Tonight (Sunday) my wife, Mariah, older daughter, Frankie, her husband, Alec, their baby, and I got together for some pen and paper role playing!

For Christmas, Frank and Alec got me a new Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set.

Interestingly, I have already owned a starter set, which came out of a red box, and which I got back in 1983 or '84, when I was 11 or 12 years old. I loved D & D back then, and I rather quickly started writing my own role playing game adventures that I'd play with my friends at school. (My stories usually tended to be less fantasy based, though, and leaned more heavily towards science fiction...)

I ALSO remember a religious aunt of mine offering to PAY ME $20.00 to BURN my D & D books, because she thought they were evil!!! (I refused.)

[Back to the present...] The starter set that Frank and Alec got me is a bit different than the one I used to own. First off, the rule set is thinner than it used to be, without a proper "Dungeon Master's Guide." Interestingly, what this box includes, which WASN'T in the '80's box set, is a cool game module written from the point of view of the character, Mike Wheeler, from the t.v. series, Stranger Things. In my opinion, this is a VERY exciting edition. We are, basically, playing the adventure that Mike and the kids from Hawkins are playing in the first season of the show. (How many people were convinced to TRY D & D because of Stranger Things???)

For today's game, Frankie played a "Ranger" named "Karl," Mariah was a "Cleric" called "Lucy," and I was a wizard named "Ed." Alec, meanwhile, was the D.M., (and subsequently, Alec was the only person who read "Mike's" module.) And honestly, we ALL had a GREAT time!

Our adventure is maybe about half over, and two out of our three characters have already almost been killed---and we've only had two different battles so far!!! I enjoy the randomness that the dice rolls bring to the game, and the suspense that comes from honestly not knowing if we are going to survive each encounter is quite a thrill!

Pen and paper role playing games---which actually take place right inside the players' HEADS---are unique experiences. They require imagination, cooperation, patience, and TIME, but when you're with a good group of people who are all out to have fun, there isn't anything like it. We laughed, we gave high-fives when we won our fights, and we're all looking forward to continuing our story, (perhaps next weekend!?!?)

If you've never played a role playing game, (a LIVE game with a group, not a video game) you really owe it to yourself to give the experience a try. (And if you're not sure WHICH R.P.G. to start with, MINE will hopefully be finished by this summer! I'll let you know when it's ready!!!)

Okay...that's it for today! Come on back tomorrow for even more strange thrills!

---Richard F. Yates (Holy Fool)

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