MY ADVENTURES IN DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (WHAT PLAYING WITH SATAN TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING)

        I've mentioned before how I was a big comic book addict when I was a kid. Besides inspiring me with stories about heroes and villains, another thing the world of comic books brought me was Dungeons and Dragons.

When the back covers of the comics weren't pushing Hubba-Bubba and Genesis games on my young, impressionable mind, they were advertising this strange game I had never heard of called Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2^nd Edition.

But what is it?

            What is this, my young mind wondered, as I gazed at the painting of a Knight or barbarian doing battle with an awesome looking demon or dragon. I had never heard of the first edition of this game, let alone the second. And, is it a game? I had no idea.

It was several years I think, before I came across the actual Dungeons and Dragons rule books in a book store. There, as I pilfered through the pages of the Player's Handbook, I was filled with more intrigue and curiosity gazing at the paintings inside the books. They were beautifully packaged, with hardbound covers, and the artwork inside drew me into the creative worlds that waited to be explored.

The book that started it all

        For those who don't know, Dungeons and Dragons is a role-playing game. One person, the Dungeon Master, creates a world and circumstances for the other players, who have created their own characters, to explore.

You ain't the Master until you read this

        When I first discovered the game, I had no one to play with. I was alone with all of this wonderful, creative information that begged for stories to be told. I made my little brother and his buddy play a few times, but that wasn't it. They weren't as like minded as I was about delving into the realms of fantasy.

      So, I waited, not knowing if I would ever find a group of adventurers to put forth on a quest of good versus evil. Back then, Dungeons and Dragons was this mysterious thing no one knew about, or if they did, it was because they had heard it was the game Satan played with his minions. Needless to say, it took a while for me to find a group of friends to play with.

      One fella, shortly after meeting me, says he saw the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide in the backseat of my car. He knew we'd be friends after that. And we still are, by the way.

We spent many late nights campaigning in worlds I created, where the good guys, who weren't always good guys, fought mighty battles with undead dragons to claim their treasure, only to be zapped back in time to find new kingdoms to conquer.

    

I wish I had been as cool as this kid...he's got friends. And cool over-alls.

         It was a lot of fun. But it was also good training for a young writer. Being a Dungeon Master taught me a lot about writing. It taught me to keep the story going. Keep the action and suspense vivid for the players. It taught me not to get to hung up on an outline or idea I had that's not working, because the players will always do something unexpected to deviate from the plan. And that's what a writer wants. A writer wants to entertain and to create something unexpected. In Dungeons and Dragons, no outline is concrete. No character is invincible. There's always a hint of danger. As it should be in good writing.

       I'm glad I discovered Dungeons and Dragons when I did and I'm thankful good players found me and allowed me to weave their characters into my stories. With them, the stories were no longer mine, but ours.

      I think that's one of the goals of a writer. To create something other people feel is theirs to experience.

      So, break out the twenty-sided dice and let's roll up an adventure.

Friends make everything better.