Rhinegeist & Dragons: Your kinda people, your kinda brew for special game night this weekend

Many would-be role-players in the Miami Valley have longed to grab their weapons (dice) for a rousing game of Dungeons & Dragons. Unfortunately, D&D requires a table full of besties who also share an interest in the game. Not to mention the 320-page rulebook, which scares some people off.

D20, Kettering’s tabletop gaming bar, wants to make D&D easy for everybody. This Friday, they’re throwing their first ever Rhinegeist & Dragons event, where people looking for a gaming group can meet, have drinks, and throw down on some orcs.

Andrew Sparks, who co-owns D20 with his wife, Chrissy, says Rhinegeist & Dragons is part of D20’s mission to give gamers a space to play tabletop role-playing games (RPGs).

“From the beginning, we have tried to put an emphasis on D&D and other RPGs,” says Sparks.

Dungeons & Dragons is an interactive storytelling game where players immerse themselves in a fantasy universe. One player, known as the Dungeon Master (DM) has the job of setting the scene and controlling the events of the game. The players then decide where the story takes them. Battles and challenges are resolved with dice rolls.

“We feel D&D is a major cornerstone in communication through gaming,” says Sparks. “It is hard to accomplish anything on your own in D&D; you need your team to help. Also, D&D holds a very special place in my heart. I have been playing for over 18 years on and off. To help others find the same experiences I have had over the years with RPGs seems only natural.”

Sparks tells Dayton.com that both seasoned and novice players come into D20 looking to play D&D.

“We have quite a few groups that come to play their weekly or biweekly game,” he says. “But it also seems like every single day we get people who want to get into RPGs and don’t know how to start.”

Though D20 is billing Rhinegeist and Dragons as a DM-Player mixer, Sparks says the event goes beyond that. It’s more like a chill D&D meeting of the minds.

“We are running it as a laid-back get-together of like-minded individuals. This isn't just players and DMs to find each other, but also for experienced players to find new play groups or DMs to find other DMs to share their experiences,” says Sparks.

For those curious individuals who’ve always wanted to try the game, Sparks says you should just put yourself out there.

“D&D is a very social game and the best way to find a play group is to find people who share that interest. That should be easy at this event and we want to see that happen. I think this event will have an impact on players of all levels for that reason.”

Everything’s better with beer, and a Rhinegeist or two might be just what you need to make your barbarian brave enough to swing her axe at that gelatinous cube. D20 will have several Rhinegeist beers on tap at Rhinegeist and Dragons, including Bubbles, Cheetah, Mastodon, Brittlebrain, and Stryker. For those who prefer mixed drinks, Sparks says they will be unveiling a couple new, D&D-themed cocktails. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

WANT TO GO? 

WHAT: Rhinegeist and Dragons

WHEN: Friday, June 15, 7 p.m.

WHERE: D20, 2144 E Whipp Road, Kettering

MORE INFO: Facebook | (937) 221-9873

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