You probably know him as the designer of the card game Gloom, or perhaps even more so as the creator of Eberron, the pulp-fantasy setting for D&D. At this point in time, however, you should know Keith Baker first and foremost as a gamer traveler, and one who, on his current tour, could very well steal that title from me, and rightly so.

For various reasons, Keith decided that 2009 would be a year of travel, so he concocted a plan he calls “Have Dice, Will Travel,” where he has set out to travel as much of the world as possible, exchanging hospitality along the way for an exclusive game session. In his own words:

One of my primary goals here is to meet interesting gamers across the world. If you’re an ideal subject, then I’d like to have some time to get to know you and your home. As such, what I’d like is hospitality (be it bed, couch, or floor space) for three nights. One of those nights, I will entertain you and your friends – running Eberron or OTE, playing Gloom, whatever you want. Another night, I’d like YOU to entertain ME. What is it that you feel I should see in your home? Not necessarily the biggest tourist attraction – but the thing YOU think is most interesting. Is there a game YOU want me to play that I’m not going to find anywhere else? Something that inspired you as a gamer? Or just the Biggest Ball of Twine in Oslo? The third day, I’ll rest, write, and mind my own business… look at things that have caught MY eye. In the meantime, I’m always willing to talk about gaming, writing, Eberron, or what have you. Needless to say, you’re welcome to spread these three days out over your gaming group; I’m happy to spend a night on three different sofas, as long as my goal is met.

Of course, I’m simply not going to have time to spend three days with every interesting person (and I’m sure there will be many people who just don’t fit on my travel map). So I’ll also be looking for flyby visits – crashing just one night while I’m en route, either running a game for you or just hanging out and talking.

Keith quickly discovered that gamers are a hospitable bunch and his travel suddenly included the opportunity to go all across the United States, Central and South America, Europe, the Far East, Australia and more. Whether he’ll be able to make a specific geographical area remains to be seen, but the offers are there.

After a few false starts, Keith’s tour began in April with a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah; followed by Boise, Idaho; then up to the Pacific Northwest, to Portland, Oregon (where he gamed with Chibell and his group, and from where the image above comes from, along with an entire set at Flickr) and Seattle, Washington. From there Keith has been working his way south, into California, and who knows where he’s headed next! The only inkling he has given to his general travel plans is a list of conventions he is quite likely to be attending during the year.

Though born out of a tough situation, “Have Dice, Will Travel” is an amazing journey through the gaming world, and one I (and I cannot stress this enough) so wish I could do myself. Aside from the travel, taking him to explore a myriad of places in this wonderful world of ours, Keith also gets to meet and spend time, gaming time, with groups all across the world, learning firsthand how gaming varies from place to place, and yet how it truly becomes a lingua franca for the gamer traveler, a common activity that transcends borders.

You can follow Keith’s travels over on his LiveJournal: Gloomforge or on this thread at EN World. Read up on what’s there already and if Keith will be in your neighborhood, then drop by to say hi and give him encourangement to continue his incredible tour. I will continue to monitor Keith’s whereabouts, and hopefully get an interview with him for The Gamer Traveler Podcast at some point in the future.