The first time I tried to play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) was a devastating experience. I had always been a fan of fantasy; going to the local renaissance fair every year as a kid probably had a lot to do with it.I still remember the wonder I felt stepping into the darkness of a brightly colored tent to witness the Dragon. It was a puppet of sorts, but it was huge and it moved and it breathed fire. I was lost to fantasy ever since.
At some point my father realized how much I loved the genre and brought me to a comic book store called The Dragon’s Den in Poughkeepsie, NY. I have vague memories of the store, but I vividly remember the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Monstrous Compendium Vol 1 that I bought there. The black & white drawings of Displacer Cats and Beholders captured my imagination and I desperately wanted to play the game. It wasn’t until high school that I finally had my chance. I had just moved. I was new to the school and I made friends with a group of boys. When I learned they played D&D, I was thrilled. This was my chance! I could dive deep and finally be a part of the stories I was interested in. One big problem: They wouldn’t let me play. First is was excuses like “You don’t know how to play,” but eventually the truth came out: “D&D isn’t for girls.”
The message hurt.
It hurt a lot.
It would be six long years before I tentatively tried again. I met a group of role-players in college and it was an entirely different experience. My first game master (GM) was a woman. There were actually a lot of other women in our group and that made it easier. Thus I tried everything I could get my hands on: Dungeons and Dragons, Traveller, GURPS, Dread, Munchkin. You name it, I would roll dice for it. I’ve been gaming for almost 20 years now and I’ve loved every minute of it. Through it, I’ve lived a thousand lives. I’ve been a Paladin of the lord of the dead, a half-demonic cowboy in a twisted version of the Old West, a security officer on a doomed mission to explore an abandoned spaceship, and more.
My first experience with gaming was deeply troubling and could have been the end for me right there. This is one of the reasons why I think professional game masters are such a fantastic idea. The deal is simple, you pay a fee and have someone with years of experience provide you with a tailored introduction to playing the game.
I had first heard of such a thing a few months ago online. Not long after, a coworker mentioned that her friend, Ken Breese, was a professional GM. He is currently running a series of games in cooperation with a performance art space called Wildrence and I knew I had to check it out.
Ken is excited. You can see it in the way his eyes spark as he talks about gaming. He loves running games and he wants you to love playing them. Ken’s game, The Dragon of Dreyfus Gulch, is specifically designed for new players. You only need to bring your curiosity and a willingness to engage. Ken supplies everything else including dice, characters, miniatures, and over 25 years of gaming experience.
The Wildrence art space is tucked away in a basement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The game was held in a cozy kitchen. In the middle of the room a large table covered in leather skins dominated the space. The dim lighting created a cave-like feel and echoed the idea that we were about to delve into some kind of dungeon.
On the flip-side Ken is a bubbling font of energy. He excitedly welcomed us in and offered everyone their choice of characters. The provided selection included the classics like Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, and Cleric and the sheets were modified to simplify the rules. Instead of a full and perhaps perplexing sheet of numbers and terminology, these pages were a basic block of our stats, a few lines about our personalities, and a smattering of skills and spells.
Each part of the game was boiled down to the basics as well. As we settled in, there was no lengthy speech about how to roll this stat or calculate that damage. Instead Ken invites players in with questions. He asks you who you are playing and lets you fill in any little details you want. One man’s character was a sailor looking for adventure while the woman across the table was playing an elf from space. From the first moments space is made for you to get creative, but Ken makes sure to hold your hand through the each part. He acts as your roleplaying sherpa as you dip your toes into the exciting world of Dungeons and Dragons.
Any role-playing game can seem a bit intimidating at first. There are rules to learn and the social aspect of the game can leave someone unsure of how to act. How much do you invest? Do you speak in an accent? If you get really into it will someone make fun of you for being too geeky? Ken seeks to alleviate a lot of these concerns by drawing players in and enforcing a strict code of conduct that encourages players to support each other and has zero-tolerance for harassment.
The Dragon of Dreyfus Gulch is a campaign that anyone can join for as many or as few sessions as they desire. Some of the players I met were on their second or third game, while for others it was their first time ever sitting down to play. Everyone agreed by the end that they had a great time and would consider playing again.
For experienced players such as myself, these sessions might feel a bit superficial. You only have two hours and the first half of the game is getting people used to how the system works. Ken allows players to explore a small town. They choose where they want to explore, people they want to talk with, and show them items they might want to purchase. While you are busy enjoying yourself, each decision you make teaches you something about D&D and roleplaying in general. Nothing is deep or mysterious. You won’t get a long backstory about this or that townsperson and most conversations will lead you to the same plot hook, but this game isn’t designed for gamers looking for a long term campaign that you can sink your teeth into.
It is instead the shallow end of the pool. Not in a bad sense, but such that you can wade through getting used to the waters, enjoying the feel of the experience, while looking out at the depths, that sparkling unknown, and knowing that you are gaining the skills you need to dive in with confidence.
Professional game masters are popping up more and more between events like The Dragon of Dreyfus Gulch and games run at conventions. If you’ve ever wanted to try a roleplaying game and are unsure where to start, I would recommend seeking out someone like Ken, who brings to the table not only a wealth of knowledge about the game, but also an enthusiasm for gaming that is contagious and an open attitude that makes sure all are welcome to join. If you would like to learn more about Wildrence and the The Dragon of Dreyfus Gulch visit www.wildrence.com or berlingsbeard.com.
Image Credits: TSR, Wildrence, Ken Breese
1 Comment
Wonderfully written, thanks for the article! I’m doing a bit of research into professional game masters as I work on my website to help connect people with game masters who fit them and training new people to become game masters themselves, and I appreciate you sharing your experience!