(Now, Mom…I know you’re reading this. Don’t freak out!)
If you’ve been following our adventures for a while, you’ll notice this new format. Scroll to the bottom for the summaries and links to each of our sessions…
One of our local EndoSisters, Toni, had a brilliant idea to get the gals together for a little bit of roleplaying fun. She had read that roleplaying could be beneficial to people who suffer from pain or in need of a happy-boost – and besides we wanted to get together for some good laughs and R&R. I thought it was a great idea, and off she went, planning our adventurous day together!
We teamed up with Linda Dami of Donut Panic, who let us use her comfy couches and tables for the afternoon. We also had access to delicious vegan donuts and gluten-free vegan cupcakes. Thank you, Linda!
“But, Lisa,” you ask, “what does roleplaying games have to do with this?” Aaaah, I’m glad you asked! Well, let me tell you what I’ve learned:
There’s a man out there named Charlie Brown. He suffers from major depression and anxiety, as well as borderline personality disorder. He says gaming saved his life, and it continues to, every day. He pushes passed his anxiety, goes out, meets with friends and strangers – finds himself encouraging the shy to break out of their shell. And he says, “Often its better than medication of traditional therapy . It heals, and bonds, and fills in those cracks. The world for a bit is a little more tolerable. I know this because I can move back into it .” Tabletop gaming has helped Charlie. You can read his amazing story by clicking on the link in “Resources” below.
Some therapists out there are actually having their patients play Dungeons & Dragons as the therapy session. They say it helps with social anxiety, problem solving, communication, building friendships, and empathy. Gaming may also boost happiness and reduce stress! I can tell you that I, personally, felt uplifted and refreshed after our game on Sunday. Well, all of the players mentioned that they all really had a great time and couldn’t wait to get together again. It gets you out of the house, lifts your spirits, gives you something else to think about…
An article in Psychology Today pointed out that D&D (as well as other tabletop RPG games) bring people together, boost imagination and creative thinking, encourages improvisation and quick-thinking. It may very well be a confidence booster.
It really was a feel-good day for us. It raises Charlie Brown’s spirits and social ability. It helps patients progress through issues.
When you suffer through (fill in the blank), a feel-good day with friends may be just what you need. Even if it’s not D&D or RPG games, I encourage you to go out and find that “feel good” activity that gets you out of your present situation and into something…enjoyable. Boost those Happiness Chemicals in your brain.
Six of us gathered at Donut Panic on Sunday – none of us have played before, but we were all eager and willing to learn! No judgments (well…Morgana was a judgmental Druid…), no expectations, and all ears (is that an Elf joke?). We had our DM, and we each received character sheets, introduced our characters, and our journey began.
The best part of sitting around the table with these guys and gals was interacting, thinking together, creative problem solving, laughing, and just letting go of our present situations to immerse ourselves for a few hours in this story we all helped create together. I was glad to see people still honor their bodies during the four-hour game: standing breaks when sitting became too much, pee breaks, getting more water to drink, etc. We also had a seemingly endless supply of cupcakes and donuts!
The next day we were all a bit tired and our DM is more so because of all the work they put into the campaign, learning the rules, and keeping us on track. Everyone worked together as we ran across questions of operation and procedure, and it truly was a team effort. And, thank you Toni for putting this all together!! It was incredible!
If you’d like to see photographs of our little maiden campaign, here you go! And if you’d like to read our little Adventure as it played out, our story will follow at the end of the photographs…although it will likely be meaningless and not hilarious to you since you weren’t there. HA! But we all had SO much fun!
Adventure Ahead!
(if you would like to comment on these documents as you read them, each link has given you permission to do so…unless someone is crude or crass or just a horrible human being and ruins the “comment” option for everyone…)
Chapter 1 (1/15/17): It all begins. Meet our adventurers as they accept their first quest…and come across their first obstacles!
Chapter 2 (2/26/17): Three words: Sweaty Butt Falls. Oh, and meet Therkahn!
Chapter 3 (3/12/17): Our adventurers investigate the Red Brand hideout and run across several baddies while they’re there.
Chapter 4 (6/11/17): A game of Badweather, a talking rat, a talking parrot, and plenty of potions to guzzle. And, may we have the great pleasure of introducing you to Jimbo’s Band?!?!
Chapter 5 (7/16/17): The hunt for Glasstaff continues, as does the quest to locate the mysterious Wave Echo Cave. Drow, ghouls, and Eldran…
Chapter 6 (8/13/17): Introducing Drakon!
Chapter 7 (9/17/17): Bartholomew is drinking strange random potions. Drow, Drider, and Dwarves, oh my!!!
Chapter 8 (10/22/17): Still deep inside Wave Echo Cave, the party continues to explore. And we learn what happened to poor ol’ Eldran…and Bartholomew gets crafty with a staff and hairy zombie head.
Chapter 9 (11/19/17): Journeying out and away from Phandalin toward adventure and glory! We meet Scrum and Hamun.
Chapter 10 (12/17/17): The SpiderBarry song is everywhere!!! Agatha and her comb…fail. Moonbeams from Morgana! And an infamous automatic banana peeler!
Chapter 11 (1/14/18): The adventurers arrive at Cragmaw Castle! Scrum is still drunk off his ass. The AvonBarry calleth. Eru and Dirt become “friends.” And Barry induces vomiting.
Chapter 12 (2/11/18): More adventures through the halls of Cragmaw Castle with Lizard Morgana. We meet King Grol…and a mighty battle ensues!
Chapter 13 (3/18/18): All hail King Dirt! Pub shenanigans and City guards are called. Monte is born. And our friends fight a troll.
Chapter 14 (4/8/18): BUNNIES!!!!!!!!!! Morgana and Mew look for some drunken trouble. Everyone attends a masquerade ball, including a food-flingin’ monkey! And something sinister is afoot!
Chapter 15 (5/20/18): Teds and his buns! And we meet Gub, who likes to have allllll the fuuuun! Morgana searches for more drunken mischief. And our friends make a deal with Krim Breakhandle…and go hunting for a special javelin. (Enter the Medusa!)
Chapter 16 (6/24/18): Some not-so-great work by a cut-rate cleric. And some very bad decisions lead to a very, very bad predicament.
Chapter 17 (7/22/18): Prisoners. Bathrooms. Alligators. And did I mention…some rather clever plumbing?
Chapter 18 (8/4/18): Our adventurers face a tribunal for their actions…and compensation must be made! Research on Eru’s mark leads to some disturbing news.
Chapter 19 (9/16/18): Meet Brinn…and lots of bunnies and forest exploration with a monstrous encounter.
Chapter 20 (10/21/18): They continue to make their way to the old dwarven mines in search of the foundry and mithril cube. Will Brinn lead them safely through the forest? What awaits them inside the mines? And what of that new mark on Eru’s wrist?
Chapter 21 (11/18/18): The battle continues through the mines on their way to the mithril cube. Fresh out of a fight, our adventurers find themselves slammed into another one…with no rest! Will they survive? Will they find the cube in time? Will Bartholomew’s stomach ever stop rumbling?
Chapter 22 (12/16/18): Still stuck in the dwarven mines in search of the mithril cube that will save their hands, what mayhem will they find this session? Orcs, ogres, dwarves, traps? For sure. Death? Destruction? The mithril cube?!? READ ON!
Chapter 23 (1/20/19 – coming soon):
Chapter 24 (2/23/19 – pending):
Chapter 25 (3/9/19 – pending):
Chapter 26 (4/13/19 – stay tuned):
