A 50-year-old former player came across an old box where he kept his tools for Dungeons & Dragons. The community can empathize with the finder’s nostalgia, but after a few clarifications, they cannot understand why he hasn’t played in so long.
What did the former player come across? User leedo8 shared on Reddit a picture of an old metal box that looks like a simple, unremarkable relic on the outside. However, inside is a treasure of old memories from the 80s: old dice, pencils, and erasers that the now mid-50s man used in his childhood for Dungeons & Dragons.
“I have gotten into the habit of always carrying a full supply of pencils, as we seemingly never had enough,” explains the former player, “I am now in my 50s and unfortunately no longer play. It has been sitting here for a long time.”
When the Reddit user addresses further questions, the community can hardly understand why he hasn’t given the game a chance in the 40 years.
Age may be a reason, but not an excuse
What is the plan for the box? The ex-player reassures another user on Reddit, who highlights the emotional value of the box as a keepsake, that he should not worry about him ever giving the box away: “I could never give this up, I simply pass it on to younger players.”
And he has already partially done that. Some of his dice have fallen into the hands of his 25-year-old daughter, who is also a D&D player. After this realization, other D&D enthusiasts cannot understand how he hasn’t played with her yet.
The father explains that she lives over 5 hours away by car, and that they might be able to tackle this when they live closer together.
Does age play a role? Even though the player last played 40 years ago when he was still a child, the community wants to encourage him to give Dungeons & Dragons a chance as an adult. Yes, you have significantly less time than a schoolchild, but for other players, that was just an obstacle and not an excuse.
“I am also 50 and started playing with a few friends every Wednesday night during the pandemic (because what else would we have done). Six years later, we are still at it,” reports RegressToTheMean, “The few hours we play every Wednesday are important to us, so we make time for it.”
The player Desperate_Turnip_219 also tries to convince the former fan that the box can be more than just a keepsake, namely a new motivator: “This seems like the perfect occasion to start again! As a long-time Game Master, I have learned that there are always people around you who have wanted to try D&D but never got around to it. Ask around, you might be surprised.”
Old D&D treasures can not only evoke nostalgia but also connect family members when they share the game as a common hobby. This could become a beautiful experience with his daughter in the case of the Reddit user. And he should not wait too long, because in another case, the finder faced the bitter realization that it was too late: “A lot of nostalgia” – D&D players receive a bittersweet inheritance after the death of their father-in-law
