Here We Snow Again

Why, yes, I am pleased that our local officials seem to have learned from their mistakes during our last severe winter weather ordeal and are actively preparing in advance for this one.

After so dramatically falling on his face with so many people watching, Gov. Deal (or at least his re-election staff) must be delighted to have a chance at redemption so soon.

The “we learn from our mistakes” campaign materials will nearly write themselves.

And me? Well, I skipped my usual shopping trip today because of the expected hordes at the stores. It’s okay, though; my pantry is stocked, and so is the bar. Bring on the winter wonderland.

Dice: A Footnote to "Dungeons & Dragons Just Turned 40"

As I was writing “Dungeons & Dragons Just Turned 40,” I got off on a bit of a tangent about dice. I didn’t want to leave such a narrative-diverting spiel in the middle of what I had intended to be a short piece, but, at the same time, I kinda liked my little reminiscing session about these old friends. 


—–

Oh, the dice. 


When I saw them, I knew I wanted to play. 


The ubiquitous twenty-sider: Nearly round and used for nearly everything — attacks, saving throws, and non-combat actions. The d20 is probably the iconic die of D&D, closely associated with it to the point of becoming the namesake of a D&D successor game system.

The utilitarian ten-sider: Longsword damage and warrior hit points. Always carry a pair, because sometimes you need to role a percentage.

The dutiful eight-sider: Friend to the cleric for hit points and mace damage. Oddly balanced, despite basically being a pair of conjoined pyramids.

The lonely d12: Hardly ever used in typical play, unless you dare wield a greataxe (or, in later versions, dream to be a barbarian).

The basic six-siders: What most non-rpg gamers think of when someone says “dice.” In D&D, they are the tools of character creation, the very first dice you’ll use on your adventuring journey, though they pop up here and there throughout the game, as well. Carry a bunch, if you like to fling fireballs.

The friendly four-sider: Maybe the most distinctive of the bunch, certainly the one I remember puzzling over upon first sight — how do you roll those? — and later learning to love, as the determiner of dagger damage, last resort of a spell-exhausted wizard or the weapon of choice for a back-stabbing thief.


It wasn’t long before I acquired my first set, which, yes, I still own and treasure fondly.