Page 19 of Dungeons and Drama

Now Lucas sighs. “It’s fine if she wants to be a wizard. Maybe some people want to play wizards who do more than cast Fireball.”

“But it wouldn’t be helpful. We have a paladin, a rogue, a ranger, and a wizard. We don’t need a second wizard. I think you should be a cleric.”

“A cleric?” I read the description. “I have to serve a deity and heal people? I don’t know, that doesn’t sound very fun.”

“Anyway,”Nathan continues, “take a look at these and see which one you think you want to play.”

I skim thePlayer’s Handbook,reading over some terms I don’t understand, liketieflingandhalfling,and others I recognize, likewizardandwarlock.Then my eye catches on a specific class of character. I point to it.

“Is this what I think it is?”

Nathan looks at it and deflates before nodding. “Yeah. Bards sing and tell stories together. They score highest in Charisma and Dexterity and can do some magic related to the music they play.”

“Having a bard would be even less helpful than having a second wizard,” John interjects.

But it’s too late, I’m already grinning. “This! Idefinitelywant to be a bard.”

John groans and Nathan and Lucas exchange glances. “I’m not surprised,” Nathan mutters.

My worries about the deal with Nathan and playing in this game disappear as I read more about bards. I get to sing! And I’ll get musical instruments and my character can dance and perform! Dad was right when he said this would be good practice for me.

“Can I have a guitar as my instrument? I always wanted to learn to play guitar.”

“It’s called a lute, but sure. But you haven’t chosen your race. There’s all these—”

“I want to be a human.”

“A human bard. So you want to play a character that’s as close to you in real life as possible?”

I shrug. “It’s just too perfect to not go for it.”

“All right,” he says with yet another sigh. “That was easy enough.”

I fill out the character sheet, then quickly text Hoshiko to tell her that I’ve joined the game. I miss her and wish she could hang out here every evening with me like the guys do. If only I could see her expression when she realizes I’m becoming a D&D player. I leave out my new arrangement with Nathan, though. That’s something that definitely needs to be explained in person.

I’m coming up with a tortured backstory for my character—something to do with being abandoned in theforest and surviving through my singing—when Lucas calls us to attention.

“Let’s get going. So, as usual, you three have left Sophia behind at a tavern to sleep off her latest night of debauchery.”

Nathan groans. “Do you have to do that? Can’t it just be that Sophia is staying behind to help orphaned children for once?”

“No. When you’re the DM, you can have Sophia do that. For me, she’s sleeping off her ill-timed hangover. Now, when we left off last time, the party had decided to go hunt for a magical sword you overheard talk of in town. Rumors swirl that the sword is hidden away in the vault of an ancient king. His kingdom was on the eastern shore. Are you going to travel there immediately or explore this area more?”

The guys look at each other for confirmation.

“We should move on,” John replies, his voice slightly lower and more commanding than usual. I’m guessing this is the voice he uses for his character. “We can’t hope to defeat the hydra otherwise.”

“A day’s walk around the forests wouldn’t be a bad idea, though,” Nathan replies. “And I’m sure Spruce would appreciate the time in nature before we get on the open roads.”

Anthony glowers at Nathan. “Don’t use my ranger affinities as an excuse to stick around here so Sophia can quickly catch up to the party next time. If she didn’t want her character left behind, then she’d come to the session.”

I look between them, excitement growing in me. I’m not totally sure what’s happening, but I’m surrounded by people playing characters and doing voices and following story lines, and I already love it. It’s like improv meetschoose-your-own-adventure theater. Why haven’t we been running these games between musical rehearsals for years? I can’t wait to tell Hoshiko everything.

“Let’s stay in character, please,” Lucas replies. “Then it’s decided that you’ll continue the quest. As you do, you come across a young woman on the side of the road.” He gives me a small smile of encouragement.

I sit up straight and try to channel my best bard. “Good day, sirs! Where are you off to on this fine morn? May I offer you a song in exchange for coin?”

Anthony chuckles lightly and everyone else exchanges glances.

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