Emily Swallow Instagram – I don’t know why it took me this many years to discover the absolute joy and creativity and community that are there for the taking with #dungeonsanddragons, but man oh man am I on board now. After several slow burn sessions of an ongoing #homegame with the delightful @sweeetanj , @luis.carazo , @christianleenavarro and @aimeecarrero, @tstashwick invited me to a single session game at his #nerdlair, set in a fantastically imaginative world sprung from his noggin. I was a little nervous when I found I’d be playing with badasses like as @lukegygax, @sweeetanj, @itswilwheaton , @christoffvisscher and @janina, but I knew that, at the heart of this community, all that is asked of a player is preparation, imagination, and saying “yes.” HOLY SMOKES. What an incredible night! I showed up with Vorser Barbedfinger, a dwarf ranger who hails from the mountains but is an expert in swamps because he has a beef with too many folks back home to care about details from that terrain. He’s not much for charisma, but that didn’t matter in the final battle when he leapt onto a galloping horse and saved the day. Why start D&D now? Anjali is to blame – she helped me see that it’s a fantastic playground for actors and writers; we get to create and develop characters and try them out in real time. I have always loved what I get to explore and learn about when I put on a character from a script, and the same applies to this world. Vorser’s blunt manner and his love of his tangled but carefully braided beard gave me a chance to let go of worry for an evening and try on a new attitude. I am even more excited to take some of these discoveries into my home game—I found that the quick pace of Todd’s game forced me to deliberate less and create even more. What do you love about TTRPG? Comment below! 👇 #dnd #ttrpg #ttrpgcommunity #activeimagination #newworlds #olddognewtricks