Quick Update
This past week was more or less the same as the last. I have quickly adapted to not having something lock me into a digital trance while at home. Whenever the urge strikes, I either go on a walk, throw on a podcast or audiobook, or just start reading. So far, so good. Thus, this post will be about something different. Eight months ago I was invited to a party. But not that kind of party.
A Brief Introduction
The Fellowship of the Ring was released in theaters in December 2001. I was in third grade. I vividly remember dragging my father to see it in theaters. It was the beginning of the end for young Holden. This was the catalyst for my love of fantasy and sci-fi. This love was bolstered by the book series Lord of the Rings, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones. I combined the literature with many a role playing game: Zelda, Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, and many many more.
Role playing games are those in which the player assumes the role of a character in a fictionalized setting. Players then act as these characters through a narrative, all the while obeying a set of rules and structured decision making processes that determine actions within the game. Numerous types of role playing games exist: single player, multiplayer, electronic, table top, etc. Examples include Zelda, Skyrim, Final Fantasy, etc. In the world of games, almost all role playing games can be traced back to Dungeons & Dragons.
I had shied away from D&D because, like most people, I thought it was just a little too nerdy. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take my relationship with fantasy games to the next level. I mean, isn’t it a handful of pimple faced guys sitting around a table, wearing costumes, talking in funny voices, rolling dice? Growing up if you played D&D you were a social pariah. However, the game has seen a massive resurgence over the past decade. Many of my close friends have admitted to having played, or have started to play. My interest was piqued--what could the harm be? I decided I wanted to give it a go, but only if it fell into my lap.
When a coworker asked if I wanted to join her boyfriend’s D&D campaign, I had to say yes. I hadn’t met a single person I’d be playing with, but it felt like the universe was calling to me--and I had to answer. Next thing I knew I was at someone’s home I hardly knew, playing a game I’d never played, with people I’d just met. Eight months and twenty session later, here I am.
How it works
First off, you don’t wear costumes and in our case it’s not played in a basement. The game is run by the Dungeon Master (DM) and involves 4-5 people playing as ‘The Party’. Everyone collaborates on an adventure with a constantly progressing storyline. In essence you’re all creating the story and the characters by playing the game.
The Dungeon Master
Full-time storyteller, part-time cat herder
The Dungeon Master (DM) is the glue who holds it all together. Their job is to guide the game along by crafting the overall narrative, presenting various challenges, making sure the rules are followed, and playing the role of the world’s inhabitants. In our case, the entire universe & lore is all dreamed up by the DM—a rare thing to find as it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. They have the hardest job, hands down.
Map of Finnhof, the town we began our game in
The Party
Merry band of idiots who are hell bent on making the DM’s life difficult
First up is to create a character. This is where you decide on your name, race and class, backstory, personality, etc. My character is Timshel, a halfling rogue who specializes in deception, persuasion, and stealth. Essentially I’m a hobbit who likes to sneak around and can lie reasonably well. Then there’s Roci the ranger, Aerla the wizard, and Jón the...well, I don’t quite know what he is. Each of us has our own respective backstories and personalities.
The DM crafts a way for us to meet each other in this world and then set us out on our adventure. The party must work together as a team, with each member’s strengths & weaknesses typically being complimented or balanced out by another’s.
Roci and Timshel
Aerla and Jón
Game mechanics
The game can last anywhere from one session to many, many months. Our game has been ongoing for eight months now. We’ll typically meet every other Wednesday and play for 2-3 hours. The next session picks up right where we left off.
Gameplay can be divided into two parts: role playing and combat. No, it’s not that kind of role playing. Everyone in the party plays as their character and moves through the world. You interact with each other, the characters the DM plays, and the environment. Role playing is like adding butter & spices when cooking--it makes the story rich and just flat out better.
Combat is turn based. This is where the famed dice come into play. To begin combat, everyone (DM included) rolls for initiative. This determines the order for combat. On their turn, each player will role the dice to see if their desired action is a success or failure. Example: Timshel wants to sneak attack an orc who is standing guard. I would have to roll my d20 (twenty sided dice) to see if I land my attack. If successful, I would roll my d6 to see how much damage is dealt. The DM plays as the enemies in the same fashion.
As you progress through the game and accomplish various tasks and milestones, your character levels up. New levels bring new skills, abilities, etc. As you level up, the enemies you fight become progressively more difficult. And oh yes—your character can die. But we don’t talk about that.
Exploring a dungeon—use your imagination
Kick ass combat setting made by our DM
I mean seriously, it makes the game that much better
It’s (not) a phase, mom!
Unless you were a theater kid in high school—in which case you’re arguably a bigger nerd than I—it is incredibly vulnerable to act, improvise, and attempt a voice as a character. This is compounded by doing it in front of people you’ve just met. However, everyone is in the same ship: the SS Awkwardness sailing on the Sea of Terrible Accents. After a few get-to-know each other sessions, everyone gets into a groove and the game flows much better. It’s an incredibly freeing realization once this hurdle is overcome. You begin to understand how your friends think, how their character thinks, and how the two relate. Most importantly, you start to laugh with and at each other.
D&D and Me
There are numerous reasons why this game has had an impact on my life, but here are a few:
I now have 4-5 people who are forced to deal with me every other week
It forces you off your screens and to be social
It’s a great excuse when someone is making plans you’d really rather not participate in--”Sorry, the party needs me” works like a charm
Having a standing, shared commitment helps break the monotony of week nights
It’s a great way to be creative, think on your feet, and laugh at yourself
You’re creating a collective story while playing the game with friends
If you’d told me when I was high school that I’d make friends in my twenties over a table top role playing game, I would have laughed in your face. Now? I’m lucky to call each of them a friend. These are people I’ve shared a friendsgiving with, formed a soccer team, and had many a beer.
If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to give it a try, I suggest you roll the dice. I promise you won’t regret it. Just don’t forget your costume.
