D&D 101: Why now is the time to start role-playing

A teenager's creative imagination and boatloads of free time make the ages between 12 and 19 the ideal time to become a gamer. But what if you never picked up the 10-sided die and met up with a group of pals for tabletop adventures when the time was ripe? Phil Kalata and his gang at the Chicago Nerds Social Club insist that it's never too late to slay some orcs, and their Dungeons & Dragons 101 event at The Dice Dojo on February 21 is designed to give wannabe gamers the chance to roll up some characters and see what they missed out on. The A.V. Club caught up with Kalata to learn why your average, non-geeky dude should search for some hardcore RPG action.

Feeding your curiosity
"Our 101 series recognizes that not everyone is an expert in all areas of nerdery or geekdom, but they're curious."Kalata explains. You likely knew gamers in high school and college and thought, "Is it possible that the bespectacled, over-and-underweight guys who spend their weekends in a basement quoting Monty Python and rolling dice are actually having a better time than I am?" Thankfully, time is a great equalizer when it comes to matters of coolness and nerdiness. "People might not understand the difference between G1 and G2 Transformers, what 'grok' means, or why 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but they want to know," Kalata says. "There are a lot of people who have heard of the game, but simply never understood the appeal."

Understanding the point
Kalata insists that the appeal of D&D (and the countless RPGs it inspired) is personal. "You have to appeal to the individual," he says. "For a guy who has an Xbox 360, but leaves it off on Fridays while he's at the bar, I'd appeal to his love of action and adventure." It's not all dude-fests, either: Kalata explains that women can be more enthusiastic gaming recruits, especially one who thinks popular culture lacks good female characters. "This is someone who wants strong characters in fiction and wants to be a strong person. This is perfect fodder for a role-player." But ultimately, Kalata says, role-playing shares the same appeal of going to a bar. "Role-playing games are a social experience. There's a stigma that people who play—nerds, by and large—are anti-social, but it simply isn't true. It's a wonderfully creative and social hobby. You're spending time with good friends and telling a story together."

Finding a group
If you're sold on the "why," the biggest obstacle in the "how" is putting together a group to play. "If you only have one or two friends who are interested, that's fine. There are games designed for smaller groups," Kalata says. Or, if you'd rather meet some new people to play with, he has a few recommendations. "Ask around at local game stores," he suggests. "[D&D publisher] Wizards Of The Coast recently launched their own social network—basically Facebook for D&D players." The key to finding that perfect group to consume stacks of Doritos and Mountain Dew with is simple: "Play with people you like."After all, if you wanted to spend your weekend with really annoying people just to participate in a given activity, you could be doing coke. "Play with people whose company you actively seek out," Kalata says, "Not someone you merely tolerate."