Dungeons and Dragons character sheet

Greetings and salutations arcaders! Its furphinatrix (aka Shanna) back again with another tabletop article! Welcome back or hello (if this is the first article of mine that you’re reading). This month I have some tabletop gaming news, a new tabletop game based on a popular animated TV series, and a family friendly deck building tabletop game. I will also introduce another class option available to play from Dungeons and Dragons and give you a little story from the ongoing adventures of Andraste, the High Elven cleric (my Dungeons and Dragons character in the current campaign I play with friends).

First on the list of news is Gen Con. Gen Con is a tabletop convention that takes place in Indiana every year. It was started in 1968 by Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, as a war games convention. Now it’s known as one of the largest conventions in North America and features tournaments, panels, interactive game sessions, and merchandise booths. This year the convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from August 2nd to the 5th.

I’m always on the lookout for tabletop games that are based off of movies, books, graphic novels, TV shows, and other geeky media. Recently I came across Samurai Jack: Back to the Past. This game is based on the popular animated series Samurai Jack that recently concluded on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. The game includes character figures, card collections, and a small game board. Players are encouraged to work cooperatively to help Jack defeat Aku. If you would like more info about this game and gameplay, check out USAopoly’s website and YouTube for video gameplay explanation.

Another tabletop game worth mentioning is The Tea Dragon Society Card Game. This tabletop game is based on the webcomic turned graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. It is a deck building game with artwork from the original artist O Neill. This game is recommended for beginners of deck building games, and is recommended for ages 10+ and 2 to 4 players. If you’re interested in learning more about this game, check out Amazon or at your local comic book store and YouTube for video gameplay explanations.

If you’re wondering what Dungeons and Dragons class I will showcase this month, look no further! Do you like to sing and make songs up on the spot? Do you like to encourage and inspire others to perform better, for example: fighting? Do you feel like your words have magic and power that would make the world a better place? Then maybe the Dungeons and Dragons (5th Edition) class of Bard may be your jam. They use spells and can be more of a support role that inspires their allies or hinder their foes from a distance rather than charge into battle like a fighter might.

Andraste is a High Elf cleric and my character in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign I play with friends. Her main mission in life is to heal her friends and help rid the world of evil. Her motley group of fellow adventurers have traversed cave, land, and by air (a flying castle owned by a friendly cloud giant is the best way to travel). She has kept some of her fellow adventurers from flat lining when death saves were running low, healed others from succumbing to fatal wounds, and closed minor flesh-wounds. She can handle herself in battle, and is brave to a fault. However, she is not a fan of boulders. Boulders have become her number 2 hated enemies; close behind enemy number 1- the giants who throw boulders. While defending the town of Bridgehender from attacking giants, Andraste was knocked unconscious by a boulder. Then her wizard friend, who was coming to her aid, was also knocked unconscious by a boulder. After a fellow cleric in the Bridgehender keep brought Andraste and her friend back from the brink of permanent death, she knew she had met her match during this battle. Boulders and the giants who throw them are dangerous and very powerful, and caution should always be taken (in the form of hiding behind walls).

Thank you for reading and journeying along with me in this quest to learn more about tabletop games. Join me again next month for the next installment and up to date news from the tabletop world.