All DCs Welcome to DMD SIG for D&D and Other RPGs
- Dec 17, 2020
- Johnny Trouble Seyssel, Dungeons M Dragons SIG Coordinator
![A shadowy, hooded figure carrying a bow rides atop the back of a fire-breathing dragon.](http://static.americanmensa.org/Assets/AML/assets/Image/AML/featured-content/DnD-SIG_hero_730x383.png)
“Don’t open your mouth while fighting near the dwarf!” Too late. As my footpad reaches the battle, my companion is already swinging his ax, slicing through the town guard. Wiping blood and brains from my eyes, I call back, “You could’ve warned me sooner!”
There is a new Special Interest Group in town, replete with wand-wielding maniacs and spacefaring adventures: the Dungeons M Dragons SIG.
Role-play games have been tied to high-IQ individuals from the start, and we indeed do them best — and have the most fun! The ingenuity and creativity that make these games so entertaining are perfect for Mensans of all ages. If you have an imagination, you can play and enjoy.
What child hasn’t dreamed of being a heroic champion, a gunfighter, or a starfighter? What harried adult couldn’t use a chance to be someone else for a couple of hours? Who doesn’t enjoy a good story told by and with good friends?
This is the essence of tabletop roleplay. We build a common story from the bits each of us puts in, and the plot develops over time only as the characters interact with the environment (unfolded by the all-knowing dungeon master). Nobody knows what will happen next because anyone can catch you by surprise at any moment. The uncertainty added by the well-known dice only adds more confusion and excitement.
“Does Captain Sparklepants need a protection ring?”
“Glitterbomb! I’m Captain Glitterbomb, not Sparklepants.”
I have been interested in Dungeons & Dragons for as long as I can remember. The books, games, and even TV and movies always fascinated me, all the more so because they always seemed attached to the “smart kids” in conversations.
Dungeons M Dragons has been formed to help gamers of all kinds find each other, form new groups, find new games, get advice on old ones, and simply have a good time.
Like many of us, I often felt apart from my peers due to the ease with which I handled school. D&D called out as a way to connect. Later, I discovered many other similar games, featuring wholly different themes, rules, and possibilities. I was hooked. As time went on, I grew to like the other side of the game — as the dungeon master or game master. I became totally engrossed in building a game-world of my own, at first focused around the D&D I knew so well and then building it into a general setting where games or stories of all types could take place. On joining Mensa, I found many who shared aspects of this fascination, but to my surprise, there was no group in place to actually play. So, Dungeons M Dragons was born.
“What color is that giant snake? I could use a new vest, but it would have to be green.”
Dungeons M Dragons has been formed to help gamers of all kinds find each other, form new groups, find new games, get advice on old ones, and simply have a good time. Are you an experienced player whose group hasn’t met since the pandemic started? We can find you a new game to join or help you figure out the best way to bring your old one online. Never played but want to learn? We have several members who are willing to do intro sessions to teach the basics. Have a group of friends who want to play but don’t have the references or need a dungeon master? We can show you where to find those resources and help match you with a DM looking to start a new game. We are all about expanding and connecting our community of tabletop gamers. Whether you prefer space battles and interstellar exploration or sword-andsorcery campaigns against monsters from classical myth, tabletop RPGs are great ways to socialize while making up your own stories.
We operate mainly on Discord, but gamemasters are free to set up however they choose. We have Discord voice and video rooms already delegated for Pathfinder, Call of Cthulu, Cyberpunk, Star Trek, Star Wars, Vampire: The Masquerade, and Warhammer in addition to the currently running D&D campaigns. Meeting times are set by the group planning a game, so any time is available.
For any questions or to join, Mensa members can contact the coordinator or find us on Facebook.