Kids at school stole your lunch money, picked on you, and directed hurtful comments toward you. Why? Because of your poor taste in after-school activities. But you never cared about the opinions of outsiders, and you still don’t — playing Dungeons & Dragons is your favorite hobby. Well, thanks to Microsoft, you can role-play as a Drow Ranger and seem cool at the same time!
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXsFNPO_gUM 400×400]
Dungeons & Dragons has been an important part of my life for the better portion of five years. The tradition, complexity, and camaraderie involved in the 36-year-old tabletop game all appeal to me. However, D&D possesses a sordid reputation among lesser geeks — the emphasis on mathematics and strategy create barriers to entry, preventing the impatient masses from taking an interest in the game.
By introducing the Microsoft Surface — a really big multi-touch pad — in to the equation, a team of engineers at Carnegie Mellon University have removed the math heavy aspects from D&D. Unfortunately, supplanting human intelligence with computer processing power introduced a new bulwark to approachability: money.
Your Dungeon Master should begin saving up his allowance, because a commercial Microsoft Surface costs close to $12,500. Your party may have to stick to dice and rulers for the time being [via Cnet].