All in the Game: Dungeons and Dragons!

Redartz:  Good day, everyone! Whether it was reading comics, watching movies, or playing games, most of us spent a fair amount of time in what some might call a 'fantasy world'. One game in particular was  /is particularly well-suited to the exercise of imagination: Dungeons and Dragons, or "D&D", as it is commonly called. 

My veteran dice...

For those uninitiated to the realms of this pioneering role- playing game, the premise is simple: a group of players ("player-characters") join together to undertake a quest, guided by the plot and plan of the Dungeon Master (DM). Unlike board games, there is no actual 'board' involved. Instead, there are maps, character sheets (which detail each player's abilities and weaknesses), often representative figures, and lots of dice. The DM prepares a storyline and sets up various monsters, traps, pitfalls, and of course treasure. The players then 'act out' the adventure using their collective imaginations, with the assistance of the various game accessories and books. Beginning D&D can be fairly uncomplicated, but as you gain levels and abilities, the threats grow commensurately greater. Many players have favorite characters they've created and nurtured over many adventures. And the death of a character can be a tough blow.

I know; I played countless games, both as player and DM. I first learned D&D as a high school senior, but really got involved in college. We had a group that would meet every Sunday evening for a session of adventuring. It usually took several hours, a welcome respite from studying. It was almost a party atmosphere: often we'd order a pizza, snacks and drinks. Normally there were about four or five of us; sometimes more, at times less. My roommate and I both served as Dungeon Masters, alternating adventures so we could also play our characters. 

As we were attending art school, creativity was abundant- our adventures were quite varied, and at times bizarre. One quest was based upon "Wizard of Oz", another involved time travel. Our group was mixed- several guys, and a couple of girls. We covered the whole range of characters; mine included a grumpy dwarf, a tall female cleric, a duck warrior, and (my favorite) a half-elf magic user. (Brief comic book-oriented aside: my elven wizard had a familiar, a small creature called a 'pseudo-dragon'; about that time Kitty Pryde in the X-Men found her dragon friend "Lockheed", and I found them both enchanting). 

Over several years, we played innumerable games; some one-night affairs, others lasting for weeks. Eventually our group started graduating, marrying, and joining the working world; we stopped playing. Years later  my oldest son discovered the game, and I passed on to him my old books. I still have the dice- I'd dearly love to play again, once in awhile...

Any other D&D veterans out there? Who were your favorite characters? Did you have some memorable quests, magnificent victories, tragic deaths? Roll your 20-sided die and take your shot.

The animated "Dungeons and Dragons" cast