..works best on small screens!
In 2024 the latest tweaks to the current edition of the manuals and rulebooks for the classic tabletop role playing game were published, and I took this as my cue to finally jump into this universe. May as well get the freshest rules hot off the presses, huh?

I mean, I’ve been fascinated by Dungeons & Dragons for most of my life, but it’s always been this thing that has existed, yknow, over there—as a game other people play. I’m not sure why that is. I think it is because you kinda need a like-minded group of people who are all simultaneously interested in the pursuit of fantasy role playing adventure or a crew who will tolerate you being a beginner. The Kid seems to fit the bill these days as her friends have started to play on their own and she is reluctant to join in having no prior experience. So maybe in part my sudden interest is a dad instinct to remedy that and so we’ll be kicking off some of our own homebrew campaigns in an effort to learn the game together this year.

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Post: Of Character Creation
Sunday the 27th of October, 2024, posted after lunch.

What with my first stab at something resembling an actual tabletop RPG last night—and what with the Dungeon Masters Guide (2024) releasing in about two weeks—I figured it was finally time to tiptoe into the first steps of Dungeons & Dragons.

What I had not mentioned was that my Players Manual appeared on our doorstep a month ago, thereabouts, and though I’ve spent some quality time thumbing through it and reading the processes and rules and charts, none of it actually started to make much sense until I did the hard manual printed paper and pen approach to building a character from scratch.

Sure, I’ve got the Beyond app downloaded and sure I eventually messed around and created a second character using that, but as soon as-called-simple as it is to use that tool, I will grant myself the +5 Wisdom that comes from taking the time to puzzle it out from the print edition first, because that app would not have made as much sense before I did that—or maybe—who can say? Either way, I’ve now got a couple of rawly generic characters built that seem like they might be worth putting through some kind of game—if only I knew how to do that.

Post: Coin of the Realm
Sunday the 25th of August, 2024, before dinner.

Along with some user manuals (which are still weeks away from release as I write this) I’ve been inventorying my supplies for a basic D&D campaign. Dice. Map tools. A big kitchen table to play at. And apparently, tho maybe I’m jumping the gun here, coins are useful. And sure, I could be boring and just but a set, but I do have a #3Dprinter just sitting there in my basement calling out for reason and purpose. I downloaded a set of community-designed coins as a start and I figure I’ll just start printing and creating a collection of some kind. I don’t have any silver or grey filament tho, so I’ll see how they look in a couple hours and maybe lean into some painting to lock in the final look.

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