Welcome to the Expedition

I have not played Dungeons and Dragon in 27 years.  Though I have read fantasy books, painted miniatures, played wargames, and collected Dungeons and Dragons books and supplements, I have not DM'd or played a game of D&D since 1987.  Two years after I stopped playing I made a huge mistake and sold the vast majority of my substantial D&D collection.  I was growing up, driving cars and dating girls.  Dungeons and Dragons meant little to me then and for many years thereafter.  But as Tolkien wrote, "deep roots are not reached by the frost."  The seed was still there.  I just did not realize it.

A few items I saved from my D&D purge of the late 1980s.

The next 14 years was devoid of gaming of any kind.  I was busy with life and quite happy.  But the excitement surrounding the release of Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001 changed things.  The nostalgia of the past overwhelmed me and I found myself renewing my Dragon and Dungeon magazine subscriptions and spending way too much time on Ebay rebuilding my former collection.  I also started painting again and playing war-games.  I was surrounding myself with pieces of my past, yet I still did not play an actual game of D&D and have yet to do so.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of D&D.  It also marks my attempt to return to the game that meant so much to me in my youth.  Here in this blog I will document not only my return to Dungeons and Dragons but my past experiences as well.  Please join me on this journey.


My goals for the blog this year are as follows:

*  Document my return to Dungeons and Dragons
*  Reread and discuss the rule books including:
    *  D&D Basic set by Moldvay
    *  D&D Basic & Expert sets by Metzer
    *  AD&D Players Handbook
    *  AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide
    *  AD&D Monster Manuals 1 & 2 along with the Fiend Folio
    *  AD&D Dieties and Demigods
    *  AD&D Unearthed Arcana
    *  AD&D Wilderness Adventures
    *  AD&D Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
*  Play at least one game each from the three different rule sets (basic, expert, and advanced)
*  DM at least one game each from the three different rule sets
*  Reread every issue of Dragon Magazine
*  Try online gaming via Hangouts or other virtual tabletop
*  Attend GenCon 2014
*  Follow the evolution of D&D Next
*  Develop a list of online D&D resources for returning players
*  Join and participate in the D&D internet community

As you can see, I have lofty goals in mind for 2014 and I have already squandered the first three months of the year.  Meeting these goals will be a challenge but they are certainly not unattainable.  And if for some reason I do not meet each and every goal, then no worries.  I'm sure I will have fun trying.  After all, it's the journey and not the destination that really counts.

If you would like to be a part of this journey, please consider following this blog.  Better yet, why not contribute and help me along my chosen path.  As I remember, D&D is more fun adventuring with great companions.

If you're more into miniatures and wargaming, then stop by my other blog and say hello!

Check back soon for additional updates and pardon the dust during the construction of this blog.

Thanks for reading!