Dungeons & Dragons: Beginner's Night

Pinballz Lake Creek is launching Dungeons & Dragons: Beginner's Night on Monday, August 3, and it's set up as a recurring thing—the first Monday of every month from here on out. If you've always been curious about D&D but felt like you needed a degree in rulebooks just to get a foot in the door, this is exactly where you start. It's an introduction session for people who have never played before, so you don't need to know a thing about the game to show up.

Experienced Dungeon Masters run the night, and they'll walk you through the basics from the ground up: building your first character, learning how the dice work, and getting a handle on the rules. The goal is to get you ready for session one, so you'll leave with a character you actually understand and the confidence to use it. It's open to players of all ages and experience levels, and the whole thing is run in a friendly, supportive environment—no one is going to throw a 500-page manual at you and tell you to figure it out on your own.

If you've already got your own dice, bring them along. If not, don't sweat it; there's a Beginner's table with spare dice, character sheets, and other starting supplies available in limited quantities. The venue also rounds out the evening with a themed menu and drinks, so you can grab a bite and a drink while you're figuring out your character's backstory.

It all goes down in the Atari Room at Pinballz Lake Creek, 13729 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78750, from 6 PM to 11 PM. Admission is free, but you do need to RSVP online first. Since it's the first Monday of every month, if you can't make this one, there'll be another chance coming up soon.