Dungeons & Dragons & Dang, That Was Fun!

Today, YSS Board member and Oconomowoc Public Library Youth Services Librarian Caitlin Schaffer shares the scoop on a fun WLA/YSS Social she helped coordinate and co-host..

In case you missed the ruckus of forty-something librarians all playing Dungeons and Dragons at WLA, here’s a quick snapshot of what happened: 

• Book organization!? 

• “So, then I Indiana Jones’ed my bag of coins onto the pressure plate…”

• The floor is lava! 

• “What spell can I cast that would make the statue fart?” 

…and so on. Just another day at a library conference! 

A little background on why D&D was featured so much at this year’s annual conference: The conference was held in Lake Geneva, which is considered to be the “home” of Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Gygax, the game’s original creator, lived in Lake Geneva at the time of the game’s conception, making it the first geographic location where D&D was played. D&D is also having somewhat of a renaissance, due in large part to the popularity of shows like Stranger Things, Critical Role, and The Adventure Zone. Many libraries are already hosting D&D events, and others are starting to see requests from patrons rolling in, either for programs, materials, or both.

If you are unfamiliar with D&D, it can be pretty daunting figuring out how to get started. We decided to combine the YSS Social with a D&D Social, both as a fun opportunity for those familiar with the game to get together and play, and for those unfamiliar to try it out and/or observe a game in action. We tracked down seven willing DMs (Dungeon Masters) to help lead our intrepid adventurers, one of whom wrote the adventure (referred to as a one-shot) each table played. Each player had a selection of pre-made characters to choose from, which they could name, assign some backstory to, and roleplay as if they wanted to. 

The story revolved around a group of adventurers hired by an unnamed benefactor to collect a rare, mysterious book out of a dungeon-like location. Hijinks including riddles, a sassy goblin, statuary, a giant automaton, and the threat of impending lava ensued. Each group had two hours to play, and all finished (more or less) within the time. Each table had at least four to seven players, each coming to the table with varying levels of experience, and everyone seemed to be having a lovely time. One lucky player won a Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set for their library, donated by Barry McKnight, Conference Committee Chair, and each player was able to go home with a standard set of dice, generously donated by a couple of the evening’s DMs. 

As most library conference YSS socials tend to go, there was laughter, silliness, socializing, and a general uplifting of spirits in what has been a difficult time for our profession. For those of you who were able to attend and hang out with us, thank you! We hope you enjoyed spending time with like-minded gamers, or that you feel a little more educated and empowered to bring D&D to your library. If you missed it, never fear! There’s already talk of meeting up again next year at Middleton. We’ll be ready to roll again next fall. 

P.S.: There were also a couple of breakout sessions at the conference involving D&D in libraries. In case you missed them, here are the slides for each presentation: 

Behind the Screen: Intro to Being a Dungeon Master

Beyond the Gaming Table: Engaging Patrons through Storytelling RPGs

Did you attend a youth related session, keynote or luncheon at the recent WLA Conference? We'd love your write-up to share with other YSS Blog readers. Just send it to lochwouters@gmail.com!