From podcasts, to TV shows, to new and expensive rulebooks, Dungeons & Dragons is having quite the renaissance these days! As an adventurer myself, I checked in with my fellow library employees to hear their favorite D&D moments, their favorite characters, and why they think the game holds so much appeal still today.
Sean W., Technology
“I’ve played some version of D&D off and on for the last 22 years or so. In one campaign; a druid placed an Amulet of Intellect on their pet pig. The pig gained the ability to speak and pass basic intelligence checks. The pig almost immediately began secretly hoarding magical artifacts that gave it all sorts of powers and skill modifiers. Eventually, the pig became very powerful and outgrew our party's humble quest and departed. The next time we encountered the pig, it had become the admiral for a small fleet of sailor-mercenaries.”
Bonus: Sean recommends watching Mazes and Monsters, an 80s made-for-TV movie inspired by D&D, which we have for check out here at LPL.
Dan W., Acquisitions
“I have been playing since I was 10...that’s over three decades! My best character is actually the second character I created as a 10 year old kid (after the demise of my first character who made the mistake of rushing headlong at a Mind Flayer while only 2nd level...rest in peace, Fidget). But my second character, Caric ap Rhys, a brilliantly noble Paladin, is the same character I play today. At this point, he's officially 37th level (though several editions of the game limit characters to 20th level, there are "Epic-level" rules that can be appended to most games). He's dashing, chivalrous, noble, courageous, gallant, wise and the natural leader of our adventuring company, The Companions of the Iron Hills. Did I mention he's dashing?”
Bonus: Dan’s D20 is so well-used it’s become almost spherical. Check out that baby below!
Becky R., Teen Zone
“When I was 11, I lost my house in a fire one week prior to Christmas and part of what helped me get through the sadness and trauma and displacement was playing D&D with my friends. Also, the word portal is a very comforting and important word in my everyday vocab now even 35 years later because it represented for me then, and represents for me now, this magical space where all my things could be kept safely, or most importantly today, the way to get to a magical place where anything is possible!”
Liza M., Materials Handling
“I never played but in the last year or so have discovered the podcast Adventure Zone and am a huge fan. My kiddo Maddie introduced me to the McElroys and of all their empire of podcasts, but Adventure Zone is my favorite. My Maddie even gifted us with a trip just two weeks ago to their live show at Candlenights, this year in Huntington WV...we are that big of nerds! From making fun of my upstairs D&D playing neighbors in college in the 80's to being very positive and almost curious about playing in the 2000 teens…”
Margo M., Children’s
“My absolute favorite character I've ever played is a homebrew character named Agoth the Torturer. He's a shadow demon who possesses the jeweled skeleton of a saint and runs away with it. He's terrible at being a shadow demon but he's also terrible at everything else. In terms of alignment, he's chaotic dumb. He also has a pet ferret named Meatball who lives in his rib cage.”
Will G., Teen Zone
“I like tabletop RPGs because they allow you to solve problems and act out situations in just about any you can imagine as anyone you can imagine. When you play D&D, or Pathfinder, or Rogue Trader, or Mutants and Masterminds you are no longer an average citizen of the world, you are a fantastic being with powers and skills that you could never acquire in the real world. It truly does allow you to push the boundaries of what you can do and imagine in a way that no other game or form of media really can.”
-Centi Clogston is Youth Services Assistant at Lawrence Public Library.
Add a comment to: Librarians vs. D&D