I’m quite, quite bored. Sloooooow day at work, following a sloooooooooooooow week at work. And I’ve been thinking, man, I could go for some fun in my life.
I…uh…I was thinking about finding a D&D group near me, if possible. I have no idea how to do this. I also have no idea if D&D is what I actually want to do. I like RPGs, but have never played a non-video game one before. I’ve played WoW, but that’s as close as I’ve come to doing anything like gaming with other folks - and I know it’s a far cry.
So, is there some sort of social directory I should be looking for? What’s the standard protocol for letting folks know “I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing?”
One way of finding a group is to go to your local gaming shop (there’s usually one in most malls), and asking the folks there. If you don’t already know folks who play, this is probably your best option. Alternately, you could get a bunch of like-minded friends together and start your own group, though this can be a bit bumpy if none of you have prior experience.
If you’re searching online or in the yellow pages for a store, don’t forget that D&D often goes hand-in-hand with comics, miniatures, and board games.
You won’t know if D&D is your cup of tea until you try it, but from what I’ve heard, the latest ruleset (4th edition) is much like WoW anyhow…
I recently moved, and I checked out a local hobby store. They directed me to a local gaming forum to help me find a D&D group. Haven’t found a group yet, but it’s a pretty active forum – maybe there’s something similar in your area.
Note that it’s a mixture of veterans and beginners. (It’s also using the original character set, but the roleplaying principles are timeless.)
Online play has less depth and tension than face-to-face games, but it’s jolly convenient (no travel, play at your own pace).
The protocol for letting know gamers that you have absolutely no clue what you’re doing is to say “I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing!”.
Us nerdy types are pretty literal.
