So some time has passed since my first Dungeons & Dragons post. Since then I have been doing some more research online. I have learned that their have been several versions of the game have been released since 1974. The current version of Dungeons and Dragons is Version 4.0. It’s supposed to be a lot easier for newcomers to the game to grasp. In my case, I take that as very positive news. It was also encouraging to find that I am not the only one learning how to play the game. Gabe from Penny Arcade has also been taking steps to learn how run a D&D game as you can read on the Penny Arcade blog.
I am not sure how it happened but recently I have become bitten by a bug to learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons. I have always been intimidated by the game and all the books associated with it. But on the flip side, so many people play this game that it can’t be all that hard to learn. Right?
Now, I am not a total newbie when it comes to Dungeons & Dragons. My old roommate and I, along with a few friends from work used to play D&D on weekends. It was a lot of fun to me even if I didn’t understand the whole mechanics of the game. But after 5 weeks or so we had to quit playing due to conflicting schedules. Ever since then I have felt like no game (computer, table top board, or other) I have played from that time on has pulled me in so tightly and captured my imagination so strongly. I know that’s a pretty bold statement to make. But the game was really that fun to me. I mean to be in a room with some of your good friends and playing a game of high adventure with boundless and endless possibilities. It’s just epic. It’s unmatched by any computer game. But it’s not just the adventuring, it’s the socializing with friends which is just as an addictive eliminate to the game as playing the game it’s self.
Vin Diesel explains why he fell in love with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and what kept him playing even as he worked as a bouncer in New York City.
So with those good memories in hand, along with some local friends who would like to get a game of Dungeons & Dragons going I set off on my journey to learn how to play the game.
Like any good internet citizen I started off my quest by searching online for as much information on Dungeons & Dragons I could find. What I have learned was this:
To play a game of Dungeons & Dragons you need some people to play as Adventures or Player Characters (PC) and one person to play as the Dungeon Master (DM).
The game’s rules are detailed in three core rulebooks: The Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual.
The only items required to play the game are the rulebooks, a character sheet for each player and a number of polyhedral dice.
Now, for someone who is Dyslexic like me, reading through three players handbooks is a very intimidating task to under take. But with a little bit of spare time I should be able to read them in a few weeks. In the days to come I will be checking out local Books stores and online retailers like Amazon for the D&D rulebooks.
It’s True! I have lived here for nearly four years now. I have been inside every store in Juneau at least once looking for Swiss Cake Rolls, Cosmic Brownies, or Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes with no luck. It’s quite sad. My Fiancé takes this a little harder then I do. Chocolate of course, is one of the things she loves.
Luckily for us, we have caring families who from time to time send us a care packages from the lower 48 states with (among other things) Little Debbie products. We very carefully ration them out to last as long as possible.
It’s very puzzling to us why no stores in Juneau carry any Little Debbie products at all. It’s been a topic of quit a few conversations between us, and friends, and family.
[UPDATE: 12.10.2012]
Since the fall of Hostess and the loss of the beloved Twinkies a couple of weeks ago, stores in Juneau have started caring Little Debbie Products. I noticed this last Saturday in our local Fred Meyer. I was able to pick up some cosmic Brownies and Swiss Rolls for my cheat day. It was so tasty!
Hannah has been back from Anchorage now for just under two weeks. I was worried about her because of the Mt. Redoubt Volcano. It is still making a fuss in Anchorage, but has yet to blow it’s top.
The last two weeks in Juneau have been pretty nice for the most part. A mix of cloud filled snowy skies and bright sunny days. Today is one of those more sunny days. The main roads through out Juneau are clear of snow and ice. But some of the lesser traveled roads are still covered. The turn off to my house for example, is still all ice. At least an inch thick I would guess. I am glad I picked up a pair of Yaktrax for my shoes. Walking our dog everyday without them would be a slip and sliding adventure for sure. The snow on the ground where I live is higher then my car in most people’s yards.
The sun is out now when I wake up in the morning and go to work. Better yet, it’s still out when I get home from work. The first day I came home from work last week and the sun was out I was pretty exited about it. I am so looking forward to the summer when the sun is out all the time.
For anyone who wants to see what Juneau looks like on a daily bases you can check out some local webcams here.
