Dungeons and Dragons for Game Grrls (and Women)

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in the late 70's with my Dad as the Dungeon Master and myself, brother and sisters as the players. Now and then a friend would be over and join in the game. But, it was a lot more complicated to join in than a game of cards or Monopoly or any other board game. So, usually having people join in wasn't so great. By the time we explained the game and set up new characters for them, it would be about time for them to go home to their own family.

By the early 80's my Dad was no longer playing and I was the Dungeon Master. I loved drawing and creating maps. I'd never admit it to my brother and sisters but I did rearrange the original map as they wandered along through it. How can you not give in to the temptation to move things around when the players seem to blunder along and miss the best stuff you had put there for them to find? Not all of it was bad. Most of it they could have survived.

I never knew Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) was supposed to be for boys. It never occurred to me that being a female Dungeon Master was unusual. It was a lot of fun. I was glad when I could take over from my Dad. He was far too strict about following all the rules. We never seemed to get the game off the ground while he was in charge. I was less rule abiding. We skipped several steps from the player guide but we all got into the game. Not just the game play but really enjoying the adventure and using our imagination.

D & D Ladies Night

Thursday, October 23 at 6:00pm - 9:00pm

New Hampshire, USA.

In writing about women playing Dungeons and Dragons I've found that we don't really stand out so much as we once would have. Women are mixing in like any other game player. There aren't many resources geared to women playing D&D because that kind of exclusivity just isn't important any more. Except, it is still nice to be a girl and feel different from the other grunting, sword carrying, usually taller and less curvier players.

I wonder if women playing D&D dress up for it in costumes. It would be fun but could bring out more of the differences between players rather than keeping the spirit of the game and just having a lot of fun as part of a group of adventurers risking life and limb at the whim of the Dungeon Master.

• Dungeons and Dragons | Pinterest
• Girls and D&D | Dungeon Bastard
• The 10 Hottest Ladies of Dungeons & Dragons - Topless Robot
• Dungeon Divas: Dice, Women, & Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures
• People them with Monsters: Familial D&D Adventures with the Girls
• Guttersnipe: Girls Do Play D&D | Fantasy Magazine
• Girls in Geekdom: Dispelling the Myth | Ask the Dungeon Master
• Introducing D&D to Girly Girls | GeekDad | Wired.com