When Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson introduced Dungeons & Dragons in 1974, they likely couldn’t have imagined the cultural juggernaut their tabletop role-playing game would become. Over the past five decades, the iconic game has spawned books, TV shows, movies, action figures, video games — and now, a weekly gathering at the Pine Plains Free Library.
At the helm of these sessions is Alex Bass, 20, of Stanfordville, who serves as Dungeon Master (DM). Equal parts adversary and guide, the DM orchestrates the unfolding story, crafting imaginary landscapes teeming with challenges, creatures and intrigue. Each week, a handful of players step into the roles of adventurers — a shifty rogue, a hulking barbarian warrior or an ancient spellcaster — working together as a party to navigate Bass’ richly imagined world. Each member has unique abilities and shortcomings that influence the party’s success or failure in their grand, albeit imaginary, quest.
Bass considers character creation to be one of the most attractive parts of the role-playing experience. “You can be a villain, you can be a hero, you can be yourself or you can be someone entirely different,” he said. Players begin by choosing a character class — fighter, wizard or bard, to name a few — and roll dice to determine attributes like strength, wisdom and dexterity. Personality traits, such as aggressiveness or empathy, add further depth.
Ideally, a group of players will have complementary skills to better handle any situation. But that’s not always the case. “If you all want to be bards, go for it!,” said Bass. Players usually see some part of themselves in their characters, and choose their attributes and style of play accordingly, for a deeply personal experience.
Wizards of the Coast, the current publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, offers players an array of material, including rulebooks, creature guides and pre-planned adventures in a variety of settings. But, Bass has created a world of his own: Errobin.
Years in the making, Errobin is a perilous realm complete with a looming empire and an opposing alliance. “I was writing ideas in a journal for two or three years,” Bass said “After I built it in my head, it came to life on the table.”
Errobin’s adventurers are mercenaries rather than loyalists, driven by the allure of treasure and the promise of glory. Their exploits often begin with a rumor overheard in a tavern, or a job commissioned by a shadowy stranger. The players decide where to go and how to tackle the obstacles and potential enemies that cross their path. While Bass crafts the scenarios — a glittering object spied in the distance or the sudden appearance of an angry three-headed ogre — the players dictate how the story unfolds, sometimes taking audacious risks.
One group of players accepted a job from a wealthy client to burglarize the king’s palace, a daunting task Bass thought they would surely turn down. As soon as they were inside the castle they were set upon by the royal guards and barely escaped alive. It sounds like a disaster, but the players had a great time. “I have never been prouder of a party,” Bass said. “And they came out OK — they were paid half up front!”
Bass started playing D&D at age 11 and began hosting D&D sessions in his home two years ago. He started the library group earlier this year at the suggestion of director Dee Ann Campbell, the mother of a member of Bass’ home D&D group. Bass, who works as the dessert and prep cook at Champetre, usually has three or four players participate each week out of about a dozen regulars. Most are teens or young adults, though older library patrons have also expressed interest.
A D&D session can be a one-off, self-contained adventure over the course of a few hours, or it can be part of a larger multi-session campaign. Bass prefers the latter, as it offers continuity to his players, who develop their characters over time and gradually increase their abilities and expand their skill set, known as “leveling up.”
As the player-characters become more powerful, Bass increases the difficulty of their adventures. Sometimes failure has consequences, even the death of a character. It is a tough moment in game terms as players become attached to their alter egos. Bass noted the sense of relief and satisfaction of a demanding session: “The players say, ‘Hey, we did something challenging and came out unscathed! Well, that one guy lost an arm, but it was worth it!’”
The overarching theme is cooperation, both within the party and between the party and the DM. “The members of the party learn their strengths and weaknesses, cover for each other when they can and often come up with solutions I didn’t anticipate,” Bass said. As DM, Bass is the source of both misery and reward within the game but is also determined to make each session fun for all concerned. He strives for a balance that keeps the game entertaining and a challenge, without edging into frustration. So far it seems to be working, as his core of regular players grows.
The Dungeons & Dragons club meets every Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Pine Plains Free Library. It will be back in action in the New Year on Jan. 2.
