Interview with a Dungeon Master
We would like to introduce you to James Tydd. James is a Volunteer at Chinchilla Library and is the Dungeon Master for our monthly Dungeons and Dragons campaign. We asked James a series of questions to get to know more about the popular table top game. Take a look:
Tell us a little about what Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is:
D&D is a tabletop role playing game, where a group of friends get together to go on imaginary adventures in a fantasy world. There are two different roles. The Dungeon Master (DM) and the players. The story is dependent on the decisions of the players in the game. Some choose to go on heroic adventures, and some choose to be villains, and yet other campaigns are much closer to Monty Python adventures.
How do I create a character?
Creating a character is rather detailed and is better explained in the ‘D&D Players Handbook’ (available for loan at Western Downs Libraries – reserve a copy here). There are also several websites dedicated to D&D, namely Wizards of the Coast, where they have free character sheets available for download.
What do the dice mean?
The dice are used as a way of handling the uncertainty of how the events happen, not even the best athlete can succeed in what they are attempting to do in their field, yet sometimes an amateur can succeed their first time. There are multiple dice. D&D sets have either 5 or 6 sided dice. There are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 sided dice. The one most often used is the 20 sided dice when attempting a manoeuvre. The dice are rolled, and the number shown is combined with an associated number on your character sheet. The result is compared with the difficulty rating by the DM to determine success.
What is the role of the Dungeon Master?
The DM’s role is to act as the eyes and ears of the players. Fulfilling a Narrator role giving the players a brief background of the adventure, assisting and advising play. The DM also has final say on whether an action can be done, or how difficult it will be. Each DM chooses how they fulfill these roles, and some may disagree with my view of a DM’s purpose.
What is the difference between a D&D Campaign and a One Shot?
Mostly time. A One Shot is suppose to be finished in a single session, between 4 to 6 hours. While a Campaign takes place over many sessions. Sometimes even taking years, depending how often you play.
How do I find and join a D&D Group?
Western Downs Libraries run D&D games in two of their library branches.
Dalby runs a Games Night on the first Saturday of the month from 6pm to 10pm.
Chinchilla runs Dungeons and Dragons on the third Sunday of the month from 2pm to 6pm.
Please check the website for more information and to register your interest.
Thank you James for the insight into Dungeons & Dragons!
If you’re left wanting more, check out our Dungeons & Dragons Collection here.