History Film / OfDiceAndMen

A 2014 independent {{dramedy}} film produced by Cavegirl Productions, based on the 2011 play of the same title by Cameron [=McNary=]. Set in 2006, it concerns a group of thirtyish TabletopRPG gamers reacting to the announcement that one of them has enlisted in the Marines and is [[TheWarOnTerror going to Iraq]].

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: As the daughter of a prince and a queen, Alaya is a ''double'' princess, i.e. princess of two separate kingdoms.

A 2014 independent {{dramedy}} film produced by Cavegirl Productions, based on the play of the same title by Cameron [=McNary=]. Set in 2006, it concerns a group of thirtyish TabletopRPG gamers reacting to the announcement that one of them has enlisted in the Marines and is [[TheWarOnTerror going to Iraq]].

* RepetitiveName: Durak [=McMackMack=] (son of Clendak [=McMackMack,=] son of Gorak [=McMackMack=], son of Gak [=McMack=], son of Mack).

-->'''John Alex:''' Nobody actually reads ''Literature/WutheringHeights.'' Except English Majors. And even they don't enjoy it.

* WrittenInAbsence: John Francis creates one for Edward's character when Edward is kicked out of the group.

A 2014 independent {{dramedy}} film produced by Cavegirl Productions, based on the play of the same title by Cameron [=McNary=]. Set in 2006, it concerns a group of thirtysomething TabletopRPG gamers reacting to the announcement that one of them has enlisted in the Marines and is [[TheWarOnTerror going to Iraq]].

* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: John Francis and Tara ... repeatedly. They are both interested in each other, but every few months, just as one of them is getting up the courage to make a Love Confession, the other will announce excitedly that he/she has just met someone ''great...''

* '''John Alex,''' his best friend since childhood. His PlayerCharacter is a 12th-level rogue named Spango Garnetkiller XVII (or Spango Garnetkiller XXII in the play).[[note]]Spango's movie introduction speech was modified to remove the reference to several Spangos who died in the TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors, as the movie did not have permission to mention copyrighted DungeonsAndDragons material.[[/note]]

* GodwinsLaw: John Alex's rant about how Second Edition ''DungeonsAndDragons'' got rid of demons and devils ends with him comparing Pat Robertson to Hitler looking for ''lebensraum.''

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The group breaks up due to so many people leaving town, but they all remain on good terms, and John Francis decides gaming is worthwhile as an adult.]]

** The stage show also places the final game sequence midway between the game world and the real world. The actors wear the costumes of the players rather than the characters, but they carry the characters' weapons. The dialogue freely switches in and our of character.

* '''Tara,''' who has played with the group for a few years. She plays a half-elf wizard named Alaya[[note]]--actually, the name's much longer than that, but you probably don't want to get into that right now[[/note]].

* {{Backstory}}: Alaya has loads of it, which she will be happy to reel off at the drop of a hat. The backstory contains its own set of tropes, including BloodOath CainAndAbel, CircusBrat, DeathByOriginStory, DoorstopBaby, FirstLove, KidsAreCruel, MuggleFosterParents, ParentalAbandonment, and RoyalBlood.

* FunetikAksent: Durak's accent is spelled out phonetically in the stage script, and presumably in the screenplay as well.

* SirSwearsalot: John Alex. His swearing is not only profane but creative, sometimes managing to be filthy without using any of the classic four-letter words.

* {{Backstory}}: Alaya has loads of it, which she will be happy to reel off at the drop of a hat.

* '''Jason,''' who has been gaming with John Francis and John Alex since high school. He plays a paladin named Kester the Younger.

* '''Linda,''' who hosts the game at her and Brandon's house. She plays a dwarf cleric named Durak [=McMackMack=].
* '''Brandon,''' Linda's husband, who plays mostly as a social activity. His character is a barbarian named Throg.

