HENCLEWOOD in Build your character! · Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the roleplaying game, immerses...

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INDEPTH PAGE6 Sept. 28, 2017 E by MADEIRAHENCLEWOOD indepthwriter As a group, they have suffered the social wrath of society’s A-listers for decades. ey’ve been called nerds, misfits, outcasts and geeks, yet they still persevere. is misunderstood community wants the world to know the stereotypes for those who enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy games are completely wrong. Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the roleplaying game, immerses players into a mythical world of imagination. Since the early 80’s the community has grown astronomically. Starting with the original creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the first game was much less complex than it is today. Over the years, many books and chapters have been added to the series. As the game has grown, so has the demographic. Dungeons and Dragons players range in age and nationality. Regardless, some negative stereotypes remain. From religious groups in the 80s who feared the “cult-like” phenomenon would encourage demon- worship, to the lingering idea that only geeky boys with acne are interested in the fantasy, D&D players have had to put up with a lot of negative attention. English teacher Allison Areeda challenged the stereotypes by playing the game herself. Areeda’s journey into D & D began when a high school English teacher shot her down when she wrote a harsh narrative on D & D players. e teacher encouraged her to actually look into the sensation and she decided to join a local cam- paign. From that first day she was hooked and spent every Sunday aſternoon ‘dungeon crawling’ for the next three years. She said it became a way for her to, “engage her wild imagination and challenge her narrow perspec- tive.” Areeda said tabletop and role playing games like D & D have more depth than other styles of gaming. She loves how you can transform into a completely different person through the characters and chal- lenges. Areeda said the stereotypes about D & D players are unfounded. “D & Ds is about engaging our minds in pro- cesses we don’t normally tap into. I think part of the reason D&D gets pegged as a ‘nerd’ game is because more cerebral humans enjoy the process and enjoy the challenge of Dungeons and Dragons,” Areeda said. Areeda is thankful for the game and credits it for helping her grow and create lasting friendships. Both Areeda and another player, science teacher Rebecca Whitman, said they don’t get to play the game as much as they would like. “It’s hard to find a consistent time and group, everyone is always so busy,” Whitham said. Locally, some play regularly and others just pop in, but they all share a passion for the game. When asked what D&D meant to him, senior and Dungeon Master Logan Fox said that it is ‘the most creative thing in the world, you can do anything you want in it.” ose who play the game don’t seem to mind the negative stereotypes surrounding the game. “Yeah, I know it is kind of nerdy, but I have a lot of fun playing it,” senior Kaitlyn Hayhurst said. “If you’ve never played it before, once you set foot in that world you can literally do anything,” Fox said. “Everyone used to play swords and stuff as a kid, and this game brings it back but just on a new level.” by NATECANTOR Story Writer by BENVIDLAK Design Editor “There’s been a lot of hilarious things that happen. One of my friends, Andy [Peterson] accidentally drank an ooze monster and I had to cast a healing spell on him constantly.” -Gavin Patterson, 11 “What were some of the craziest things to happen to you while playing D&D?” “A Devil popped up in our camp site and took the soul of one of our group member and bargained it with a riddle.” -Ian Papenfus, 11 “I failed to roll a cer- tain number on a dice and my character was possessed by a demon baby.” -Logan Fox, 12 “Donald Trump showed up and fell down a hole.” -Kaitlyn Hayhurst, 12 Build your character! The Cartoon Network show Adventure Time is based off of a D&D campaign with the main hero, Finn Mertins, as a paladin in training. D&D has made appearances in many popular shows such as Big Bang Theory, Stranger Things, Freaks and Geeks, and many more! Choose a gender Male Other Female Choose a race Human Elf Dwarf Orc Dragonborn Teifling Choose a class Fighter Wizard Cleric Rogue Ranger Paladin Diving into the world of Dungeons & Dragons isn’t as scary as it seems! Mak- ing your character is as easy as one-two- three! The first thing you need when making a character is a species and gender. There are tons of choices to choose from, like gross, smelly orcs and intelligent, sophis- ticated elves. Different species have different abili- ties. For instance, orcs are stronger, so they can do a lot more strength-based activi- ties. They aren’t too smart, though, so you can’t think too well. After you get your species and gender, it’s time for your class! A class is a character type. Fighters, rogues, and wizards are all classes you can choose. They work just like how they sound. Fighters fight things, rogues steal things, and wizards cast spells! With that settled, you’re ready to begin adventuring! There are over a thousand different enemies to com- bat in the game. Dungeons and Dragons was cre- ated in 1974. It has been around for a while! Vinn Diesel, Robin Williams, and Mike Myers all played D&D. D&D Facts Long considered social outcasts, D & D players are challenging the stereotype and going mainstream There have been five different editions to this game over the years!

Transcript of HENCLEWOOD in Build your character! · Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the roleplaying game, immerses...

