Lately, my 10-year-old son started playing Dungeons and Dragons with some kids from school. Needless to say, I’m incredibly proud and happy to see a new generation continuing this great tradition. However, I recently had the chance to sit in the kitchen and eavesdrop on their session in the living room, and I have to say—they play the game very differently than my generation (Gen X) ever did. These kids are really getting into it. They leap out of their chairs every few seconds and mime everyth…

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

Have you ever worked on something for years? I mean really poured your heart and soul into it, giving it all you've got. I can tell you that, personally, I have been working on a book for the past several years and I am nearly finished. But now I am absolutely terrified of actually showing it to anyone because after putting so much work into it, I don't think I could handle any kind of rejection. It would be devastating! Well, think about J.K. Rowling , who worked on the first book for over fiv…

Just like any other Potterhead , I sometimes dream of living in the magical world that J.K. Rowling dreamed up. But unlike many Potterheads, I do not dream about meeting Harry, Ron, or Hermione; those three spell nothing but trouble. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to be a student at Hogwarts since I don't believe I would last one day in that troll-infested, cursed, and constantly endangered castle. I mean, every year it seems like something new is trying to kill the students, whether it's a…

As a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons player, there’s one artist whose work always transported me to other worlds before I ever rolled my first die—Boris Vallejo. His fantasy illustrations, with their larger-than-life heroes, mystical creatures, and surreal landscapes, ignited my imagination every time I flipped through the pages of my DnD sourcebooks. Vallejo's ability to capture the raw emotion and intensity of fantastical worlds always stood out. Whether it was a sword-wielding warrior facing a c…

Just like any other Potterhead , I sometimes dream of living in the magical world that J.K. Rowling dreamed up. But unlike many Potterheads, I do not dream about meeting Harry, Ron, or Hermione; those three spell nothing but trouble. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to be a student at Hogwarts since I don't believe I would last one day in that troll-infested, cursed, and constantly endangered castle. I mean, every year it seems like something new is trying to kill the students, whether it's a…

Have you ever worked on something for years? I mean really poured your heart and soul into it, giving it all you've got. I can tell you that, personally, I have been working on a book for the past several years and I am nearly finished. But now I am absolutely terrified of actually showing it to anyone because after putting so much work into it, I don't think I could handle any kind of rejection. It would be devastating! Well, think about J.K. Rowling , who worked on the first book for over fiv…

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

A critical hit of memes

When I think back to my early days of Dungeons & Dragons, one of my strongest memories is sitting in our makeshift game room, while my brother—the Dungeon Master—worked quietly on our next adventure. The table would be littered with graph paper, dice, and rulebooks, but my focus would inevitably drift toward the stunning art of Jeff Easley . His illustrations seemed to come alive as I flipped through the pages of D&D books, transporting me to otherworldly landscapes filled with powerful wizards…

Careful! One of these memes might be a Meme-ic

Careful! One of these memes might be a Meme-ic

Careful! One of these memes might be a Meme-ic

I bet if wizards were real, they'd be the weirdest people you know . We all imagine Gandalf when we think of a wizard (who was a bit eccentric himself), but I bet a real wizard would be more like Radagast the Brown—just a really weird dude who can barely hold a conversation and, for some reason, smells awful. Wizards always seem like they're spaced out, as if they've eaten some weird mushroom growing behind their cupboard. Sure, you need a high level of intelligence to be a wizard , but just lo…

Dungeons & Dragons - It's cheaper than therapy!