Perhaps almost every RPG fan knows about such a thing as Dungeon and Dragons. Have you ever wondered how long the most extensive game in the world lasted? Think about a few years, maybe ten at most. But you will be shocked to learn that the oldest game in D&D has been going on since 1982. Just think about it! Its dungeon master is Robert Wardho.
The gaming journalists got interested in this phenomenon and decided to take a little interview with Robert, and this is what they found out. But before that, let’s make a little digression. If you’re avid of RPG games, then click on this link. There you’ll find many interesting articles dedicated to the genre and quality tutorials to help you understand this or that game in the shortest possible time.
The longest Dungeon and Dragons game in the world
So, Robert Wardho set up the basement of his house, where he designated a reasonably extensive game room. It includes a collection of over 40,000 figures – each hand-painted. He even spared no expense to make a giant diorama, presenting the different locations in this fantasy universe.
As for Robert himself, he is a professor of history at the University of London, Ohio. And that’s interesting because how does someone in such an important position even have the time to create something of such magnitude? It’s a big mystery, with Roberto himself at the center of it.
By the way, in addition to the setting Robert invented himself, he devised unique rules. They are based on the classic D&D vaults, but in the case of his round, they were actively supplemented with features from other editions.
Given the length of this game party, it has become dynastic so that all players (which has long since passed the 60 mark) control the children of their past characters, which have been several generations in the making. Robert’s campaign has a unique permadeath’s rules – if a character dies, he does it for good.
“But that’s the rule that applies in many D&D game sessions, isn’t it?” – you might ask. The point here goes much deeper than that. If the player doesn’t have another character, he’s out of the game forever. Over the last 40 years, about 500 characters have been changed: some quit the game because they lost, and some got bored.
But there are examples of loyal players. One such example is Robert’s daughter herself. She started playing as a fairy when she was seven years old, and now she’s in her 20s and still taking part in the game. According to Robert Wardho, regular sessions keep the group together. And although some live in other cities, they sometimes fly in to participate in the party.
Robert admits that he has hardly prepared for games in the last couple of years. All events and moves are recorded in journals or on video, and he thinks through the global plot in advance. However, his enthusiasm has remained strong over such an extended playing period. Robert believes that if it were not for D&D, he would be unable to keep in touch with his old friends.
In his opinion, that’s what games are for. Robert Wardho has no intention of stopping, as this campaign is his hobby and legacy. The game master is now 54 years old and hopes to develop his world for many more years to come. He has promised to do so until he dies or no longer thinks straight. An absolute dedication to the cause.