Page 1: HENCLEWOOD in Build your character! · Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the roleplaying game, immerses players into a mythical world of ... the cavernous Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previously,

INDEPTHPAGE6 Sept. 28, 2017 E

by MADEIRAHENCLEWOOD indepthwriter

Fourth reboot of classic movie swings onto the silver screen

As a group, they have suffered the social wrath of society’s A-listers for decades.

They’ve been called nerds, misfits, outcasts and geeks, yet they still persevere.

This misunderstood community wants the world to know the stereotypes for those who enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy games are completely wrong.

Dungeons and Dragons (D & D), the roleplaying game, immerses players into a mythical world of imagination. Since the early 80’s the community has grown astronomically.

Starting with the original creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the first game was much less complex than it is today. Over the years, many books and chapters have been added to the series.

As the game has grown, so has the demographic. Dungeons and Dragons players range in age and nationality.

Regardless, some negative stereotypes remain. From religious groups in the 80s who feared the

“cult-like” phenomenon would encourage demon-worship, to the lingering idea that only geeky boys with acne are interested in the fantasy, D&D players have had to put up with a lot of negative attention.

English teacher Allison Areeda challenged the stereotypes by playing the game herself.

Areeda’s journey into D & D began when a high school English teacher shot her down when she wrote a harsh narrative on D & D players.

The teacher encouraged her to actually look into the sensation and she decided to join a local cam-paign. From that first day she was hooked and spent every Sunday afternoon ‘dungeon crawling’ for the next three years.

She said it became a way for her to, “engage her wild imagination and challenge her narrow perspec-tive.”

Areeda said tabletop and role playing games like D & D have more depth than other styles of gaming. She loves how you can transform into a completely different person through the characters and chal-lenges.

Areeda said the stereotypes about D & D players are unfounded.

“D & Ds is about engaging our minds in pro-cesses we don’t normally tap into. I think part of the reason D&D gets pegged as a ‘nerd’ game is because more cerebral humans enjoy the process and enjoy the challenge of Dungeons and Dragons,” Areeda said.

Areeda is thankful for the game and credits it for helping her grow and create lasting friendships.

Both Areeda and another player, science teacher Rebecca Whitman, said they don’t get to play the game as much as they would like.

“It’s hard to find a consistent time and group, everyone is always so busy,” Whitham said.

Locally, some play regularly and others just pop in, but they all share a passion for the game. When asked what D&D meant to him, senior and Dungeon Master Logan Fox said that it is ‘the most creative thing in the world, you can do anything you want in it.”

Those who play the game don’t seem to mind the negative stereotypes surrounding the game.

“Yeah, I know it is kind of nerdy, but I have a lot of fun playing it,” senior Kaitlyn Hayhurst said.

“If you’ve never played it before, once you set foot in that world you can literally do anything,” Fox said. “Everyone used to play swords and stuff as a kid, and this game brings it back but just on a new level.”

When school lets out, however, Peter dons the guise of Spider-Man and patrols the streets of Queens, stopping petty crimes and waiting for Tony Stark to give him some real action.

Triumphant music swelled as Spidey stood tall over the Queens skyline. When situations got tense, so did the music.

I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat, heightened by the incredible score.

Sound effects were also satisfyingly fluid.Everything from Spidey’s webs getting launched

to the devastating blows he faced were spot on. I would even consider them the best in all of Spidey’s film history.

The voices given to the characters were also incredible.

Tom Holland nailed the role of Peter Parker perfectly. He is unassuming and meek, which is everything Peter Parker should embody.

When he becomes Spider-Man, Peter morphs into a more fantastic, showy version of himself. His cockiness sometimes gets the best of him.

Tom Holland’s grunts and cries of desperation and agony at some points were so great that I found it hard to watch. It felt like real pain and sadness was oozing out of the screen.

I thought Tobey Maguire was the best Spider-Man, but Holland took that position and ran with it.

Michael Keaton’s role as the main villain was also stupendous. He reminded me of Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs because he was such a creepy and eerie character.

There are a few famous artists as characters, as well.

Donald Glover appears as a hilariously inept thug trying to score some weapons. Zendaya has a role as a snarky, deadpan classmate to Peter.

Spider-Man: Homecoming delivered on every single promise.

This movie was incredibly accessible to people who are both die-hard Spidey fans, such as yours truly, or people who don’t even know Spider-Man’s real name, such as my mother. By the film’s end, we knew what had happened and had a great time.

It was stylish and dripped with class. The story was textbook Spider-Man, and wouldn’t look out of place in an old Stan Lee annual.

The acting was stellar. Everyone from Tom Hol-land to Donald Glover nailed their parts.

The score added to everything, and the weapons sounded satisfyingly alien. Every impact and thud had real weight.

For those who appreciate Spider-Man lore, there are a ton of name-drops and callbacks to specific points in Spidey’s history.

There is a scene which mimics a famous cover from the Stan Lee/John Romita, Sr. days of The Amazing Spider-Man.

Some gadgets and gizmos call back to other weapons and objects in the Spider-Man series, such as the Spider-Signal and impact webbing.