* SkewedPriorities: In a {{Flashback}}, John Francis and Jason are angry at Edward for cheating on Tara because he broke her heart. John Alex is angry at Edward for cheating on Tara because now they have to decide which one to kick out of the gaming group. And he's genuinely conflicted about which one to keep: on the one hand, Edward was a complete {{Jerkass}}, but on the other hand, "he gives really good roleplay."

* TheyKilledKennyAgain: Alaya dies constantly.
* TrueArtIsBoring: Discussed in-universe by John Alex when John Francis is deciding which books to take along on his move.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The group breaks up due to so many people leaving, but they all remain on good terms, and John Francis decides gaming is worthwhile.]]

* SkewedPriorities: John Alex is genuinely conflicted about whether to kick Edward out of the group when he cheats on Tara. On the one hand, he was a complete {{Jerkass}}, but on the other hand, "he gives really good roleplay."

* TakeThat: Done in-universe to Tara's ex-boyfriend; John Francis [[WrittenInAbsence arranges for his character to exit the game]] in the most painful and humiliating way imaginable.

* {{Backstory}}: Alaya has loads of it, which Tara will be happy to reel off at the drop of a hat.

* TheRoleplayer: Tara.

* SquishyWizard: Alaya. When Tara asks John Francis why she keeps dying so much, he replies, "You're the party's wizard. It's kind of your job."

* TrueArtIsBoring: Discussed in-story by John Alex when John Francis is deciding which books to take along on his move.

The group consists of these characters:

* '''John Alex,''' his best friend since childhood. His PlayerCharacter is a 12th-level rogue named Spango Garnetkiller XVII.

* ArcWords: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now I see through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, slightly paraphrased). They reflect John Francis's dilemma about whether gaming is worth doing as an adult, or just childish play.

* {{Backstory}}: Alaya has loads of it, which Tara will be happy to tell at the drop of a hat.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: All the characters address the audience directly from time to time, but especially John Francis, who serves as the narrator.

* GodwinsLaw: John Alex's rant about how Second Edition ''DungeonsAndDragons'' got rid of demons and devils ends with him comparing it to Hitler looking for ''lebensraum.''

* SirSwearsalot: John Alex.
* SquishyWizard: Alaya.

* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: John Francis and Tara ... repeatedly.

A 2014 independent {{dramedy}} film produced by Cavegirl Productions, based on the play of the same title by Cameron [=McNary=]. Set in 2006, it concerns a group of thirtysomething gamers reacting to the announcement that one of them has enlisted in the Marines and is [[TheWarOnTerror going to Iraq]].

* '''Brandon,''' Linda's husband, who plays mostly as a social activity. He plays a barbarian named Throg.

They have been playing fantasy TabletopRPG games together for several years--going back to their school days in the case of the first three. Jason's announcement that he has enlisted throws the group into turmoil. John Alex picks a fight with Jason because he [[CannotSpitItOut can't express his concern any other way,]] and John Francis starts to question the point of gaming at all. They only have [[OneLastJob one last game session]] before Jason's deployment to heal the rift in the group.

* ArcWords: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now I see through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, slightly paraphrased). They reflect John Francis's dilemma about whether gaming is worth doing, or just childish play.
* ArtifactOfDoom: The ''Libris Mortis,'' which will cause, as Tara puts it, "massive, world-ending zombie badness" if not destroyed.

* OverlyLongName: Alaya's full name.
* RepetitiveName: Durak [=McMackMack=].

* [=UST=]: John Francis and Tara.
* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: John Francis and Tara ... repeatedly.

John Francis, John Alex, Jason, Tara, Brandon, and Linda has been playing fantasy TabletopRPG games together for several years--going back to their school days in the case of the first three. Jason's announcement that he has enlisted throws the group into turmoil. John Alex picks a fight with Jason because he [[CannotSpitItOut can't express his concern any other way,]] and John Francis starts to question the point of gaming at all. They only have one last session before Jason's deployment to heal the rift in the group.

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