On Tuesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., teens ages 13+ are invited to come play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) at the library.  Join Dungeon Master Erich Bensheimer for the continuation of a D&D campaign full of adventure, magic, and intrigue, and work cooperatively with your fellow role-players in this fun and imaginative game. For this "Session 0," returning players and new players will meet to update their characters or create new ones, get caught up on the story, learn the rules and expectations for the game, and learn how this season of playing will work. 

"A Queen missing from her throne. An ancient artifact missing from its caretakers. A magnanimous wizard presiding over an island city. A sinister whisper echoing in a dream. Not all is as it seems. The brightest flames cast the darkest shadows, and the shadows are growing."

After Session 0, teens will be able to play twice a month in one of two groups (though occasionally the groups will come together to tackle larger story moments) starting Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. One group will focus more heavily on role play, while the other will focus more heavily on combat to better suit players interests. Each group will be limited to five players and will typically meet twice a month through December.

Space is limited so registration is required. Participants at this session will be registered for the following sessions at this meeting based on their group selection. All materials (including D&D guidebooks) will be provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own. Pizza and beverages will also be provided.

Erich Bensheimer first dipped his toe into Dungeons and Dragons back in the '90s with the first Baldur's Gate computer game, which he spent many late-nights playing. When the 5th Edition of D&D was released in 2014, he traded out his mouse and keyboard for pen and paper and joined a group of friends for his first campaign. In 2015, Erich was asked to be the Dungeon Master (DM) for a group of teens at The Gatherings in Surry, where he ran multiple campaigns for them until they left for college in 2024. Erich believes that 5th Ed. D&D is less about the numbers on the page and more about cooperative storytelling between the DM and the players: the DM creates a world, and the players fill it with their adventures. You never know what will happen.

This program is free and sponsored by the library thanks to the Friends of the Library. Space is limited so registration is required and can be completed through the library's online calendar. For more information, contact Teen Services Librarian Kendall Chapman at kendall.chapman@bhpl.net or 374-5515.