Chronicles of a D&D Noob: The Wizard #1
Sep. 10, 2013Chronicles of a D&D Noob: The Wizard #1
Dungeons and Dragons, orDnD, is a tabletop gaming experience to enjoy with friends. Here I detail my first experiences with it, over a few beers and up to some awesome fun!
Few things inspire fantasy like theWizardarchetype. Arcane blasts of elemental energy, mystifying illusions, transmutations and incantations, wizards and magic are the stuff fantasy dreams are made of. So when presented with a live session that was in need of one, I leaped at the opportunity. I can stand back with karate fists of fire and nuke shit? Please and thank you. The role-play on this one was going to be fun, long have I wished to be able to summon magic to my aid. Oh sure, I’ve told plenty of people to fuck off in real life. But never with icicle missiles. I want that. It really adds the exclamation point that I feel I am presently lacking.
Thiswizardfills the role in the party of control, which is pretty neat. He is on the lower end of health, but being in the back away from most enemies’ range balances that. Not entirely a glass cannon, his role is to cast spells that impede, slow, confuse, and generally interfere with monsters while also doing some damage. He pairs well with the strikers and positions the monsters where the parties damage dealers can inflict maximum damage. I’m seeing through my noob eyes that to succeed, paying attention to positioning, and knowing my allies’ powers is crucial. Of my present group, I feel in a way like the quarterback and I tend to keep track of where everyone is and what they are capable of doing.
Character creationon this guy was fun. He’s a contrast in personality to myDnDfighter; rather than harboring secretbloodlustbeneath a zen like veneer, my wizard is a self interested prick, motivated by the injustices of oppression. Before you roll your eyes, this isn’t some cliched bad boy redemption tale. This guy is aware of the chip on his shoulder, and is squarely on the path towards sociopathy. He cares little for others or their concerns unless they converge with his own and alliances he makes are squarely done so out of convenience. I enjoy being able to explore a character’s dark side and if my fighter is the superego then this wizard is the id. He burns, he is vibrant and he is passionate. And this is starting to sound like an autobiography.
This particular campaign is a liveDnDsession which, I am discovering, somewhat diminishes the roleplay and creative writing element. My fighter is a play by post online forum campaign and the freedom to go on imagination tangents is near limitless. During live sessions it is all too easy to act as you normally are even when making decisions that contradict your demeanor. Joking and banter is common and almost unavoidable. Your character seems to become your real self in the DnD element even if you conceive of him or her very differently. I am sure there are campaigns where people do full in-character acting, but for me, to do so would feel awkward and forced. Provided I could muster the thespian chops, getting four or five other people to do the same would be difficult.
In its current state it makes for interesting sociological observation as we try to retain our character concepts and do so in separation of our real selves. How do I pull a jerk move and hoard an item while also drinking the host’s beer? Can I stomach the goody two shoes character the when the person playing them has gotten into their fair share of real life trouble? It can make for some tense moments, and should provide some interesting drama as we progress. Stay tuned!
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Emergence
Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
If an old vet of the game can weigh in;I think that a few more live sessions and everyone will be acting more as the character. Unless your dream is acting it’s an awkward process to do and the group needs to first establish what the comfort zone is on the whole. From what I’ve seen this will occur with any new questline or group regardless of players’ experience levels. Every group is a new group (despite the last ten quests with the same people).
Now how credentialed am I? This is literal and quite serious but…I was playing back when the “cool” thing to do was send anyone who admitted playing AD&D pamphlets telling them all about how they would burn in hell because of their newfound ties to Satan. You think Mary Jane is a gateway to some bad ****, you should see what the AD&D pamphlets said it was a gateway for. I don’t recall sacrificing any puppies or humans thanks to my adventures with roleplaying but I suppose the jury is still out on where my eternal soul goes. Maybe I can find some of these old pamphlets online…
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