By Kaitlin Smith
Everyone has an escape. That’s what Dungeons and Dragons, more commonly known as D&D, is for Brandon Winningham. Winningham is a journalism, broadcasting, and creative writing teacher at Captain Shreve. While his daily routine oriented and structured, he plays D&D in his free time so he can slip into the worlds of magic, mystery, and the medieval.
What is D&D and when/how did you get into it?
“It’s a game. D&D stands for Dungeons and Dragons. I knew of it in high school when my friends and I got an older and pretty difficult version of the rule book. It wasn’t fun at first. I gave it up and didn’t play for a long time. I didn’t have time to play because of family or other responsibilities. I got back into it during the pandemic. An app was developed that lets you play online with your friends and that’s how I play.”
How do you feel when playing D&D?
“I feel like I’m escaping the real world. The game is fun and not predictable. With D&D I can be a different person.”
How does your reading of books tie into your playing D&D?
“I’ve always been interested in fantasy novels. With “The Lord of the Rings” coming out, the mix of medieval and magical intrigued me. While I like reading books about dragons, magic, and the impossible, I love to take part in the world’s creation. Reading the books, I can escape in this world that isn’t the real one. Things are starting to change within the rules. Now, books about fantasy and D&D are being written where you can be whatever you want. There is more inclusivity in the way the game is played now.”
You say you listen to podcasts about people playing it, which ones do you listen to and would you ever create a podcast?
“I listen to Adventure Zone mainly and Critical Role sometimes. I enjoy listening to people play and trying to navigate the game with their friends and families, but I feel it would be too much pressure to create my own. To put your character out there is too vulnerable for me. When you’re around a table, you want it to feel immersive… it’s a role playing game and the role playing element is what really makes it fun.”
Is there any advice you would give to newcomers of the game?
“Have fun with it. Of course there are rules, but the game is more fun when you’re not predictable and you don’t take yourself too seriously. Do the interesting thing. Don’t worry too much about how you’ll be perceived- everyone else is playing just the same as you so no one is judging.”
Is there anything you’d like to tell me about D&D?
“The thing people need to realize is that there is something for everyone. But what makes D&D special is when everyone is getting together. As humans, we work better when we’re creating and thinking together- and that’s what the game does. It helps people come together which helps people practice empathy and face difficult decisions.”
Anything else?
Well I enjoy making graphic designs of characters for others and creating maps of different worlds I have created while playing the game.