Are you a fan of Dungeons & Dragons? Here's why you should attend game night in Mumbai

Pic Courtesy/Youtube

If you're a fan of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), an epic night awaits you to celebrate a game that has shaped fantastical worlds for half a century. The community is abuzz with the latest developments of this iconic game. There's exciting news from D&D headquarters about the 2024 Player's Handbook that promises standardised subclasses across all classes starting at 3rd Level, and hence this game night couldn't be timelier.

"For me, game nights are a trip back in time; when alliances were forged, rivalries born and buried, and memories were made in magic. Expect cheers of victory and groans of defeat, all accompanied by snacks that vanish faster than the dice can roll," shares Shruti Iyer, the Dungeon Master for the event.

"To share an analogy from video games, it's an open-world Role Playing Game (RPG) where instead of fighting the dragon you can marry it. I remember one game where the Dungeon Master (the host of the game) had described four different groups of people at the restaurant where our characters were headed. The Dungeon Master (DM) had set up quests for me and my friends to go on, and all we had to do was interact with one. I decided that my character didn't like the vibe of the place and left to explore the temple ruins the DM had mentioned earlier," Iyer explains further.

The upcoming revisions aim to refine the gameplay without a full edition change, consolidating a decade of feedback into essential new manuals. Although, the DM had not prepared for the same and had to make up a whole ancient pantheon of gods on the fly (in other words, we won't be brainstorming on the new rule book), as shared by Iyer. Participants can share tales of their campaigns, create characters with unique abilities, and engage in strategy discussions. They can collaborate to overcome challenges and interact with non-player characters (NPCs) to unravel plots.

"D&D is a personalised storytelling platform; there is no correct way, or a guidebook to follow. That's the fun of it; you can live in a role-playing world; the DM can craft an entire universe, and there is creative freedom. Everybody should be a part of such a game that is the future of next-generation games," shares Rohan Mehta, event strategist, The Revolver Club. "Our events aim to offer communities and subcultures safe and inclusive spaces around India to discuss, experience and celebrate various facets of culture across music, film, and now, D&D," he sums up.

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Gamer-talk

I often host games for new players, and a common complaint is that they are still coming to grips with their characters and the game itself at early levels, making them unprepared to choose a subclass at levels 1 and 2. Standardising all subclasses at Level 3 is a great move, allowing players to ease into the game before making their all-important subclass choice. For experienced players, they can use the first two levels as a build-up to level 3, adding great roleplay opportunities as characters figure out their subclass in-game. From both a DM and player's perspective, this change seems beneficial. That said, I'd definitely want to play-test the first few levels before passing final judgment on the new rules."

Kshitij Naithani, 29

Kshitij Naithani and Aaron Misra

As someone who hosts D&D sessions, I believe the new subclasses will introduce intriguing dynamics in combat and add more variety to role-playing. With the revamping of existing classes, I'm especially excited about the brand-new original subclasses for the Barbarian, Druid, and Bard. However, the feature I am most eager to try is the new weapon mastery skills. This addition promises to make combat more enjoyable and will add a layer of depth for players to explore. Overall, these updates will significantly enhance the gameplay experience, making it more engaging and immersive for everyone involved."

Aaron Misra, 20