Article written for our internal newsletter, the KHronicle.
Forget Jira and Teams messages – after clocking out, some of our coworkers trade office life for adventure. We spoke to 4 of our fellow coworkers who play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) in their 5-9, a game that blends collaborative storytelling, strategy, and a bit of chaos, and discussed their after-work adventures.
What Is D&D, Anyway?
Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game, wherein players create their own characters and define their personalities, species, and skills. Each group of adventurers (called a “party”) then sets off on an adventure, guided by the “Dungeon Master” (DM), a god-like referee and storyteller that guides the players’ journey, maintains the rules of the world, and plays the role of any non-player characters (NPCs). Cole Muehring recommends this video on YouTube if you want to learn more. “It is the best introduction to the game I have ever seen.”
Once the story begins, each player takes their turn in the fantasy or sci-fi world. “You are given a situation, and you, or as a group, get to decide how you want to deal with it, “says Kaylyn Vroman. “Think of when you were little playing pretend, it’s like that but for grownups.” Teddie Webber calls it a “collaborative hallucination session” with friends. “There’s the expectation for your story to be an epic tale like Lord of the Rings, but the reality turns out more like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
The Epic Saga of a D&D Campaign
The length of the game depends on the Campaign that’s chosen – it can last a few hours (a “One-shot”, as in it lasts one meeting), or months, broken into weekly sessions. “The hardest part of playing D&D is committing to the schedule. The number one killer of groups is scheduling conflicts. So, if you can commit to the game times the rest is easy,” Cole says. Kaylyn prefers longer campaigns, “it allows you to develop your character more and you get more memorable moments.” The players develop their characters’ unique personalities through their decisions and dialogue. “My first character was an Engineer Rat named Twix who patched everything together with gum and loved food. Over the course of the game he ended up depressed and lost his pants,” Kaylyn says.
Why They Keep Coming Back
“I enjoy the game side of D&D the most. The creating a character that is released into the fantasy world to grow stronger, richer, and more famous,” Cole says. For Kaylyn, it’s about creative escape: “For 2-3 hours every week I don’t have to think about work or life, I get to play this character I created.” It’s also about the friendships and connections made, “They aren’t just my DnD group they are my DnD family,”
Kalyn says. Teddie agrees, “I love getting together with friends and escaping reality for a while.” Joe Glennon’s favorite part is, “the ridiculous scenarios, they often have us rolling with laughter.”
It might also be just a tiny bit about the dice….”I’ve amassed quite the collection, and it is immensely satisfying to be able to roll as many dice as a spell or attack calls for all at once,” Teddie says. Kaylyn agrees, “The dice are kind of awesome, and I may have a problem, yes there are dice in my purse right now.”
So, How Do You Start?
Teddie recommends, “watching/listening to various actual play podcasts. They give a good feel for what to expect and they explain some of the rules as they play. There’s the ever-popular Critical Role, but I like to recommend Not Another D&D Podcast since one of the players is a newbie to DnD and learning as he goes.” It’s as simple as getting a group together and giving it a try. “Grab some friends, pick a DM, and start playing. There are tons of resources out there for players and aspiring DMs.”
“Check in with your local library or comic book shop to see if they have any groups. [The Dyersville Library has] a monthly group that meets every 2nd Saturday of the month from 3:30pm-4:30pm. Dyersville Comics and Games…have weekly DnD groups on Wednesday nights. They also have weekly Board Game Nights on Saturdays starting at 6pm. That’s where you can find me almost every Saturday night 😊,” Kaylyn says. “All the groups I have been in are very welcoming,” Cole says.