The Nerdist Way_ How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) - Chris Hardwick [11]
Now . . . we need weapons!
INVENTORY OF WEAPONS
Now that you know how you react to life, let’s outfit you with some weaponry! While you may not have access to maces, morning stars, and broadswords, you have skill sets. These will be your weapons. Write down everything you are fairly capable of doing on a sheet of paper. Next to each skill, rate your proficiency from 1 to 5, with 1 being weak and 5 being strong. (This is a VERY loose interpretation of how D&D works, so don’t yell at me in all caps about how this isn’t textbook D&D. I know.) When you’re done you might have something that looks like this:
Illustration +5
HTML +3
WordPress +4
Photoshop +5
Video editing +3
Crocheting +5
Negotiating +1
Communication +2
You will probably have more than this, but this will give you a basic grid of what you’re good at, and what you might be interested in but need to work on. It also might inform you as to the types of work you are able to pursue. In this configuration you will see that you could probably launch a craft website with an emphasis on creating graphical yarn art. After all, you have +5 Hooks of Dexterity in your arsenal. Remember, as you improve in certain areas, you get to adjust these numbers. As silly as it sounds, it is oddly gratifying.
EXPERIENCE POINTS!
In RPGs your character gains strength by earning XP (experience points), which I find to be an excellent concept. The idea of goal achievement is really about breaking larger goals into smaller, bite-size goals that collectively draw you toward the larger one. Nerds are collectors: Comics, games, figures, and vintage items are examples. We are masters at acquiring items that revolve around a central theme. We also enjoy collecting points. Doesn’t matter for what. Points are cool. When the Wii first came out, I actually photographed the screen for my first 300 in Wii Bowling (#humblebrag). Goal attainment through numerical rewards is a dynamic achievement system, and if you have to slightly trick your brain into acquiring more points with the result of getting shit done, I would say, “INITIATE BRAIN TRICKERY PROTOCOL.”
MonkeySushi (monkeysushi.net) gives the following function used by D&D for leveling up:
XP required for next level = 1000 × [level + C (level, 2)] where C is the combinatoric function
This is likely to upset you, so let’s just simplify the formula. First, assign numerical values to your goals: 5 points for easy tasks, 10 points for medium difficulty, 25 for heavy lifting, and 100 points for completing big projects. At the end of the day or week (however frequently you like), add up your points and write them down on the Experience Page of your Character Tome. You start at Level 1, so every time you hit 100 points, level up. As your goal completions accumulate, in no time at all you could be a 12th Level Graphic Designer, or a 15th Level Webmaster. As you become more successful, those 100 pointers will get more challenging as you’re afforded the opportunity to take on bigger and more complex projects. If you have an iPhone, pick up Rex Box and Super Mono Studios’ Epic Win app (rexbox.co.uk/epic win), which does pretty much the same thing but with kick-ass animations and sound effects.
Finally, draw your character! (This was a requirement in my grade school campaigns.) Make it your Image Ideal or your Ironic Image Ideal (my Xbox avatar is an Indian guy with a face mole and a leather vest). Do you have armor? Weapons? Wings? Are you human even? Make an artistic representation of who you want to be. This will live on your Character Page, which should also be the first page of your Character Tome. Are you a crappy illustrator? No worries! Make a Photoshop-style mashup of your avatar or simply print out a pic you like and tape it into your Character Tome. The idea is that you