As I said before, I would be having guests appear on the blog. Anything and everything that falls under the creative category will be fitting. My dear friend Abner has wrote about Dungeons and Dragons.

Someone I know and respect greatly has asked me to write a little bit about Dungeons & Dragons. While the unnamed person is also a member of my D&D group I won’t inflate my head too much in the belief that my skills as Dungeon Master has somehow lead to the request to write this.

I’ll start with explaining that I play 3.5 Edition and am currently uninterested in moving to 4th Edition. For new players this won’t mean much but I felt it was necessary to say as it makes a difference in understanding my perspective. You see 4th Edition has been simplified and this bothers me a bit. I expect that 4th Edition will most likely bring in more players but it just won’t be the same for me.

While 3rd Edition causes most players to shriek in horror when they see the character sheets, I am a tolerant DM and encourage players to be patient before dismissing the game as too complex and hard to learn. So quickly here are the things that I think cause too many people to avoid my table.

1) Character Sheets. This isn’t Clue folks. While you can call your character Professor Plum if you want to, this game isn’t as simple as swinging the candlestick in the dining room. I know that the character sheet seems confusing and complex but like everything in this game, if you give it time you’ll realize that it’s easier than it looks and it’s well worth it.

2) Octo-die? It’s amazing to new players that this game doesn’t use dice that only contain 6 sides. I know, it’s weird, but like everything else that seems strange about this game, you’ll get use to it.

3) Players Hand Book. I know the rule book seems huge. Trust me, you don’t need all of it. I know it looks as interesting as the novelization of monopoly but this isn’t like any game you’ve played before. Find a good DM to show you what parts you need to know now and then enjoy the time with your friends. Don’t focus on the many chapters contained within your handbook.

4) Where’s Go? How do I collect my $200? This is the biggest obstacle I see amongst potential new players. When describing how I play at a table with pencil and paper I’m always asked how I move the players around and how do I win. When playing this game it’s like those ‘choose your own adventure’ books or it’s what it would be like if you were watching Lord of the Rings and you think, ‘You know if I was Frodo, I’d tell Boromir to sit down and shut up.’ You can! The person on your left is Boromir and you get to be Frodo!

So as I’m looking back I realize I basically wrote a list of why you shouldn’t play D&D. What I’ll have to write next is what’s so great about this game and why it’s well worth your time, energy and money.

It’s true that it is ‘a choose your own adventure’ rather than your typical board playing game. It’s also creative since you make up the story as you go along. It’s great. I really enjoy it. Look out for the next installment Abner Doon will write!