Today’s post comes from my friend and writing partner, Amanda Rye. We are in the process to finalizing our first DMsGuild publication, “Children of the Hills,” for release in February. But do enjoy her fantastic take on entering the infinite adventures of Dungeons & Dragons!
Hi all! When John asked me to collaborate on a writing project I was excited. When he told me it had to do with Dungeons & Dragons, I was even more excited, and a little trepidatious, as I had never played a game of D&D in my entire life. (I’m 34 years old, for reference) We both decided this had to change as soon as humanly possible, so we planned a time for me to come play a guest character for the campaign he’s currently DMing.
John and I put my character together; Arianrhod Chrysocolla, a Moon-born Elf Druid, of the Circle of Dreams. I named her after the Welsh Moon Goddess and one of my favorite crystals, and John painted up a bad-ass mini for the upcoming adventure.
When I arrived on game day I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I’ve known John for a few years, so I knew it would be nothing short of spectacular, but as to the part I would play…could I rise to the occasion and match that spectacular-ness?
I was a bit nervous because I really didn’t know what to expect. I know John has been playing almost his entire life, and the majority of his fellow players have also been playing for quite some time. I can get nerdy with the best of them, but I will admit I was worried at first. I didn’t want to mess up anyone’s vibe by not knowing anything, but I discovered very quickly that I did NOT have anything to worry about. Everyone was extremely helpful and patient, and welcomed me with open arms. There was no sense of gatekeeping or leaving me to my own devices (at least before we got to the Feywild and they had to see about a camel while my Druid dealt with mysterious chants coming from swamps)
So we played for a couple of hours, I was catching on and having massive amounts of fun, and then I got SICK. Like, leaving the game and making friends with the bathroom sick. I was embarrassed and horrified, but I was asked to come back anyway!
The next game day was much more successful, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I love the creativity and imagination that is woven into everything, from the seemingly mundane task of buying property to fighting the biggest, baddest monsters and working together as a team.
Before I had played I was also a bit nervous about coming up with original ideas when writing adventures. Now I have a running list of ideas that I’ll jot down as the I’m still learning the intricacies of the game, but it is a great and glorious thing, and I am very much looking forward to not only playing again (and again), but also seeing what rad things I can create in the amazing world that is Dungeons & Dragons.
More about the author: Amanda Rye is a queer writer currently residing in Bakersfield, CA. When she is not working on her first novel or other writing projects, she’s mom to a precocious 6 year old and a practicing tarot reader. You can also find her taking pictures on Instagram and ranting about literally everything on Twitter.
OnlyPlayWizards 
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