Going on a Quest with Joey Anders

It all started with an invitation from his future father-in-law.

Three years ago, Joey Anders was asked to try out the game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), so his then-girlfriend’s family could spend more time with him and get to know him better.

“My girlfriend’s dad created a group with himself (as the person who runs the game) and five players: me, my (now) wife, her stepmom, and two of her sisters,” recalls Joey, who works as Desktop Support at O’Shea. “And now three years later, I’m helping him create maps and a story, so we can start our next campaign and run it together!”

Dungeons & Dragons is the world’s most popular tabletop roleplaying game. During the cooperative game, players take on the roles of different characters within a story. As you play, your character makes friends and enemies, fights monsters, discovers loot, completes quests and more.

The Quest to Create a Story

While the goal of the various games is to score the most points or win, the overarching focus of Dungeons & Dragons is to tell a story.

“D&D can fit a broad audience, which is what I love most about it,” Joey said. “You have people who play, so they can role-play and experiment with their acting abilities, or to get a break from being so serious all the time as it gives them a chance to be silly and have fun.”

And there are people like Joey too, who enjoy the strategy of it all.

“The strategy involves figuring out the enemies’ weaknesses and using that to help the group and ensuring that we have the proper inventory for our next big adventure,” he shares. “There’s combat, interactions with non-player characters (characters who are part of the story but aren’t one of the people playing), and even just day-to-day planning to make sure you’re well equipped for the next adventure.”

A typical D&D game is comprised of a handful of players and a Dungeon Master. While the players each take on a created role of an adventurer character, the Dungeon Master is responsible for managing the entire narrative of the story.

“The game can really tap into people’s creative sides. It’s like a book or a story people play and experience rather than reading,” Joey explains.

Joey has even surprised himself with how much he’s enjoyed the creative process of the game.

“I created the story for my campaign, so I know who they will meet and in what area they will meet in. I’ve designed a few maps that the players can then interact with and visit different areas and cities in,” he said. “I’ve written out over 60 pages of storyline, characters, ideas, and more to create just one single campaign – and so far, my group is only about a quarter of the way through the story.”

Game Time

Joey exclusively plays in person, participating in his father-in-law’s campaign that runs on Sundays, as well as running his own on Thursdays with a group of friends.

He’s personally found it much easier to play in person than online, especially when showing newer players the ropes and rules. Being in person, new players can better visualize the sizes and shape of rooms and buildings their player characters are in.

For anyone who is interested in starting to play, Joey recommends finding someone you know who is interested or already playing and simply talking about it to learn more. There’s also an option to set up what’s called a “one shot,” which is basically a single mini adventure that can be run and completed in a few hours.

“Most campaigns typically last a few years up to 10 or 20 or even longer. So, it can be daunting for new players to jump straight into a committed group that’s already been playing, but I can’t recommend it enough,” Joey said.

Another recommendation for new players is a little easier: “Be yourself when making your character and figuring out the game in general,” Joey suggests.

“I usually recommend doing a little bit of research because there are a lot of stats in D&D, but all in all, letting your character have a bit of an identity and quirkiness to them. It will make you more connected with your character, and in the end, it will be much more fun,” he said.

As for Joey, he definitely is hooked and glad for the opportunity to join in this exciting movement.

“D&D is a lot more popular than most people would think, but even after playing for three years, I’ve only scratched the surface of the culture around it,” he said.