2022 was the year of D&D for me. I went from never having played a round to participating in about six different campaigns. (Yeah, that was quite a time commitment.)
But during those games, while pretending I was other people, I learned a lot about myself as a person. And while those of you who have put countless hours, years, or decades into this game may be like, "well, duh," this is more for the newbies like myself who may have been putting it off or unsure if D&D is the game for them.
I’m Less Impatient Than I Thought… At Least IN GAME
I still don't know what it is about a cooperative game that makes it so introspective, but after overcoming the learning curve (and the math), I began to re-evaluate some things I assumed about myself that just weren't true. For example, I considered my top character flaw to be impatience, but for some magical reason, I am my most patient self when I'm in a campaign (unless I'm playing with Erik).
Maybe it’s because all of us are in the same boat together, or perhaps it's because I get to spend time with my friends (and some frenemies). But I had this new level of patience that made me want to stretch out campaigns to be even longer, so that I could keep playing.
It's Great For Creatives
I'm a writer by profession, but my specialty has always been "creative corporate writing." Basically, I try to make boring stuff sound fun. But getting into my characters and forcing myself to think about how they would handle a situation instead of how I'd handle it inspired me to be more creative. I made more time for creative writing this year and enjoyed it.
I Have More Fun Playing Extroverts
I know you don’t know who I am — and if you do, thanks for supporting me — but believe me when I saw I am an introverted introvert. I left my house for a combined total of maybe twenty hours in 2021, and I was extremely content. But for some reason, I have the most fun playing extroverts, like Varia, the showgirl bard who experiences life through musical interludes. IF I ever met her in real life, I'd probably run the other way, but when I was playing her, I got her. She made sense to me.
I Wish I Would Have Gotten Into It Sooner
We’re approaching our 500-word mark, so I'm wrapping this sucker up. Probably the biggest takeaway I got from playing D&D is that I should have gotten into it sooner. In fact, I had the chance to — one of my best friends has been playing for years, and I kind of always dismissed it as "not for me."
So, if you're someone who hasn't given D&D a fair chance, I'll tell you what I wish someone would have said to me: "Get over your preconceived conceptions and give it a try."
About the Author:
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Michael Baker is the main content writer at Rollacrit with a flair for haiku. He previously wrote for ThinkGeek (and a bunch of other places). In his spare time, he enjoys playing tabletop games, writing about comics and pop culture, and cultivating his dog’s Instagram presence. |