Last weekend, the Neverwinter community team joined forces with a local boardgame store, Gamescape, to put on a live event for Neverwinter! Event-goers were able to play through one of the monthly D&D Expeditions adventures and play Neverwinter on one of our demo stations. Good times were had all around! In fact, Akro had so much fun that he thought he would share his experience with you all (via first-person narrative)!

D&D has been a significant part of my life (one way or another) for about 11 years. I started playing when I was 14 and never really stopped. I never really considered myself a “hardcore” D&D player, but I guess if you’ve been playing for 11 years it’s hard not to think that. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to combine D&D and Neverwinter into one fantastic event. But enough about me, let’s talk about the event!

It was my first time running an event like this, so I’ll admit I was a tad nervous. Luckily, I had backup in the form of Strumslinger and another member of the Neverwinter team, G2. Upon stepping into the boardgame and tabletop wonderland that was Gamescape, my nervousness instantly dissolved as I was shown where I’d be setting up my demo stations. After a quick and painless set up, the machines were ready to go with demo accounts I had set up beforehand. Before I knew it, the event had begun and D&D players were gathering around two tables topped with giant D&D game mats depicting a top-down view of the terrain in which the adventure would take place. Both adventuring parties included a variety of classes ranging from Paladins to Warlocks to Fighters to Wizards. Everyone got to play the character they wanted and no one was turned away, even if they were 5 or 10 minutes late to the game. In seeing how wonderfully inclusive everyone was, it reminded me of what I loved most about gaming: the comraderie. Getting the chance to bring people from all walks of life to come together to celebrate a game they love is why I became a community manager in the first place. Experiencing Gamescape’s fun and positive environment, I couldn’t help but smile and, of course, give out Neverwinter-themed goodies (but that’s to be expected).

Both tables were set up to run Drums in the Marsh, an adventure written by Wizards of the Coast for the purpose of using it in the D&D Adventurers League. I had to keep watch over the laptops and assist people wanting to play the demo of Neverwinter, so Strumslinger and G2 got the privilege of playing D&D. Luckily, I still got to observe and listen in on the adventures when I could. Drums in the Marsh takes place in the Twilight Marsh, where strange drumming sounds have been heard the past few nights. What’s worse is that people in the surrounding villages have been vanishing during the night, with the only clue to their disappearances being muddy, clawed footprints leading toward the marsh. It’s up to the adventurers to stop the abductions and save the missing villagers. Drums in the Marsh is an extremely well-written adventure with engaging battles and a gripping story. What really took this adventure above and beyond though was how the Game Masters (GMs) lead the adventure.

Now, I’ve played a lot of D&D with quite a few GMs. I’ve come to realize that each GM has their own style of leading adventures. I’ve had good GMs and some who were…maybe having an off day. The GMs at Gamescape were total pros. More than pros, in fact. These guys were freaking amazing. Blending the perfect amounts of theatricality and organization, Gamescape’s GMs made the adventure like an interactive performance. When the adventuring parties were fighting the final battle of the adventure, my heart was racing – and I wasn’t even playing!

In all, the Neverwinter team had an amazing time at Gamescape. We played some fantastic games of D&D and Neverwinter with an awesome group of gamers and couldn't be more grateful for the experience.

Click here to register for Neverwinter, the Dungeons & Dragons action MMORPG. The best part about Neverwinter: it's free to play! Get a head start in-game by purchasing Neverwinter item packs which include unique companions, mounts, boosts, and exclusive benefits!

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