“A collaborative storytelling experience where you can be someone different and be with friends, have games that become great memories.”
That’s how Arri Lemons describes Dungeons and Dragons.
The role-playing game turns 50 this year, and in celebration, you can find everything from commemorative postage stamps to a revised edition of the game rules.
Local fans can find materials for D&D, as it’s commonly called, at Dominic’s Dominion (147 Cherokee Heights Dr., Maryville); Southland Books and Cafe (1505 E. Broadway Ave., Maryville) and the Blount County Public Library (508 N. Cusick St., Maryville).
Lemons, one of the creators with local game crafters Oberon Games, makes accessories for D&D, which has become an important part of their life: “As silly as it sounds, I just want to help others play and have fun.”
Dungeons and Dragons was created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, with roots in war-gaming and fantasy fiction. It has evolved a lot over the past 50 years, growing into more of a character-based game with less emphasis on military tactics. However, the game is flexible enough to allow a huge variety of play styles, something that Drake Hatcher values about it:
“There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to play D&D, as long as everyone is satisfied with the experience created through playing together with their friends you’re playing Dungeons and Dragons the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Hatcher has played since childhood, while Lemons took up the game as a COVID quarantine hobby. They both find it a truly rewarding experience.
Lemons said, “I love building those experiences for my table, as well as playing complex characters where I have nothing personally in common other than a struggle I want to explore. Anger, loss and pain are hard to deal with, but if you’re playing a sorcerer dealing with loss, a barbarian with anger issues, or a warlock that is going through emotional trauma… you get to explore things while creating a character that you grow connected to as they grow.”
If you want to see what all the hype is about, there are plenty of ways to connect with local D&D players. At Dominic’s Dominion, groups play twice a week. At the Blount County Public Library, a volunteer-run group holds D&D sessions several times a week. At The Bird and Book, Oberon Games hosts open tables once a month on Thursday evenings. (The next one is September 12.) Beginners are welcome at all three venues.
But be warned: This rewarding hobby may just become a lifelong habit! You probably won’t regret it, though. As Hatcher said, “D&D has brought me together with some of my closest and dearest friends I currently have. It’s a game that creates community and allows everyone to express themselves through imagination and cooperative storytelling.”