Daughter, I hope you love Role-Playing Games

Someday, when you're older, I'm thinking ten or twelve, but maybe as young as eight depending on how mature I think you are, I'm going to sit down with you and help you create a Dungeons and Dragons character. It'll be about ten years from now, so we'll probably be using the brand new 5th edition system, but I'm thinking... Elf Fighter. Maybe a mage. Definitely Elf though.

So we'll create a character, talking about who she is, where she's from. What her dreams and aspirations are. I can already see that dreamy far away look in your eye as you describe her parents (king and queen of a far away land, of course) that your teachers have described to me. You put it on as you stare dreamily out of the classroom window when you should be learning about... whatever you should be learning about in the fourth grade. I don't remember exactly because I was too busy staring dreamily out the window when I should have been paying attention.

Then I'll give you the brand new dice I bought you in your favorite colors. Maybe purple, like your mother, or deep red with white numbers. Will you make sure that all your dice match? Will you prefer pips or digits on your d6s? I prefer that all my dice conform to "Ugly, old, and mismatched". Maybe you will too.

You'll know all the jargon, of course. d4s, d6s, d20s, etc. To Hit, Damage, and what kind of bonuses are power, feat, armor, or the almighty untyped. You've been the unofficial table mascot since you barely had hair. I'm afraid that you'll someday view all men against the benchmark that your father and his gamer friends have set. A benchmark that shows how focused, charismatic, successful and crushingly boring non-gamer men are.

So we'll begin and I'll describe the court of your parents. Maybe your Elf Fighter/Mage (that is, one or the other as multi-classing is a coward's game) feels out of place in the airy intrigue of the Great Game, or maybe you'll be bold and daring and give her an excellent CHA and begin to play your parent's enemies against each other. Maybe your mother will play with us. I can see her as the cautious and resolute Human Paladin envoy. I can see it now: She is to guide and protect you as you deliver a peace accord to the human lands, but the Goblin Emperor cannot afford peace between the Elf and Human kingdoms and has vowed to stop you.

It will be epic.

And maybe as you get older you won't have time for your Dad's adventure games, and that's ok. I'll send a copy of the Core Three (PHB, DMG, and MM) with you when you head off to college and there will always be a spot for you at the table, which I have moved to your room, which is now my room, while you're away at college.

I hope you love Role-Playing Games because I do and I love you.