10 Questions- Jamie "Nos" Bancroft

Photo by Dustin Mack

How long have you been playing?


I have been playing somewhere around 14 years.

How has the game changed since you've been playing?

The game has changed in a ton of ways. The major change I think would have to be spell progression. When I started playing, it took significantly longer to max your paths than it does now. However, over the many years of playing the game, it has changed so much it's hard to start listing how it's changed. Spells have gone been added, spells have been removed, rules have changed, the player base has changed some, the balance of powers in nations is constantly shifting, etc. Despite all those things, this game continues to provide me what I love most about it, and that's the amazing community that we have.

Who have you learned the most from?

There are so many people have taught me a ton. Seamus Packer/Sir Bones taught me a ton when I first came into the the game. Neil Tozier taught me a ton about the back-end side of the game such as throwing events, and creating plots. Ben Greene has taught me a ton about what it takes to be a good role-model in this community, as well as about leading a successful nation and throwing events. The entire Blackwood event staff continues to teach me more and more about what it takes to throw successful events, as well as how to work together as a team. Every event we throw together is a learning experience. Andy Disbrow has taught me that no matter what people think of you, it's important to continue to do what you can to improve the game. There are just so many people that it's hard to continue this list.

What was your best moment IC?

This is another hard question. There have been a ton of great IC moments. I would have to say the best one would have been at a Folkestone Questing when we were assaulting Lucious' hideout. The enemy had taken me and made me fight for them, and as I was fighting on the side of the NPCs I was constantly yelling at the PC party to continue pushing and not to lose hope. As I was doing this, someone on their front line yells at them "Don't listen to him!". The NPCs and I started laughing so hard that it was almost impossible to continue fighting. It was just an extremely fun and funny moment that I will always remember.

Photo by Dustin Mack

Runner up for best moment (based on emotion level) had to have been when we crowned Sir K as the King of Blackwood. It was a really special moment for me, because it really showed how far our little nation of Idaris had come, and it really made it clear how all of our hard work to make Blackwood what it is now paid off. Also, Ben Greene/Sir K really deserved it for everything he has done for the Realms on an IC and OOC level.

What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?

My best moment would have to have been at the Feast of Blackwood where we got 3 feet of snow. After a long day of questing, the players were assaulting Shalindar Keep to destroy the Planar Shield Stone. There was already a foot and a half of snow and the players were at a wall at the bottom of the hill they needed to get up. At the top of the hill waiting for them was a white dracolich (A 5 player NPC prop), as well as a Death Knight (played by myself). To fit into the garb better, I decided it was a good idea to not wear my sweatshirt, and only have my T-shirt on my torso for clothes (besides the cold rubber pauldrons I was wearing).

When I got the signal that the players were at the bottom of the hill, I got the dracolich set up, and got into position outside. An hour and a half later, the players had made no progress, besides having the NPCs get covered by 3 inches of snow. Me, in my T-shirt was freezing, but I was determined to make it through the encounter. As the players finally started coming up the hill, we realized that they couldn't actually see the dracolich which had positioned itself low to the ground. The players got 15 feet away from it before it raised up and roared. The players let out a simultaneous "Oh *insert profanity here*" followed by 6 or 7 simultaneous calls for a magic marshal. It was hilarious to watch the PCs panic and attempt to retreat to a good position to fight this giant undead dragon. What the players didn't know was that they weren't just fighting a dracolich.

Photo by Dustin Mack

Now, my garb as the Death Knight included a shield that had a skull on the front which had light up eyes. So, as the players settled into fighting the dracolich, I turned the lights on the shield on and stepped out of the woods, yelling at the players to leave. Again, the players were frightened and were trying to figure out how they were going to fight both of these monsters. Eventually they killed me and took the magic item I had on me (My sword and shield combo). After a little while, the players had moved further past me, but didn't realize I was regenerating as they were too busy fighting the dracolich. After I regenerated, my NPC was angry, so I went storming off looking for my weapons. I found them in the hands of Karma, and walked up to her and yelled "Those are not yours" and she looked at me shaking and dropped them at my feet. I picked them up and continued fighting the players.

This whole series of events was just perfect, and the white-out conditions made it that much better. It will be extremely difficult to beat this moment as a PC or an NPC/EH.

What would you like to see changed or developed more in game?

I would love to see more continuity within our game. We have so many good plots going on in our game, and I think if EHs worked together, they could be that much better. I don't necessarily want one big plot, but adding small aspects of one plot into a different plot (such as a group of NPCs or monsters) would make things feel more connected. For example, with the bedlam plot, if bedlam was taking over so many places of the Realms, why wouldn't we see bedlam bois while mindlessly killing goblins in the woods (Not saying we didn't, because we did. Just using Bedlam as a good example)? I think we already have some of it in the Realms, but I would love to see more of it.

Photo by Dustin Mack

What advice would you give new players?

Talk to everyone. Get to know everyone on an OOC level. Just because someone is a jerk in-character doesn't mean they aren't a nice guy on an out-of-character level. There are a lot of people that play mean characters but are phenomenal people. Also, don't be afraid to ask EHs or other players questions. Almost everyone is willing to help.

What do you love most about the game?

I mentioned this earlier, but I love the community of this game. You are going to meet some of the very best people playing this game, and there isn't a community that will look after you and yours more than this community. It's simply the best. There's nothing more to say than that.

Who would you like to see the next interview be with?

Illyana Golden, Jana Greene, or Jason Skarda

Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?

Harlequin has demanded humor. Be ready.