"Geek", "Dork", "Loser"... yep, I've been called it all
I'm a role-player and have been one since I was yay tall
It's an escape from everyday life wrapped up in a roll of the dice
Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire, In Nomine, got all the books at half-price

I can be a ruthless killer, a world saver, or an angel just through imagination
And share the worlds I make up with my friends through mutual inspiration
I got a lot of crap for this growing up, but it's a big part of why I never lost it
I'd go over to a friend's house just to roll up characters, make worlds and shit

So many dice with so many purposes for so many games, it's insane
20-sided to hit, 6-sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided for damag and putting monsters in pain
You could go to the theaters to see Star Wars, but we'd go home and live it out
Just to see what would become of Luke Skywalker had he taken the Dark Side's route

In Nomine allows you to become a Demon or an Angel depending on your curiosity
I tend to play infernal characters because I like to know what evil would be like with all options open to me
I'm not a killer in real life and I don't have the powers and skills listed in the books
And, just to touch a fantasy life, even briefly, I'm prepared to suffer the stigma, and amused looks

Some of the most intelligent people I've ever met share this same fascination with me
Computer Programmers, Lawyers, Doctors, ex-Green Berets have all screamed out "Crit! I rolled a twenty!"
It's a much larger community than I ever thought possible when it was just I and four other players
But, it seems that hundreds of thousands of others can't resist role-playing's endless layers

I was a loner in school back in the day, and found other loners with the same interests
Needless to say, the jocks, preps, and other regular kids weren't what you'd call impressed
But, it didn't matter because my friends and I all shared a mutual fantasy world, vast beyond saying
So I dedicate this poem to you, my brothers and sisters in the exclusive world of Role-Playing.

-David "Dingo" Bleecher