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So last night I got together with a bunch of co-workers and we had out first D and D session (which is slightly strange since most of us are in our mid-twenties). Everyone was kind of on edge as we were all gamers but we had never really dipped out toes into the world of RL Role Playing. Once the ball got rolling we ended up having a fantastic time. The jokes were flying fast and it was one of the nerdiest/funniest experiences of my adult life.

If you haven’t played before, here is a relatively simple description delivered in a familiar package. Imagine playing in a WoW group where one of the players is Blizzard, designing the game and determining the rules according to the actions of the rest of the player in the group (this person is the Dungeon Master or DM). Now imagine a long play session in WoW where not a hell of a lot happens and the rules are constantly in flux (this actually sounds worse then it is…you spend most of your time exploring and figuring out what exactly is going on…and getting to know the characters of your friends). For players who enjoy pushing boundaries in games, there is an open frontier for thinking outside of the box and testing the ingenuity and preparedness of your DM. Think that you can slay the innkeeper at the start of the campaign just for the hell of it? Go for it…just be prepared for your DM to throw an army of Dragons at you for being an asshole and messing up her campaign.  The only limits on the game are the creativity of the DM and the players themselves.

However, this does end up leading to some problems. First, time begins to drag. Discussion regarding the details of game play can quickly sprial out of control, leaving the rest of the players as unwilling participants to a conversation that can begin to sound like a boring version of the tax code. Also, if you find yourself with a lackluster DM (luckily, ours was our Game Desinger and she was fantastic!), then the storyline can become something similar to a really bad Sci Fi movie…exhaustively boring.

Ultimately, the game, much like WoW, is exactly what you make of it.  The main difference is the sheer amount of thinking required to play.  Outside of raiding, most of my WoW play time produces a pleasant narcotic buzz in the back of my brain that is simultaneously relaxing and fulfilling.  That is not the case in D and D.  You have to be actively thinking about what is going on around you and working through problems in a group setting with players who may or may not have your best interests at heart.   Bottom line, I won’t be playing D and D nearly as much as I play WoW but it was nice to change things up.  Here are some priceless quotes from the night. “I hear at Level 4 I get Bear Prostitution!” “Oh yeah, well at level 6 I get Bandit Fingers; like Cash for Gold…but better!” “Meghan…I’m sorry, FarkasWind, You’re too far away to see the Bandit’s Vital Organs…”