It’s always a fun time to take a moment and ask ourselves why we do the things we love. I personally think the answer changes every time with some time in between, especially if it’s something you do more and more. In my childhood I grew up playing sports and playing in local bands, both of which feel very similar to me. Whether you’re trying your darndest to get the football past the end zone or really nail the bridge to Arctic Monkeys’ “Fake Tales of San Francisco”, you and a group of others are trying to accomplish a goal together. You know another group of people who are usually trying to accomplish a goal together? ADVENTURERS, BABY!
Entering The TTRPG Dungeon For The First Time
It was the summer of 2014, I was working at local music store George’s Music now defunct Orange Park location and my coworkers asked me if I wanted to come play Dungeons and Dragons on Saturday. I said, “Ah I can’t, my band is opening up for I Am The Avalanche this Saturday, but I’d love to play next time.” They responded by affectionately calling me a nerd and then two weeks later on August 3rd, 2014, I played my first ever TTRPG, which was Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition. My coworkers helped me create my Elf ranger “Woodaeo”, showed me those crazy polyhedral dice sets, and helped show me the ropes of being a player in a roleplaying game. I posted a picture to instagram showcasing my new experience and future Co-Quest Master Stephen Panella commented that he had also played DND before and he wanted to play again at some point very badly. From there a love of TTRPGs was forever born.
Why Do I Keep Going Back To The Dungeon?
After that first night of DND with my co-workers, I excitedly asked when we could play again. “Probably like every other week”, was the consensus response and I was GUTTED. I needed to roll those dice rocks again immediately, it was so exhilarating to be a part of this band of adventurers in the world my co-worker Tom created. I would pick Tom’s brain a lot about his experience with DND, how he runs sessions, how he world builds, and what he liked about DND. He would even tell me about other games besides DND and in my mind I was like “Why would anyone play anything besides DND?!” (Oh the thoughts of young Co-Quest Master Woody.) My impatience for having to wait every two weeks to play with my co-workers led to me buying my own DND 4th Edition books, learning how to be a Dungeon Master and setting up a regular DND game with my friend Stephen Panella for the past 12 years and counting.
The reason I couldn’t wait to get back to the table with my co-workers or friends was that playing TTRPGs had this incredible effect on my brain, where it just turned it “off”, but in a good way. For 3-4 hours each session, I could escape the stresses of life, like trying to “make it” as a musician, worrying if I was on the right path in general, and the other stuff every 19 year old in 2014 was worrying about. I genuinely can’t think of a time where I was in a bad mood playing TTRPGs, even if I wasn’t a fan of a campaign that I was in, I still had my fellow players to goof around with in our silly worlds. Speaking of the players, there’s an incredibly underrated beauty of having a connection with four or five other people that comes from this fictional word and people. The characters and stories from those worlds stay with us forever, so even if it’s someone I haven’t seen in years, I can bring up a campaign we ran and the joy and laughter we shared during those nights. This feeling is similar to the connections I’ve shared with musicians while on the road while on tour. No one else was with us during the long day drives creating bits to laugh away the time, the 1am diner meals after a show, or on stage with us when we’d sync together to melt faces outside of our hometown. It’s also similar to the unity of being on a sports team. All those practices that were spent refining your skills to get you ready for the big game and learning how together you can achieve your goals.
At the end of the day, TTRPGs are one of the few things in this digital age that keep us interacting with other humans. (Yes, even if your group only plays online!) It’s a one of a kind activity that showcases individual expression, teamwork, and some really funny bits you’ll bring up on long drives with your friends forever. Whether you’re a hardcore TTRPGer or someone on the fence about trying it out, I challenge you to play a game this week and tell someone about it! Until then, I’ll see you on the next quest!
We Took The Quest 