With my solo D&D Red Box Adventure well underway, I was eager to get back in the saddle at a table. Sure, it’d been literally the last millennium when I’d last rolled a D20, but it couldn’t be that hard, could it?
As it turns out, no, it wasn’t that hard. In the intervening years since I’d hung up my adventuring cloak, Wizards of the Coast had firmly seated itself online with a plethora of properties, D&D among them. Notable on their site was a small add that read
The description on the link went on to say:
Heroes needed! Are you game?
D&D Encounters is an exciting, weekly campaign that plays out one epic encounter at a time. As you defeat enemies, solve puzzles, finish quests, and perform heroic deeds, you’ll earn Renown Points that you can use to get exclusive rewards. Each session only takes 1-2 hours to play, so it’s easy to fit your game in after school or work. And each week there’s a new and exciting challenge. Jump in anytime!
Was I game? You bet.
I checked the store tracker and found two stores in the area, one within walking distance from home, while the other was just off the local transit line. It was, it seemed, time for an adventure of my own.
With Google Map in hand I set out for the downtown core of my small city, headed to the store-within-walking-distance. The walk was brief but it took me through a part of the city I hadn’t ventured through before; I was amazed to see “federal” government buildings from before the time of Canadian confederation as I trekked through the streets. At last I reached my destination. I found the door set into the wall and had a Far Side moment, failed my perception check, and pushed on the bar; counter-intuitively it was actually a pull to open. Slightly embarrassed, I stepped inside.
Charisma? 8.
Have you ever been in one of those game stores? It’s cramped, not particularly well stocked, and the owner stares blithely at you as you walk in. From the moment you step inside you’re under constant glaring surveillance, as the awkward chap behind the desk refuses to engage you nor will he let you be. It’s a Hostile Game Store™, and there’s not much you can do about it.
I browsed the small selection and found it rather wanting; I was hoping to find a friendly face that I could inquire about the Encounters nights, but my hopes were dashed.
“I saw online that you run D&D Encounters here…” I was quickly cut off.
“We run them Sundays. Wednesdays is a bad day for everyone.”
For everyone. He might as well have said “everyone except you, pal.” It was clear that there was a crew that enjoyed their D&D Encounters here, and from the tone I was hearing, I wasn’t going to be a part of that.
“So can anyone just show up?” I asked.
The look on his face contradicted his affirmative response.
I was dismayed and disappointed, but this store wasn’t the only fish in the sea. Wanting to do my part to support my local kinda-F-LGS, I purchased a DM screen, packed it into my bag, and glumly headed home. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to try option number two.
This blog is the second in the series. Read part 1 here.
