The Mattawa Public Library unleashes the dragon this coming Thursday, February 24, with the launch of a new after school gaming session.
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is the game of choice, and if all goes well “I’m hoping to implement it as ongoing programming,” said Gabrielle Lahaie, the library’s CEO. “Ideally, if it takes off, it’s going to be a once-a-week program.”
So far, she has six students signed up, although if more are interested, she’s willing to expand the program. Having too many people in one campaign can get cumbersome, but as more people sign up, she will add another evening of game time, or perhaps find someone else to run a separate game on Thursdays.
Launched in 1974, D&D is a fantasy role playing game “driven by imagination,” as explained on the game’s website. Each player creates a character for themselves and together these characters embark on various adventures, the fate of which is determined by a roll of the dice.
Each adventure is overseen by a Dungeon Master, who guides the players through their epic adventures with the aid of D&D story books. There is no gameboard, the game is played with dice and through storytelling. The Dungeon Master also plays the roles of all the friends and foes the characters meet along the way. It’s a pivotal role.
“I’m the dungeon master,” proclaimed Lahaie, who has seen her fair share of fantastical scenarios. She began playing more during these pandemic times, “something my friends and I took up to stay connected.”
Her partner served as the Dungeon Master for that game, “an ongoing campaign that lasted for two years.” Epic indeed but dealing with the Curse of Strahd isn’t an easy task.
That is one of the countless campaigns awaiting the D&D player, and most do not last two years. Lahaie is shortening the campaigns for her new group so that they can complete a game in one session. The idea is to “dip their feet into the world of Dungeons and Dragons,” and “then dive into an ongoing long running campaign.”
To prepare the library to become a gateway to other realms, Lahaie visited the Split Tankard, a game shop in North Bay. “The owner is really passionate about helping people,” enter the realm of role-playing games, and he helped set her group up with the appropriate D&D supplies.
“All you need is dice, and I have the books to control the story,” she said, “I think it’s going to be a really fun time where you get to interact with your friends.” And since Covid has been so restricting it will be nice “for them to be able to engage with each other.”
When restrictions lighten, Lahaie hopes to open the games up to adults as well, as she’s been hearing lots of buzz about town, the people are interested, and Mattawa might be due for a D&D revival.
“I’m hoping that it’s only just the start,” she said, “and hoping to reach a broader group of people who are really excited to get it going.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
