What's Old is New Again

I have been reading through my Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 4th Edition books and I have to tell you it feels like coming home. For me, as for many of us, D&D was my first real experience with what we consider "gaming" today. I was introduced to the game while I was in the 6th grade by a classmate while attending school in Lafayette. He had all these miniatures of knights, wizards and monsters. I remember him showing me how he painted them while his dad painted model cars. He said they were for use in this game he and his older brother played. Reaching onto a shelf in his closet he showed me a red box with some adventurers on the cover. That was the first time I saw D&D, and I was fascinated.

We soon got our friends in on our D&D games and we all were hooked. Many a lunchtime discussion was had about the benefits of being an elven archer or a halfling thief. Way before the internet or texting, it was our discussions at school that sustained us through the week till we could finally play again on weekends. Ah, such good times! All I wanted to do was play the character I had just painted. My first character was an elf named Silverleaf, who had his arrows fletched with leaves that had fallen from a magical tree deep in the enchanted forest. Or some such craziness. I still have some of the miniatures from that era, in a box somewhere. Most were painted by my cousins and, sadly, I have no idea what happened to mine. So many great memories of hanging out with friends and slaying monsters were made while playing D&D. It was my gateway drug to a larger world of gaming goodness that I am still happy to be a part of to this day.

Over the years, I would continue to play, though no where near as much as I did as a kid. I saw the game evolve, spawn numerous expansion books, and become the originator of what we know of as roleplaying games today. Until recently, the last time I played was in 2001 or so. It was 3rd edition, and the d20 was king. The game was fun and the myriad of player options was staggering, but it did give rise to some jankiness. I know power gamers will be power gamers, but man, the munchkin crap some of these guys pulled was amazing. The rules, while fun, could get complex. While they did provide depth and customization, almost too much, 3E would drag out game sessions with rules, rules lawyering, and drawn out combat. After reading D&D4E, those days are (hopefully) gone. However, munchkins do get to twink out in 4E ,but not as badly as they once did.

In preparing for my role as Dungeon Master for our 4E game of D&D, I feel like I am getting back to my roots, as it were, when it comes to gaming. Revisiting old scenes of my memory every time I read about Eladrin or studying up what exactly a shaman can do. Mechanically, the rules are very simple yet deep enough to allow creativity. As an exception based game system it will be impossible for me to know all the specific interactions, but thankfully I do not have to. And when they come up, it is pretty much cut and dry what happens. And in a short time, I am sure my game group and I will have the rules pretty much nailed down. But just getting back in the universe populated by dragons, sorcerers, and fighters is just so nostalgic for me. I love the archetypical fantasy setting D&D games invoke. This is some great stuff! I am hoping to bring my enthusiasm to our gaming sessions and make some new dragon slaying memories with my good friends. Despite the low tech of roleplaying, nothing is better than getting around a table with your friends, moving miniatures, rolling dice, and seeing what lies behind that locked dungeon door.

-Wickedstormy