I’m continuing to enjoy my weekly D&D session every Wednesday night, and I’m just amazed at the number of new players I keep meeting at each gathering. In addition to the adults showing up, we’ve also got a 13-year-old who is having an absolute blast and asking all sorts of good questions, including questions about previous versions and the “old days” of D&D. Makes me smile.
This Wednesday I’m planning on handing that young player a copy of David M. Ewalt’s Of Dice and Men, an excellent personal account of Ewalt’s experiences, both past and present, with D&D. The book has just been released in paperback (with a new Afterword not found in the original hardback), so if you’ve not read it yet, you really need to go and grab a copy. You can also read my original review of the book here along with an interview with David.
If you’d like to get a glimpse at the book first, David’s publisher has kindly offered up one of the best chapters ever to explain D&D in in the book (IMO) as a free PDF download. Grab a copy of the free 31-page PDF by clicking the link this link –> Chapter 1 “You’re All At A Tavern” — other filetypes can be downloaded here. Not only is it a great read, but it’s also the perfect primer for anyone with a spouse, friend, or family member wondering what it’s all about. As I told David in the interview, “Chapter 1 reads like the essay for Intro to RPGs 101 that got an A+ — it’s the explanation that I wish I’d had twenty years ago to give to those folks who really just didn’t get it.” Download it, save it somewhere easily accessible, and have the perfect attachment to email anyone asking questions about your weekly or monthly game.
really enjoyed the first chapter. Definitely going on my christmas list!
Glad to hear it — if you liked the style/voice and content, you’ll really enjoy the rest of the book. David did a great job writing it.