My D&D origin story

“So what exactly is this D&D thing you do?” That was the first fateful question that lead me to where I am now, a regular player at the Melbourne Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League (MELBDDAL) games, and a player in 3 other home games.

I’d heard the term dungeons and dragons several times in my life. I went to a selective school and had a number of nerd friends, but dungeons and dragons was just not something that I had ever really encountered nor come across. It had always been referred to as that game that poor hygiene nerds played in their mums basement, and therefore probably not something that I, a girl, would be interested in.

When I finally asked my friend of a number of years back in 2017 about what exactly this dungeons and dragons game he played was about, he gave me a very basic overview about it being a collaborative fantasy adventure game, and then told me to watch Critical Role because I would probably find that much easier to understand than his rough explanation. Bonus points because I had been to a panel at a convention in years previous where I had seen Travis and Laura, so I actually recognised some of the people that were part of the show!

Critical Role’s Twitter header image containing the full cast

Over the course of a couple of months I binge watched almost 70 episodes of Critical Role’s first campaign. I was invested in the story, and loved watching the interaction of the players and their decision making processes. The only thing was, that while I was loving watching all these episodes, and staying up to date with campaign 2 as it came out, I was feeling more and more unhappy with my lack of social network in a new city, and having no one else to play a dungeons and dragons game of my own with.

Eventually, I heard about the adventurers leagues games run in melbourne through a friend of mine in a different hobby. He told me about where and how the games are run, how he dungeon masters some games each week, and a short overview of the game structure of adventurers league games. I was instantly intrigued, and wanted so badly to go and make friends with other people that were interested in the same things as me.

It took me months to actually drum up the courage to go to an adventurers league night. I was worried because I was going by myself and wouldn’t know anyone. I was worried because I had never actually played before. I was worried because I was a girl, going to an event and a space that was generally considered to be heavily male dominated, and let’s be real, the loudest stories about females in the rpg space are often not positive. But I was determined to find a social group that I could become a part of, and hopefully make some real friends in this city I had been living in for a while but had not been able to successfully socialise in.

Header image for the MELBDDAL facebook group - Design by Annie Callaghan

The first game I went to, was a little before christmas 2018. All I truly remember from that time was going into the space, sitting at a table with a bunch of strangers feeling nervous as hell, and then forgetting all about my worries as soon as we started to play. I loved the time I spent there, but then went back to Sydney for christmas with my family. After being away from it, and still feeling nervous, it took me almost 3 months to feel courageous enough to go again.

On one of my first games after returning, I was invited along to pizza afterwards. I got to talk to people, and learn about who they are outside of their characters. I got to make friends with people just as strange and weird as I am and interested in many of the same things. I will never not be thankful for the invite I received that night. As much as the online community is amazing, it feels so special to have people you can laugh and joke with, to share glances and whispers with at the table while the DM is distracted, and to have partners in crime for endless shenanigans. I think thats what truly makes D&D special. Its the true human connection you get by simply being in a space with other people and knowing without a doubt that you all belong there.

Since that time in March 2019, I’ve rarely missed a tuesday night adventurers league game. I love playing D&D, but more importantly I love the friends I’ve made through D&D! I’m playing in home games and homebrew campaigns with people I met there. They’ve become the support network that I’ve always wanted to build. My chosen family. I finally found my people.