Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Sleep! Go visit a hobby shop to play D&D Encounters! This kinder, gentler version of D&D is designed to allow relative noobs to experience the thrill of pretending to be a paladin. D&D Encounters is, in essence, a way to play a quick, single adventure in one or two hours with a dedicated DM. You type your ZIP code here and reserve a slot. Then you head into the game store and play. The closest one to me in Brooklyn, for example, is the Twenty Sided Store, a place I’d never heard of until now.
Like churches that advertise music and fun to bring lapsed Catholics back onto the rolls, D&D Encounters is aimed at bringing former fighter/clerics back behind the dice. The encounter happens on May 11 this year and more encounters will be run over the summer.
The program is free for all and you don’t have to know how to play to join. I suspect bringing a six-pack of something wouldn’t be frowned on, either, but confirm with your local store.