Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fun cooperative role playing game for kids and adults alike! It is the perfect hobby for creative minds to come together and build the most incredible adventure they could possibly imagine! With the help of the Dungeon Master (DM) to guide you through each campaign, you decide your character’s fate.
What is a DM? A dungeon master is someone who tells the story in which the players will participate. “In a world where an evil king has blocked the sunlight from the land, it is up to four brave heroes to overthrow him and bring the sun’s radiance back to the kingdom!”. Everything leading up to that point is then decided by the players. The players' actions within the campaign will be decided through dice rolls and role play. It is the DM’s responsibility to bring characters, animals, creatures, and items into the story to help the players or slow them down for a difficult, yet enjoyable adventure.
For children, the campaign’s DM would provide more of a kid friendly environment whilst playing. The goal for younger players would be to get their brains as active as possible. They will get to hone the power of the elements as a wizard, rage as a barbarian, defend others as a paladin, or even be one with nature as a druid, while learning math, social skills, puzzle solving, and teamwork.
For those older, D&D can be an outlet to be as free as possible from your everyday life. If you ever wanted to fly in the sky as a bird person, the Aarakocra would be your go to. Maybe you would like to be Robin Hood for a day, the Rogue class would suit you the best. As adults, we can be more inventive with the wisdom we have; including our own experiences with the characters we create. If you have a job as a jeweler, building a character with gem knowledge could be the best pick for you. Gems in D&D can be of many uses; as far as upgrading a staff/wand, protection charms, or style purposes.
How long does D&D last? I know we all have things to do and sometimes you will not be able to make it on time or be there. An average D&D session runs around 3-4 hours depending on the schedule of the DM or members in the group. A session that begins and ends with one session is called a one-shot. Multiple sessions of one story is called a campaign. Campaigns can be four sessions or can be un-ending! The longest D&D campaign has been running for over 40 years continuously! If a group were to have five members and three wouldn’t be able to make it, chances are that the session would have to be postponed until the following week or month. It is important to let the people you are playing with know ahead of time so that everyone can be aware and be able to move accordingly.
There is a role for everyone and a story for every character. Anyone can get into it; playing it is the only deciding factor to whether you will like it or not. May good rolls be in your future!
