Top 10 Dungeons and Dragons moments, according to North East fans

Having finally being able to get into playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) over the last year I decided to ask some fellow players from across the North East what their best moments playing the game. Below are the top 10 responses I received (and some honourable mentions).

10. Wait? You’re a Noob?!

I’m going to start with this one as I was the Noob and the DM thought I was someone else and I find it funny. My first game had Bob Bagley as the Dungeon Master and I was invited via a mutual friend. What neither of us realised at the time, was he thought I was someone else, someone who had experience in the game and not just a general idea based on watching Oxventure.

The memorable part for Bob was: “Realising that the first game for one of my players got to fight a beholder”.

So yeah, my first game was against a Beholder. For those who aren’t aware, a beholder is a very powerful, fun, bad guy that can easily wipe out a party. First of many.

9. First time’s the charm

I started this list with a first-time player, Dawn, who had a disastrous of a first play. Playing with others who didn’t fully understand the game at the time they weren’t too sure what they were doing, trying to follow the rules and the Starter Guide, and missing what they later found to be a ‘nuance’ of running the game.

In Dawn’s own words: “My first game it was a disaster, but it was fun”.

8. A secret well kept

Next up is Jack, who has so many good moments it was hard to pick a best but gave the example of keeping a secret that would be important at some point of the game.

While playing Rime of the Ice Maiden the Dungeon Master (DM) gave each player a secret they had to keep. Getting close to the end of the game Jack was the only one to still have his secret and it turned out to be critical to overcome an obstacle.

Jack enjoyed “Hearing the group chomping at the bit to hear it”.

7. Dragon Charmer Economy Breaker

Dragons are known for fiercely protecting their hoard. They will melt, stomp or ear anyone who gets too close. However, Bob was able to prove himself a very charming person when he was able to charm a Dragon out of his hoard.

Did Bob take all? In Bobs own words: “I did try and get all of it back to water deep, however the DM pointed out that hyperinflation would undo the good work I was trying to do. So, I took a lot that would be beneficial but not economically devastating”

6. Truly the best time to have a race

Anyone who plays D&D knows that there isn’t often a good time to take a break, stretch your legs or challenge a fellow player to a race. When you want to, normally something happens and there’s a Dragon or a Dungeon that needs your attention.

For Joseph, this didn’t stop his Bard from taking on a Ranger in a parkour contest. You might think this isn’t anything special, but they decided to have this contest while in the middle of chasing down the bad guy.

Biggest question I have, who won? “I think it was a tie” from what Joseph remembers.

5. Out of the Frying Pan, into the Kobold

Taking on a dragon is an exciting experience, from the stories of old to the typical expectation of other when they head Dungeons and Dragons, you expect a Dungeon and Dragon to be part of any campaign, it’s not the case but the name does make you think that.

So, when Wes went up against a giant dragon and survived, he was lucky, however, after being flamed, he fell down a hole. Then he was taken out by a Kobold. Was it a one hit kill from the Kobold?

4. Rollin’ till you make it

Another dragon related one, this one and the last one was hard to decide which one was the best, but this one was more luck than misfortune, so it got the higher spot.

Sean’s Halfling Paladin went up against a dragon and was quickly knocked unconscious by Green Dragon’s Breath. While the rest of the party were able to take on the dragon during the battle all he could do was roll death saves, over and over and over.

Eventually, he was healed and able to get back into the action. His first move was to sprint towards the dragon and thanks to a magical hat they were able to charge and attack in one action. The result? “I split the beast from stem to stern, landing the killing blow” Sean said.

3. ARGHH! Scary Cow!

A fighter played by Rich had a problem with a Rogue who was trusted being on watch. The rogue raised an alarm and when the fighter found out what had caused the alarm he exclaimed: “Kull…you’re on watch, you’re supposed to have the most alert senses, Scary Cow is not a reason to alarm the camp!!”

2. Having a crap ol’ time

This one made me laugh, but when someone falls into a pile of crap it is always funny.

This one happened to the Party Unicorn who had a fun experience on his first game. The scene, a moving train, the carriage has been uncoupled and a roll was needed to make a successful jump.

The dice rolled, the results were in and: “I failed, I fell off the train and into a pile of crap. The other pulled the emergency breaks I managed to catch up and still landed the killing blow to the big bad hahaha”

Despite a bad roll on the jump, the dice were in his favour on the boss fight.

1. It’s the memories that count

This one isn’t a moment, but it is number one because it is ultimately the reason any of us have memories of playing D&D. This comes from Jack and left this little nugget of Nat20 wisdom.

“I’d rather say that ANY campaign can be an absolute joy with the right group of players. I’ve enjoyed way MORE sessions than not because of the people that make it possible, and I’ve had the pleasure of playing with people and plenty of different play styles (RPers, Murder Hobos, etc…)”

Honorary Mentions

There were some comments left that need to be mentioned as they are very relatable to any D&D player, new or old.

I was a part of this game, and it was a lot of fun in a chaotic situation.

The Party Unicorn: “My druid turned into a giant toad and swallowed a skelly wag haha and I have a pet Owlbear named Super Ted lol”

Anyone who plays the game knows this feeling.

Cade: “Literally every time I roll a 20 it feels so rare”

Taking a chance on the roll of the dice is key to the fun of the game.

Sean: “My character, a halfling sorcerer and the party’s good boy mascot, attempted to bluff a beholder into pulling cards from the Deck of Many Things only to be instantly vaporized by its laser vision.”

This mention is related to No. 2, a fellow party member enjoying the same memory.

Wes: “Mate jumping off a train, falling in crap and then getting the killing blow”

If you have any favourite moments from playing D&D drop me a tweet/message on Twitter @WolfeAgent42.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this list and also to the Party Unicorn for providing the pictures, you can see them on Instagram at MetalAmpProductions.