Upcoming Events
The second Saturday of every month!
Next Session: Saturday, October 10th
10am – 1pm
Rose City Park United Methodist Church – Rm. 8
Ages 4 – 14
Whether you are a veteran player or looking to learn about D&D for the first time, everyone is welcome at our table! Snacks provided!
The first Friday of every month!
Next Session: Friday, October 2nd
6pm – 9pm
Rose City Park United Methodist Church – Rm. 8
All Ages Welcome!
A light-hearted adventure for the whole family! We created this event with guardians interested in learning more about D&D and playing alongside their kiddos in mind. Even if you’ve never played D&D before, there’s a space for you and your loved ones at our table! Dinner provided!
*please note: in order to help us best prepare our tables, we ask that you register through the links provided above so we can ensure an accurate head count and prepare the appropriate amount of food. Thank you!
I’ve never played D&D before. Is that a problem?
Not at all! In fact, we have a module written by our experienced staff members with the purpose of teaching new players how to play in mind. We encourage questions along the way and give space for anyone who doesn’t understand something to ask. Who knows; you may not be the only one with the same question. Our staff will also be there to help you every step of the way from character creation to where to find information in the source books and more!
Do I need to bring anything?
If you have and would like to bring your own supplies, please feel free to do so! Portland Outdoor Explorers has source books, character sheets, pencils, erasers, dice, dice trays, dice rollers, battle mats, tokens, and other supplies available for anyone who needs them.
What if I can’t make everything session?
No worries! For Family Fridays, we’ll be focusing on games that can be completed in one or two sessions, and/or a campaign designed specifically to be episodic to accommodate all kinds of schedules. For D&D Saturdays, the campaign is more involved, however, our DMs always encourage note-taking for our players, so other players may be able to catch you up (and receive an in-game reward). Our helpful DMs will also be happy to catch you up on in-game events and ensure your character is ready to continue the adventure.
Who can play?
We welcome anyone with an interest in learning and/or playing Dungeons and Dragons to join us regardless of other factors. The only thing we require for you to join us is a good attitude, a willingness to work with others, and to be ready to learn. Even veteran players can learn new things here!
Which edition would we play?
Our staff has a combined 36 years experience playing and DMing different editions of D&D including 3.5e, 5e, and 5.5e. At Portland Outdoor Explorers, we typically play 5th Edition, since we have source books for those in abundance, however, we may also be able to provide source material for 3.5 Edition based on interest!
What if I want to be the Dungeon Master?
Currently, we are only allowing staff members to DM for these events. However, if you are an aspiring Dungeon Master (someone without years of experience running the game), we would happily invite you to take place in a kind of Dungeon Master Workshop where you can learn a bit more about the game, what it’s like to write and run your own campaign, things you’ll need to be aware of as the DM to help provide the best experience for your players, and more. That way when you do start DMing on your own, you’ll be as prepared as possible!
Why D&D?
D&D is a great way to spend time together with friends and loved ones, as well as learn and develop social and emotional skills that are helpful in everyday life. What skills you may ask?
creative problem solving
learning to process success and failure
mathematics
team building and sportsmanship
reading
dramatic play/theatrics
public speaking
creativity
how to do research
expanding your vocabulary
improvisation
planning and forethought
Plus, it’s just plain fun!
