Dungeons & Dragons: The adventure continues

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Mercedes Porter
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  
Airmen and families from all over Dyess Air Force Base have been participating in a Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) campaign every other Thursday at the Hangar Center since November 2017.

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy, tabletop, role-playing game designed to let players create their own characters to play in adventures with a Dungeon Master. The Dungeon Master controls the scenes and characters that players may encounter completely based on their imagination.

“I look forward to going every other Thursday,” said Airman 1st Class Isaac Riley, 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. “They are really great people and I’m excited to go.”

According to Tech. Sgt. Jerrika Stark, 7th Force Support Squadron community services operations noncommissioned officer in charge, they plan to start a new campaign as well as keeping the original campaign going so that they can keep gathering as a bi-weekly event.

“I think D&D is a great way for Airmen to socialize,” Stark said. “It’s not only a great way to relax, but it’s also an amazing way to blow off steam while interacting and networking with Airmen and families from all over the base.”

The group was created for Airmen by Airmen due to 7th FSS wanting to provide entertainment to all interests. The number of players has grown from three to 24 as word began to spread about the gatherings.

“My first experience was with a small group with not many people showing up to the meetings,” Riley said. “I was fairly new to D&D and they made it really easy to jump in. I had an awesome time!”

Players of all experience levels, including those who are brand new, are welcome. For new and beginning players, they assist in teaching the rules of the game, building a character and incorporating them into the campaign.

House rules for the campaigns include:

• The game will be friendly to new players.
• Over time, you will be expected to learn how to play your character. (Help will be provided for more difficult roles.)
• Work together. If your character cannot find a reason to stay with the party, then you will be ignored. Although, short term splitting from the party (ex. creating a diversion) will be okay.
• You are not expected to make every session. But, if you rarely show up, then you will not be permitted to a share of the party’s treasure.
• The party (and you) are responsible for your own inventory. If you do not write down what you possess, then you will not have it.
• Keep things PG-13.
• The Dungeon Master is always right. Occasionally, they will tweak the rules to improve the story.
• All published Wizards of the Coast material is allowed. Unearthed Arcana and third-party sources are not allowed.

Currently, the Dungeon Masters are Col. Jeffery Russell, 7th Maintenance Group commander, who has been playing since the early 2000s and Airman 1st Class Alexander Denning, 7th Component Maintenance Squadron B-1B avionics digital analog video test station apprentice. [For those interested in learning how to successfully lead as a Dungeon Master contact jerrika.stark@us.af.mil.]