The “gamer” phenomenon has invaded the San Quentin Mainline. A group of multiracial, multicultural prisoners has forged a deep bond over Dungeons and Dragons and an array of cardboard character games.
“A lot of people think we are a bunch of nerds, but we are gamers. This is how we choose to spend our time and use our creativity,” said George “Merso” Cole-El.
The non-electronic games are fantasy based, where players take on the roles of heroes. Usually a group of six to seven players sets out on different “dangerous” adventures.
The player who sets the scene or paints the mental picture is known as the Dungeon Master.
The Dungeon Master decides the threats the players will face and the rewards they will receive for accomplishing the quest.
“These games have real creativity,” said Cole-El. “All the creatures are mystical, and they do combat. I actually get my anger issues out through these games.”
Most of the games are about role-playing, where the players name their own characters. They decide their personalities, abilities and what weapons they carry.
They can choose standard weapons like long swords, battle axes and long bows that can be upgraded with magic spells by a wizard.
“It’s like playing a video game or reading a book,” said Gerry Grimes. “I choose my characters that reflect my personality. I like the hands-on battles. I’m not into the wizards.”
The games are math-based. They roll different shaped dice that decide the stage of combat, character powers and armor class.
“You have to image yourself in a field, with different creatures popping up. Elements of rain and thunder in the background and battles are taking place. The dice gives hits and damage points then you add or subtract those points,” said Vance “DT” Farland.
He said the games give him a chance to use his imagination and bring out different parts of his personality though his characters.
The creatures that might pop up are animals, devils, demons and angels.
Bat Swarm is a huge bat with 100 high-pitched sounds that fill the air and a mass of small meat-eating bats with a thirst for blood.
You have Lillenn, a seductive winged fairy with a snake body from the waist down. There’s also a demon named Urock, a mix of man and a gigantic vulture.
There are thousand of creatures that vary from game to game. The groups play “Pathfinder”, “World of Darkness” and “Rift.” There are also a movie and video-theme games like “Star Wars” and “Doom.” All the rules are similar to Dungeon and Dragons with dice and character sheets.
The guys decorated old Scrabble pieces as figurines to maneuver around the board to resemble the combat.
The games are a cross between chess, Monopoly and Risk.
“After being a cancer in society, you get to play the hero,” said Justus Evans. “That gives you a different perspective of society. Now I have a deeper respect for people, property and humanity.”
The role-playing is therapeutic for some of the guys; they become their ideal person, relieving aggression by using their words and imagination. They also can escape to different dimensions.
“Star Wars” and “Rift” propel gamers into a futuristic outer space, to battle space creatures, spaceships and robots.
They can become werewolves, vampires and witches in the “World of Darkness.” They even fight zombie dogs and monsters in “Doom.”
“These games help you interact with a variety of people, and that builds your social skills,” said Evans. “No matter your age or what you’re into, everybody is equal when they come to the table.”
Another popular game is “Magic: The Gathering”. Instead of dice, it’s played with cards. There are more than 5,000 cards that have pictures of lands, creatures and spells. The player has to build a deck of 40 to 60 cards with which to play. Lacking the original cards, the men transformed mountains of pinochle cards to replicate the game. Land cards represent money and have color codes. You can buy artifacts, spells and enchantments that the gamers make up.
“It’s like ‘Lord of the Rings’,” said Farland. Just like with video games, with each game you can reach different levels, depending on the experience you gain.
“You gain experience points when you defeat creatures, complete the story objective and use your problem-solving skill,” said Michael “Sparky” Lain.
The game is over when the mission is accomplished and your character is still alive.
“A lot of people think we are wasting our time,” said Cole-El. “We are learning to multi-task, how to think on our feet and diplomacy.”
“We want to bring the bonds of unity back. We have an open-door policy. We’re not a clique; we are welcoming, because in the end, the heroes are supposed to win.”
