Before the Covid pandemic hit, the last roleplaying session I played was Vampire the Masquerade. It was a one-shot hosted by my friend. I didn’t know then that Covid would hit and quarantine would begin. I tried playing role-playing games hosted on roll20, discord, or Zoom, but it wasn’t the same. I felt let down after a session because I didn’t enjoy the virtual aspect of it. I decided to take a break entirely from roleplaying until I could play in person. This finally happened!

I am a part of the Facebook group Dungeons & Dragons Minnesota This group allows for anyone in Minnesota to find players, a DM, or post about their campaign. I found a group nearby me playing in a Vampire campaign. I was immediately intrigued. After meeting the DM before playing, he helped me come up with my character. The DM was super nice and not judgemental as I asked questions about the rules. I have played Vampire before, however, I’m not an expert. Once my character was created, we set a date to play.

My character is named Luella “Lou” Montgomery. She’s a twenty-seven year old art student living in Minneapolis. She is a Malkavian which means she’s a mentally ill Vampire. She carries around a teddy bear that she has named Mr. Waffles and she often talks to him. In creating Lou, I was inspired by the little sisters from the video game, Bioshock. Lou possesses this child-like quality about her, although she can easily transition into being more adult which aids in her creepiness.

I thought the first session went well! Our characters didn’t die, and the session kept me entertained throughout. Our first session took four and a half hours. I couldn’t believe we played for that long without a break. The session was fast-paced with a mix of dialogue, investigation, and our showdown at a creepy house.

Our next session will be in August. One reason I was able to commit to this campaign was meeting once a month. Weekly DnD sessions can be tough for me to meet, so monthly is a lot easier. I’m looking forward to playing my character and seeing her develop.

How has your experience been roleplaying during the pandemic? Are you back to in-person sessions? Let me know in the comments below!