Some folks are mentioned that might ring a bell to experienced readers, such as Mac Gargan, Adrian Toomes, Herman Schultz, and Ned Leeds.

It was an absolute joy to watch this and soak in everything that was going on, but if your little brother or sister doesn’t understand all the intrica-cies of Spidey’s backstory, don’t worry. The movie will stand well enough on its own two feet.

Long-gone are the days of the shy Tobey Magu-ire. No more is the bombastic Andrew Garfield.

This is the age of Tom Holland.Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.Spider-Man: Homecoming is rated PG-13.

S

Spectacular Spider-MenName: Tobey

MaguireFirst Appearance: Spider-Man (2002)

(left) Name: Andrew Garfield

First Appearance: The Amazing

Spider-man (2012)(right) Name: Tom Holland

First Appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming

(2017)

pider-Man has had a crazy run on the big screen.

Spidey got his first film in 1977, which was released as a tie-in to the television series. It was rather unremarkable and no one remembers it.

There was that 1978 Japanese movie where Peter Parker got his powers from an alien. He also got a giant robot, just like the Power Rangers.

Then there was the decent Sam Raimi trilogy, which was released between 2002 and 2007 and starred Tobey Maguire. It brought the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, and Venom into the public eye.

After that, there was the Andrew Garfield series, released between 2012 and 2014, which showcased the Lizard and Electro in some rather breathtaking action scenes. Unfortunately, it was mired by an overachieving narrative.

Now, 40 years after his original debut, Sony has released Spider-Man: Homecoming, a reboot of a reboot of a reboot of a… well, you get the point.

After the lackluster performances of the previous entries, does Homecoming really stand a chance?

Homecoming is Spider-Man’s first entrance into the cavernous Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Previously, Sony held all the rights to Spider-Man. They decided to give Spider-Man his own standalone series instead of placing him with the rest of Marvel’s superheroes.

In an incredible cooperation, Sony and Marvel have teamed up to make this movie. That means it’s completely canon to all of Marvel’s main films.

Audiences got their first taste of Spidey in Cap-tain America: Civil War. He had quite a pivotal role in the film, but it didn’t focus too much on him.

It was a film about Captain America, after all.Homecoming gives us our first peek into the life

and times of Peter Parker. There are some pretty gratuitous cameos, though.

Homecoming is set in a timeline where Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, is still in high school. It gives a plenty of focus to his social life and what he does in school.

Peter Parker has got it all. He has an internship with Tony Stark, a best friend, a girl he’s crushing on hardcore, and a position on the academic decathlon.

by NATECANTORStory Writer

by BENVIDLAK Design Editor

“There’s been a lot of hilarious things that happen. One of my friends, Andy [Peterson] accidentally drank an ooze monster and I had to cast a healing spell on him constantly.”

-Gavin Patterson, 11

“What were some of the craziest things to happen to you while playing D&D?”“A Devil popped up

in our camp site and took the soul of one of our group member and bargained it with a riddle.”

-Ian Papenfus, 11

“I failed to roll a cer-tain number on a dice and my character was possessed by a demon baby.”

-Logan Fox, 12

“Donald Trump showed up and fell down a hole.”

-Kaitlyn Hayhurst, 12

Build your character!

The Cartoon Network show Adventure Time is based off of a D&D campaign with the main hero, Finn Mertins, as a paladin in training.

D&D has made appearances in

many popular shows such as Big Bang Theory, Stranger Things, Freaks and Geeks, and many more!

Choose a genderMale OtherFemale

Choose a raceHuman Elf

Dwarf Orc

Dragonborn Teifling

Choose a classFighter Wizard

Cleric Rogue

Ranger Paladin

Diving into the world of Dungeons & Dragons isn’t as scary as it seems! Mak-ing your character is as easy as one-two-three!

The first thing you need when making a character is a species and gender. There are tons of choices to choose from, like gross, smelly orcs and intelligent, sophis-ticated elves.

Different species have different abili-ties.

For instance, orcs are stronger, so they can do a lot more strength-based activi-ties. They aren’t too smart, though, so you can’t think too well.

After you get your species and gender, it’s time for your class!

A class is a character type. Fighters, rogues, and wizards are all classes you can choose.

They work just like how they sound. Fighters fight things, rogues steal things, and wizards cast spells!

With that settled, you’re ready to begin adventuring!

There are over a thousand different enemies to com-bat in the game.

Dungeons and Dragons was cre-ated in 1974. It has been around for a while!

Vinn Diesel, Robin

Williams, and Mike Myers all played D&D.

D&D Facts

Long considered social outcasts, D & D players arechallenging the stereotype and going mainstream

Released July 7th, 2017!

92% on Rotten Tomatoes!

Grossed $325.1 million

in the USA!

There have been five different editionsto this game over the years!

by NATECANTORentertainmenteditor

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INDEPTHPAGE6 Nov. 21, 2017 E