Role-Playing Games

Why you should try Dungeons & Dragons

(tips from a real-life Dungeon Master)

by Serban, Quartermaster @ The Guild Hall

March 18 2020

As the four adventurers decided to bed down in the narrow underground passage, it did not strike them as to how dark it was around them. This is no surprising matter, as all four of them possessed dark vision. Not thirty minutes later, the god they had angered but a day earlier formed from the shadow of the tunnel. He was, after all, the god of Shadows and Deception. With a smile, shackles of pure shadowy essence grasped the adventuring group, pinning them down to the ground. He then shouted, sarcastically: “Still not friends, are we?”
For the entirety of the story, be sure to check out our first entry into the “Dungeon Diaries” series!
In case you were wondering, dear reader, yes, that entire paragraph is an actual story from my on-going Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It serves as a testimony to the limitless stories that D&D is capable of. But, if by some unholy means you remain unconvinced, let me try to change your mind.

The World Is In Ruins

The first reason you might want to try your hand at D&D might seem like a bit of a cheat, but since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, I say it’s fair game. The world is, without a shadow of a doubt, in complete ruins. Global warming is getting worse and worse, the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc, it’s bad. So, when everything around you is nothing but flames and panic, why not sit down at a table and drift into a different world alongside some friends of yours?

Make no mistake, even when the worldwide hysteria is over, some daily struggles will still stress you out. Wouldn’t you love it if you could escape that hysteria for just a few hours by entering the beauty of distant land?

Be Who You Want To Be

Ever wanted to be a warrior of immense strength, but with a deep love for corgis? What about a mage who can conjure food from thin air? Or a magic-wielding, bow-shooting, panther-taming ranger? If you ask me, the answer should be yes. The point is: there is nowhere else you can be the exact incorporation of your dreams. Video games do get close, yes, but they always mess up a few details. With D&D, the only limit to your creation is your imagination and how lenient your friends are with you.

Pro Tip: If you really want to be a half-vampire, half-angel warlock, please make sure it will allow the others to have fun as well.

You’ll Never Be Alone

A few years ago, my mother would keep on telling me I had no friends in real life. To her credit, she was partly right. I was spending most of my life behind the comfort of a screen. One faithful day, however, I had an online D&D session. Not long after that, I walked into The Guild Hall. Look at me now! I’m part of the team! The D&D community at TGH is very active and incredibly welcoming, having regular beginner sessions and an on-going Westmarches campaign for more experienced players. Just drop by, you’ll see! We’ll welcome you with open arms, a set of dice and a character sheet. From there on, we’re off to the races. And be sure: nerds that kill Owlbears together, stick together.

Not to mention the cherry on top: the community is not limited to our lovely space. Whether it’s on Instagram or one of the many D&D subreddits, you are sure to find a steady stream of things you like. Not just that, but you are always encouraged to throw in your two cents, which makes it all the more fun.

Conclusion

If the ramblings of an obsessed DM have been enough to convince you, be sure to check out our discord for Westmarches and our Facebook page for more details, links to both of which will be down below.
Also, if you’re reading this from a future where the quarantine is over, come by the store and ask the staff for more info on the events, community or anything else D&D related. Until then,
stay safe, for every door could be a mimic!

If you want to check out what our two Dungeons & Dragons events are about, you can follow the links below. Those will be available again after we return full time, but until then, we are working on moving our sessions online, most probably using the website roll20, paired with discord. The Dungeon Master will be provided by us, as usual, and the session will have a limit of 7 players. We will announce when the sessions will take place and how you can register the following days on our Facebook page.

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