I’m kidding.  I’m starting to feel like there’s no such thing as too much Dungeons and Dragons.  I am involved in quite a lot right now, though.  That’s okay.  Who needs to spend time on things like work or parenting when there are quests to be embarked upon?

Just over a year ago, I decided to pursue an activity that has always sparked my curiosity: DnD. I’d never played, never watched a campaign, never talked to anyone about playing.  I think I’ve written posts before about the difficulties involved with being an adult with responsibilities and no D&D experience trying to find a group.

Over the past year, I have played three one-shots.  Three.  One. Shot. Games.  I threw out feelers everywhere — meetup, twitter, Roll20, the local game shops.  I trudged through an RPG desert, in which the only oases were campaigns that met too often or on the wrong days, or were not prepared to cater to a noob.

One day, I found a game on Roll20.  The DM was looking for a group to play a long term campaign on a day that fit with my schedule and welcomed new players.  First, he held some one shot games to help him select a group of players that he felt would mesh into a good company.  I signed up for the one-shot.  It would be over the phone.  The DM lives in England (I’m in America.)  Nervous and feeling out of my element, I pulled up Roll20 and called into the Discord audio channel.

Oooof!  I had loaded up my dragonborn sorcerer with mind control and charisma spells.  The campaign involved fighting mechs exclusively.  My magic was useless, and I somehow did not have a long range weapon.  The battles were painful.  I used my electric breath inside of a closed room, injuring two of my own party.  “I am not being invited back for the full campaign,” was all I could think.  I did strike the final blow that killed one of the larger monsters, at which time the DM requested I describe the death.  I was way too excited about that.

“As I shoot him with electricity, you don’t even see anything come out, just electric bolts shooting between his skin and armor as you hear the crackling and then he EXPLODES FROM THE INSIDE OUT!”

“Oh, God.  Too far, Racheal.  Reign it in,” was all I could think. It was, however, too late.  I had already gone pretty far overboard with that description.  Oh, well. I was never getting invited back anyway.

I got invited back!

For the first time I would embark on a long term campaign.  It would have a goal of meeting once per week with a probable reality of meeting every other week.  The game is played online and over the phone.  Two of us are Americans, two are Scottish, and one is British.  I am a Tiefling noble-born fighter.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH . . .

My kids’ Cub Scout troop has a few kids who play/would like to play.  One of the den leaders volunteered to DM.  I volunteered to host at my huge dining room table, and we began a campaign at the exact same time as my online game.  Two players plus the DM are adults.  We are mainly there to steer the game back on course.  The other players are 9-11 years old.  I am a dwarven druid.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE . . . OTHER RANCH . . .

I played a one-shot at the local game shop.  It was the most fun I had had in ages.  After the game, I promptly looked up the other players on Facebook and embraced my inner creep as I friended them all in hopes of getting a lead on a future game.  It worked!  One of the players was looking to start up a game.  She had a DM and another player.  The exact same weekend my other two campaigns started, I embarked on an adventure with these folks.  Again we used my house, because my dining room table is ridiculous with the leaves in.  I am a half-elf rogue.

All three games run pretty much parallel.  They seem to get cancelled on the same weeks.  We have made it to level two in all three games. Usually I have one campaign Sunday morning, the other Sunday afternoon, and my online game on Monday.

I have no clue what I am doing, but I am having fun doing it.

I can’t believe I waited until the age of 42 to try this.  It is amazing.  When the DM showed up at my house, unpacked his gear, and said, “I have several colors of sticky notes if you need them,” I knew I’d found my people.