a new name on a dead one?
  44. Participated in an RPG specifically because there was someone else playing you were attracted to?
  45. Passed secret notes to other players?
  46. Passed secret notes to the GM?
  47. Played adventure games for more than 9 hours in a row?
  48. Played adventure games (or stayed awake at a game convention) for more than 24 hours in a row?
  49. Pretended to be a Famous Game Designer at a convention, in order to impress someone? (For Famous Game Designers, replace this with "Pretended to be an ordinary fan at a convention, in order to find people's real opinions of you?"
  50. Purchased a game product because it contained nudity, scantily-clad bodies or other naughtiness?
  51. Purchased a game product because of the quality of artwork or production values?
  52. Purchased a game product because you knew it contained something that your GM didn't want you to know?
  53. Purchased a game product because you thought the material it contained would make your character more powerful?
  54. Purchased a game product for the (text) contents of two pages of it (or less)?
  55. Read a novel or short-story that took place in a game-setting (Dragonlance, the TORG novels, White Wolf vampire fic, etc).
  56. Read a published adventure that you knew your GM was going to run, in order to "prepare" for it?
  57. Run a game using a set of rules you hadn't yet really read or understood?
  58. Run a session with the intent of killing a single PC?
  59. Run a session with the intent of killing the entire party?
  60. Run one of your own PCs as an NPC in a game you were GMing?
  61. Sat around running yourself "solo" through an adventure that wasn't meant for solo play?
  62. Shoplifted a game product from a chain bookstore?
  63. Shoplifted a game product from a game shop?
  64. Sneaked a peek at another player's character that you weren't supposed to be privy to?
  65. Sneaked a peek behind the GM's screens when he wasn't looking?
  66. Stolen dice and/or pens from another player accidentally, then deliberately failed to return them?
  67. Stolen dice and/or pens from another player deliberately?
  68. Stopped by the signing table/panel/selling table of a game company or designer you dislike, just to complain or be a jerk?
  69. Stopped running a game in the mid-play due to anger or frustration?
  70. Thrown a tantrum when your character was injured or killed?
  71. Turned down a player from entering your game because of age, gender, orientation or race?
  72. Written a piece of fiction or poetry relating to a game you were in, or one you GM'ed?
  73. Written money or items on your character sheet that you didn't really earn in play?
  74. Xeroxed an entire borrowed game supplement, rulebook, or adventure, rather than buying it?
  75. Xeroxed an entire game supplement, rulebook, or adventure that you purchased, and then returned it to the store for a refund?

Rating Your Purity: A Subjective Scale

GMpurity.php -- Revised: January 27, 2021.