Out of the dice bag? (secrecy and D&D)

[Emerald]

If asked to do something that conflicts with your D&D game, do you tell people you are playing D&D, that you are just busy or does it depend on who it is?

 

[alsih2o]

i tell people i am "gaming". if they ask i tell them what i am playing. if they ask about it, i invite them

 

[MrFilthyIke]

If asked to do something that conflicts with your D&D game, do you tell people you are playing D&D, that you are just busy or does it depend on who it is?

I admit it, unless it's for work.

I work for an airline, and I was suprised to find how
arch-conservative they can be at times.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I say "Sorry, that's game night" or somehting along those lines, and that usually covers it. If they persist, I tell them I'm playing D&D or whatever else I happen to be playing. I've gotten a few strange looks over the years, but usually that will be enough for most people.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

If asked to do something that conflicts with your D&D game, do you tell people you are playing D&D, that you are just busy or does it depend on who it is?

It depends on who is asking. If it's someone who warrants an extensive, detailed reason I am not going to be somewhere (ie. my mom) I tell them, " Sorry I can't. I have a D&D game scheduled for that day and I can not change it without messing up a lot of other folks schedules". Everyone who knows me (friends, family...) know and accept that I play D&D and to me, its the same as someone who plays on a sports team. I have a friend who plays hockey and when he has a game, I certainly wouldn't expect him to not go to it and vice versa. The same is true with all of my friends.

I won't reschedule or skip a game unless it's an emergency or something like a wedding, vacation or other such thing where I'd have plenty of notice. I think it's just common courtesy.

For everyone else (ie. people I don't know that well; co-workers etc) I just say, I'm sorry I have plans on that day. If it was someone I intended on becomming closer to (ie. someone I wanted to become better friends with) I would explain what I was doing, because I'm not going to hide who I am or what I enjoy from someone.

Have a splendid day.

Sheri

 

[Zappo]

I say that I already have plans for that day. If they ask details, I explain. That's what I do for any other business, not only gaming, BTW.

 

[KnowTheToe]

You guys make me feel bad.

I tell people I am at game night, but if they ask what we play, I lie. I tell them card and board games. So many people I know bad mouth the hobby and I just don't advertise it. My wife tells them all I am playing D&D, so they all eventually find out, but the next time it comes up, I say cards and boardgames. I am so weak.

 

[wiseacre71]

I am so weak.

Don't be so hard on yourself. I, too, have skirted the truth at times--there is still a stigma out there about D&D, and there are moments when I just don't feel like dealing with the strange looks. I play in a rock band--so I'm pretty used to strange looks or thrown objects--but I ended up not telling my bandmates for a really long time. (Note: Weezer has been very open about gaming, especially Rivers Cuomo.)

Eventually one of my fellow players spilled the beans at a party, and my bass player turned around and gave me a look of absolute disdain. Of course, he loves comic books, so I just call him "Comicboy." That seems to shut him up whenever gaming comes up. "Oooh, which superhero is your favorite? The one in tights? Wait a minute, don't they all wear tights?"

wiseacre

 

[takyris]

Ditto the semicloseted status.

My default is to refer to it as Poker Night. Nobody who knows me believes that I actually play poker, and it's usually a pretty standard progression: By the time somebody knows me well enough to realize that going out to play poker every Monday night is pretty out-of-character, they know me well enough to not care that I play D&D.

And my buddies all love calling it Poker Night, which sounds so much more masculine and old school than "playing D&D or d20 Modern"...

 

[tetsujin28]

"I'm sorry, that's my beer drinking and pizza eating night."