A Different Type of Gaming

It’s been a long time since I dug up those D&D books that an old boyfriend gave me as a gift (pictured above). I think he actually got them 2nd hand from his older brother. I remember looking at them fondly when I first saw them, and then as the newer editions made their way slowly into my friends possessions I remembered being very jealous that I couldn’t afford the fancy books. I used to love gathering with friends (and a lot of snacks) and seeing what adventures we would be getting into. I had the utmost respect for the Dungeon Master, who made us his play-things every weekend in gorey battles for honour. I miss days like that. I never actually used my own books to play, since by the time I started an edition or two had already come out, but I did keep those books tucked away. I still ogle the new hardcover versions at the book store. They remind me of simpler days, even if they weren’t actually so simple. Memories are great things. 

There is a facebook application that I’ve been having a lot of fun getting into, and while I realize that not everyone enjoys using it, this little mini game is amazing. 

It’s called tiny adventures. You create a D&D character, and send them off to roleplay fun. You make dice rolls, get gear, and each ‘stage’ of an adventure takes a bit of time ranging from a few seconds to half an hour or more. You can either leave the application running and the timer will count down until you hit the ‘next stage’ button, or you can leave the application and go do other things, the adventure will play out without you there. 

Adventures consist of anywhere from 5-15+ encounters, with a dice roll deciding each encounter for you as you move along the story. Your class will also dictate whether or not you have a higher or lower chance at winning, some are tailored for clerics using wisdom checks while others are made for other classes, using strength checks or dexterity. 

The stories themselves are very well written, and as you read through each journey it can become slightly addicting. 

You can also look at your friends and their encounters. If they are currently in an encounter when you happen to be on the page and they’re low on health, you can help them by tossing them a heal potion. It’s not really a game per say, but it’s almost as addictive as one especially if you have the longing for good ‘ol roleplay sessions. Not all exciting games are about constant button mashing and wild sounds with action scenes every 10 seconds.