Apr 03, 2024
Dungeons, Dragons & Me
As you enter the cave…
The cave smells horribly, like something's gone bad. It's super dark inside, except for a tiny bit of light at the entrance.
Quietly, I follow the stinky smell, using my darkvision ability which allows me to see in the dark.
As you keep going, it gets even darker. You can't see colours anymore, just different shades of grey.
I walk silently along the cave walls, trying not to make any noise.
Roll stealth check.
Skill checks determine your success or failure at a certain task. In most cases, you roll a dice with 20 sides, the higher the roll, the more successful an outcome is.
I rolled 14.
After a while, you get closer to where the smell is coming from, and it starts feeling really cold, like being in a freezer.
Inside the cave room…
In there, you see a strange curtain made of meat, and it smells so bad that you have to cover your nose to avoid gagging.
Looking around, you notice a weirdly shaped spear lying nearby.
Curious, I reach out to pull the meat curtain, ready to defend myself.
But as soon as you touch it, something sharp pricks your hand. Roll constitution saving throw.
Saving throws check if you can avoid something, for example feeling sick or vomiting after couple of beers. As for skill checks, you roll the same 20-sided dice.
I rolled 5.
You start feeling dizzy and your vision gets blurry. You try to hold onto the wall to stop yourself from falling.
You take 4 points of poison damage.
Ouch! But I'm still standing. You won't take me down that easily.
I wonder what's hidden deeper in this cave. Are there treasures waiting for me? What kind of scary creatures am I going to encounter? And who’s maintaining this inhumanly made freezer?
Dungeons & Dragons
In the world of D&D, players and the game master team up to create stories of heroes, villains, and everything in between.
It's kind of like watching a movie, but it's all in your imagination or with the help of small miniatures.
The outcome of your character's story depends on the choices you make and the dice rolls. Sometimes they do amazing things, and other times, well, not so much.
Archives: Adventures Remembered
Entry #01: Akim - The Healer
My name is Akim.
I used to serve with the brave warriors of Grey Force as a healer.
Once, I went on a mission to explore and find lurking dangers on a faraway island. Sadly, my journey was cut short when a mind flayer attacked me during a ship travel.
My friends tried to save me, but they couldn't because they missed their attacks and the mind flayer ate my brain. Thanks guys.
Entry #02: Rolen - The Forest Beast Master
My name is Rolen.
I've always been a wild spirit, living in harmony with nature and taming beasts.
When Grey Force came to our island, they needed a guide for the forests. I joined them, but our journey ended in betrayal. I survived by sheer luck.
After that, I decided to return to the wilderness. People can't be trusted.
Player: Diving into Imagination
From my first game, I fell in love with D&D. As someone with a vivid imagination, it was the perfect game for me.
In this game, every decision counts. Your rolls determine whether you break a leg or succeed in a jump, whether you live or die.
Each player plays a character of their own creation. Together, we enter a realm where we communicate and let our imaginations run wild, guiding the story forward (sometimes even backward or diagonally).
Game Master: Shaping Worlds
I was excited to take on the role of game master instead of being a player.
The first game I led was with people I knew well. It was a one-shot session, as they call it in the D&D world. Even though it lasted for two days, we had a blast.
From then on, I preferred being the GM. I led more games, enjoying each one.
However, it eventually became overwhelming. Other responsibilities took over, and now I find more joy in other activities, like writing this blog post.
Who knows, I might come back in the future and lead more games with a great group of friends.
Friendship Forged
At my first game, our game master was Tadas Botyrius. He had an enormous imagination for world and story building, along with amazing capabilities to lead the game and keep everyone interested and excited.
For around 4 years afterward, we stayed in touch, sometimes meeting to play board games, hang out, or play League of Legends or Playstation games. We shared a similar mindset of creating great things. So when I approached him with the idea of Gameup, he encouraged me to pursue it and even joined the journey as a team member.
Thanks to D&D, I found one of my best friends, whom I’m very grateful for. While you can meet people through other hobbies, meeting someone with similar interests is truly special.
Embarking on the Quest
If you’re interested in trying out this game or learning how it’s played, I suggest watching some gameplay videos on YouTube to get a feel for it.
Once you're ready to join a game and experience it firsthand, in Vilnius, you can connect with GM Tadas Botyrius, who frequently hosts sessions for a small fee. You can find his advertisements on Facebook or Discord groups (and soon on the Gameup app). Of course, there are plenty of other talented GMs out there too, so feel free to explore your options.
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Thanks for reading. Peace.