A Kalasie's Kibitz

The best advice I have for players is to make the right character for the campaign. Play a character who is going to want to go on the adventure and have good chemistry with their teammates. Work with your DM to make a character concept that is a great fit. You might also want to consult with the other players to try and get a good balance of characters and maybe even connect some of your backstories so that your characters already know each other.

Since both you and your DM are new, make sure you give each other grace and patience while figuring out things you aren't familiar with.

Your DM will love it if you give them good feedback! If you have a good time, be sure to let them know and thank them. It takes a lot of work to write and run a campaign, so here are some ways you can assist them and share your appreciation:

Compliment your DM

Roleplay enthusiastically

Try to match the tone of the campaign

Pay attention

Take notes

Be a good teammate; help your fellow players when you can

Bring snacks to share

Assist with logistics/scheduling

Make art and show them

Share a playlist that reminds you of the campaign

Met Gala 2026 x Famous Works of Art Part 1

Top to bottom, left to right:

Alexa Chung, Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies

Amy Sherald, Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)

Angela Bassett, Girl in Pink

Anok Yai, Weeping Madonna

Chase Infiniti, Venus de Milo

Georgina Rodríguez, Our Lady of Fátima

Gracie Abrams, Woman in Gold

Heidi Klum, Veiled Vestal

Hunter Shaffer, Mäda Primavesi

Jamila Robinson, Landscapes by Richard Mayhew

Jon Batiste, Steve

Jordan Roth, Pygmalion and Galatea

Karan Johar, works by Raja Ravi Varma

Liu Wen, works by Erté

Look, I knew Gene. We talked many times about the idea of Jim and Spock being lovers. He had no problem with it at all.

But you know what he did have a problem with?

Zippers.

He was adamant that by the 23rd century humans would have a better solution to fastening their clothes than zippers and buttons. And I mean, he felt passionately about this.

Passionately.

It’s because of this that those first gold shirts the crew wore in Where No Man Has Gone Before got scrapped in favor of shirts that didn’t show the fasteners. And also why the cast were sewn into their environment suits while filming Tholian Web and could only use the bathroom at lunch before being sewn back into costume til quitting time.

And it was the reason for Gene speaking quite sharply to me once—the only time he ever did — and I hung my head and felt like a kid in trouble with her dad. He read a slash story of mine and got on my case for writing zippers & buttons into the undressing scene. Really kind of chewed me out.

I’m surprised by your surprise.

The response to this post has made me realize how long it has been since Gene died. So most of you did not know him. (If you did, raise your hand. I know some of you are old enough.)