Entry for 16th January, 2009 - 10 Things I Love About Dungeons and Dragons #3

The third thing that I like about Dungeons and Dragons is The Wee Chat Beforehand. As the players assemble for the evening’s game, there always seems to be a few minute’s of faint embarrassment that we five grown men are gathering to indulge a frankly rather adolescent fantasy. And we feel obliged to have a little chat. “How’s the family.” “How’s work going?” “Has your sore throat cleared up.” All that sort of thing.
It is patently obvious during these conversations that no-one is really interested and that we are all bursting to get started, so that we can escape out of the world of sore throats and work and family obligation and into a world of fireballs and invisibility potions and heroic deeds.
It is a bit like “exchanging pleasantries” before a football game. It is a ritual to be followed, but it is not the game itself