It’s one of the most popular fantasy role-playing games of all time, but there’s been a renewed interest in Dungeons & Dragons over the past few years.
This is in part thanks to the Netflix hit Stranger Things, in which the game is played by the show’s young protagonists, as well as the pandemic, when many people turned to gaming to keep entertained while staying at home.
However, for Abu Dhabi resident Sugie Reaves, 43, the game has been dear to him for decades, as he has been playing since he was a child.
“As a kid, I had a big interest in fantasy and adventure. Like most kids I had an imagination, so I was a D&D fan before I even knew it,” he tells The National. “At some point, I was introduced to the game and from the first moment I saw it I was hooked — an entire world of adventure, mystery, epic fights and magic opened up to me.”
Looking to find other like-minded individuals and wanting to introduce that same magical world to others, he created the Abu Dhabi Dungeons and Dragons Facebook group in January last year. He calls the decision a “no-brainer.”
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Reaves had felt that the emirate lacked a bit of social media presence for the game. “I know of several players, but the problem is, they don't know each other,” he says.
Currently, the group has almost 100 members. While Reaves says Stranger Things has helped with a surge of interest in the game, he points out that the timing of a new Dungeons & Dragons game edition, plus social media influence, helped amplify it all.
“The company that makes D&D created a new edition that has a simplified rule set. This allowed anyone to easily understand the game fairly quickly. Then, a famous social media streaming show called Critical Role became extremely popular. More than a million followers were watching a group of talented friends play D&D and this started a big wave,” he says.
“This only became more prominent when Stranger Things debuted. The popularity of D&D has never been bigger. I now have friends showing up to my game with Eddie Munson's D&D T-shirt from the show. It's great.”
These days, the group he plays with tries to meet once a week, however, that’s not always possible. He jokes that the trolls, goblins and evil dragons aren’t the real villains of D&D, rather, it's planning around everyone’s schedules. But thanks to technology, things are a bit easier these days. A couple of Dubai players are able to join via Zoom or on one of the many apps for the game. This is one of the reasons why he enjoys playing so much.
“The group is diverse and each person is free to add their own twist and ideas to the game and stories. No two Dungeons & Dragons groups are the same, our group shows this. Everyone is very supportive and welcoming,” says Reaves, who likes to play as the dungeon master, acting as the game's organiser.
For those who are unaware of the game or its rules, he says one of the best things about it is that it can be played in many ways. It is a group game, meaning there is a social aspect to it. But other than that, players are more or less free to choose.
“It can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a serious, epic story arc where a band of adventurers must come together to solve the mysteries and put an end to the villains that are plaguing the kingdom, or it can be silly. You and your friends could be cows and all you need to do is escape the farm before you become hamburgers. Seriously, you can do that with this game.
“We had a player one time get ‘cursed’ by magic mushrooms and she could only talk ‘chicken language’. My neighbours are still curious about what they hear coming from my apartment," he says.
While there may be some hesitation about joining the group, especially for anyone who is new to the game, Reaves says the D&D community is very welcoming. He also suggests looking up videos on YouTube about the game and its lore, or just watch other people playing, to feel more comfortable.
"It's the most fun you can imagine. Half of my players never played before, but after one game they became hooked," he says. "If any of you have an interest, you can come join the Abu Dhabi Dungeons and Dragons group on Facebook. We will be happy to have you."
The Facebook page for the group is Abu Dhabi Dungeons and Dragons
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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October 9: v Sabah FA
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
SHAITTAN
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
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UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
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