Let Your Inner Weirdo Out With Dungeons and Dragons

Think back to when you were a kid and wanted nothing more than to discover you had secret magical powers. You weren’t always about which credit cards get you the most points, Pyrex dishware, or 401ks. You had moments of imagination and wonder. Adventures in your own backyard. We never gave a second thought to pretending we were an elven maiden on a quest to find a treasure hidden in an underwater cave guarded by a giant squid.

We Are All A Little Weird

Many of us were a little bit weird as kids. Many of us continue to be weird as adults. But a lot of that weirdness gets lost along the way. We keep our freak flags folded up inside. We don’t know how to let them out as adults. Depending on your lifestyle, conversations about elves and dwarves and halfings may not be a common practice, and that’s completely fair. It’s probably not the best subject to bring up in a budget meeting, anyway.

We easily forget how to imagine and develop fantasy worlds we can live in. It came so clearly as children to create a castle out of couch cushions. Our lives fill up with responsibilities and limitations. We lose the freedom to play. We cast aside things like D&D and label them for children when they are, in fact, almost better for adults. 

Bring Your Friends Closer Together!

Dungeons and Dragons have brought out sides of my friends and family that are delightfully surprising. A constantly cautious friend saying, “I want to go into the portal” within 2 seconds of spotting one. A calm and steady one asking when we are going to get into the battle because she really needs to fight something.

Players who are intelligent in real life using it to their advantage. Players showing beautiful compassion for twig blights and wolves (personally I refuse to fight wolves or any animal unless necessary). Players who want to be dark and mysterious or boisterous and outgoing. Players that have never written a song and yet come to the table with lyrics that are inspired for their spells when they are playing a bard.

It is as if playing this game of dice and maps and adventure bursts an internal door wide open. Piles of weird pour into the room, frolicking about, finally free to roam and explore. I’ve watched people I love come alive in an entirely new way. They leave the table smiling and glowing with childlike joy. 

I’ve learned more about my closest friends by playing with them and now hold many compelling moments and treasured memories all from our campaign.

It has brought us closer together and given us a gift in the form of hours around a table, sharing food and drink, laughing and shouting and gasping and applauding. We’ve become this tight, unstoppable unit where once we sit down, we are our characters.

We believe every minute of it.

We took to it like water, like so many before us have. You’d be surprised how quickly you have dice that you prefer, a notebook filled with scribblings of fantastical names, a mini-figure you’ve made online, and how you can explain the complexities of Sneak Attack in a tight two minutes. 

It Really Is For Everyone

Dungeons and Dragons is for adults as much as it is kids.

It is for those who consider themselves geeks and those who don’t.

It’s for people who want to dive back into that weird little kid once in a while and play freely.

For many years, it was a male-dominated game, and now that tide is changing as well. It has finally become clear that D&D is for everyone who wants to play, and it is indeed cool to do so. 

If you’ve ever been curious, I suggest starting a game. Get your friends, your family, other people who are interested and find a one shot online and go for it. Shoot some fire, wield a sword, slay some dragons. You’ve always wanted to, and now is your chance.

Let your weird out. Learn to play pretend again. 

_{Header photo by James Pond on Unsplash}