Chapter 4: Into the Dungeon Again

Ethan begins the chapter joining in a D&D game at his local games store, Pandemonium Books and Games, meeting a “kindred spirit” in the process who is around his age and is also getting back into D&D. However, he doesn’t feel that he fits in, due to both the changes into D&D since his time and the apparent disdain from the other players. Following a tangent, Ethan briefly describes the societal issues facing the nerdy, continuing on to detail the differences between geek, nerd, and gamer and how more adults were becoming more comfortable with the label of “geek.”

Ethan then describes a meeting with Pete Nelson a couple of weeks before the beginning of the chapter in which he learns how to play D&D Miniatures, a game he describes as attempting to draw in “nostalgic gamers” like himself. Before they begin playing, Ethan describes Nelson’s journey through D&D Minis, from his discovery of it to beating the number four ranked player to almost making it to the D&D Minis championships.

Addressing the stereotypes surrounding geeks, Ethan explains why geeks are more tolerant of others, as well as the appeal behind playing fantasy games. He then details a “double standard” with concern to public opinion of geeks, even despite both the falsity of the “male-only geek stereotype” and the evidence of “successful” geeks.  Ethan then launches into the irony of the general public’s dismissal of fantasy role-playing, since everyone role-plays and that the “standard” role-playing is considered the norm. Ethan then describes the pervading stigma surrounding the activities of geeks.

Discussion Questions:
Are we constantly “playing dress-up” in our daily lives?
And if so, are our “role-playing” selves our true selves, or is there something beneath it?

By Michael Caughron