ACT I
SCENE I
[Lights come up on a school lunchroom setting spread across center stage. Students are talking loudly amongst themselves. The students are played by CHARACTERS or monsters, both if desired, dressed in casual modern clothing. There is a spotlight on MAGGIE, just left of center. Maggie sits alone, reading a thick fantasy novel. Her hair is loose, covering her face if possible. Right of center is JOSH, JAMIE, and DAVID. David is sitting on a chair, facing left, Josh and Jamie sit on the floor facing David. Josh's arm is around Jamie's shoulders.]
DAVID:
[passionately]
In Dungeons and Dragons, paladins can follow a god or a philosophy. Most of the time they are loyal to their god, eliminating anything that their god does not see as good. Typical paladin that serves a god who believes that stealing is bad, that paladin saves a damsel in distress from a thief, either kills him or I guess spares his life in an act of mercy, and thanks his god for allowing him to enact justice in his name. Now, paladins that follow a philosophy work the same way, just without the god usually. They get all the same powers from their belief in a way of life instead of a deity. My favorite class in D&D is the paladin of freedom. A paladin of freedom fights to ensure that anyone of anything which wrongfully limits personal freedoms is destroyed. He believes that people should act according to themselves, not out of fear of one thing or another. If he sees a damsel in distress who's being oppressed in some way, he fights for her liberty and freedom, not just to rescue her coinpurse.
JOSH:
That's pretty cool and all, but how does he get powers from a philosophy? It's not like a god that can grant him his powers, it's only an idea.
[Maggie accidentally knocks her bag off the table, spilling its contents. She bends to pick up her things. No one moves to help her.]
DAVID:
Well it isn't exactly...
[noticing Maggie]
Hold on.
[He gets up and cross to her, bending to help her.]
DAVID:
Here you go.
MAGGIE:
Oh, thank you...I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to help me. I can do it.
DAVID:
It's fine.
[rises, placing some things on the table]
It's no big deal.
MAGGIE:
Okay..
DAVID:
[he sees her book and picks it up]
What is this?
MAGGIE:
[quickly rises]
It's nothing...
DAVID:
Is this a Wasserman novel?
MAGGIE:
Well--
DAVID:
He's one of my favorites! How far are you? Have you read Chapter 17 yet?
MAGGIE:
I...Um...
DAVID:
Are you okay?
MAGGIE:
Yeah, sorry.
DAVID:
What are you sorry for?
MAGGIE:
For making you think something was wrong.
DAVID:
What? Don't worry about stuff like that. Why even apologize?
MAGGIE:
I don't know.
DAVID:
So, do you play?
MAGGIE:
Play?
DAVID:
Tabletop RPGs?
[Maggie is silent.]
DAVID:
Dungeons and Dragons, stuff like that?
MAGGIE:
No.
DAVID:
You know that's what these books are based on, right? Tabletop games?
MAGGIE:
I guess not. Sorry, I should have known.
DAVID:
That's not your fault. You like them, though?
MAGGIE:
Yeah...
DAVID:
Would you like to try playing? We have a campaign going.
MAGGIE:
What?
DAVID:
We have a gaming group after school. We just lost our fighter, so we have a spot open. I've been looking for someone to replace him. Are you interested?
MAGGIE:
I'll need to ask first.
DAVID:
Alright. Do you have any paper?
MAGGIE:
Yes, why?
DAVID:
So I can give you my number and address. Let me know if you can come.
MAGGIE:
When is it?
DAVID:
We normally go right after school, pretty much every day. We start when everyone gets there.
MAGGIE:
How many other people?
DAVID:
Me, Josh, Jamie, and Kyle. So, four?
MAGGIE:
I don't know...
DAVID:
Josh and Jamie are right over there. You can come sit with us?
MAGGIE:
Uh...
DAVID:
Come on.
MAGGIE:
Okay.
[They both cross the stage to Josh and Jamie.]
JOSH:
Welcome back, Dave.
Jamie:
Who's this?
DAVID:
Oh, man, I forgot. What's your name?
MAGGIE:
Margaret.
DAVID:
Do you have a nickname?
MAGGIE:
Maggie.
DAVID:
Okay. Josh, Jamie, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Josh and Jamie.
JAMIE:
Hi.
MAGGIE:
Hello. I don't mean to intrude.
DAVID:
No, it's fine. I invited you. I want her to play our fighter.
JOSH:
Does she play?
DAVID:
Well, no, but she can learn. Jamie learned.
MAGGIE:
I don't know...
JAMIE:
Nothing to worry about, Maggie. This is my first campaign, too. I've been playing for only a few weeks.
DAVID:
And we need the fighter.
JOSH:
That's true, we do.
MAGGIE:
Okay.
JOSH:
But why her, Dave? No offense. You don't even know her.
DAVID:
Who else could we get to fill in?
JOSH:
There's Mike?
DAVID:
Are you telling me that you want to play with Mike?
JOSH:
No. But you know what I mean.
DAVID:
She's interested.
JAMIE:
Honey, what's the big deal? Let her play.
JOSH:
There's no big deal. I was only curious.
MAGGIE:
I'm sorry. I didn't want to start a fight.
JOSH:
What?
JAMIE:
You didn't start anything.
MAGGIE:
Sorry.
[Josh and Jamie exchange a doubtful look.]
JOSH:
Does she know the game?
[Maggie shakes her head. David opens up his backpack and takes out a book and a folder.]
DAVID:
Take these. It's a basic rulebook and some notes. If you can, call me today and we'll talk about making your character, okay?
MAGGIE:
So I wouldn't play today?
DAVID:
Not unless we can get your character set up today, which I doubt.
MAGGIE:
Oh, okay. I didn't mean to sound like that.
DAVID:
Like what?
MAGGIE:
[speaking quietly and nervously]
Like I was trying to rush things, or like I was disappointed. I don't want to seem greedy. I mean, thank you for inviting me in. I just don't know. So maybe you shouldn't have? Except that I want to! Play, that is. I just don't know if you'd want me. Since I don't have any experience. But don't think that I'm trying to get out of it, I just don't want to be a pest. Sort of like I'm being right now my talking too much. I'm stupid. [Beat.] I'm sorry.
[Josh and Jamie exchange another look.]
JOSH:
So, Dave, what was it you were telling me about those paladins?
DAVID:
Right! Anyway, they follow a philosophy, rather than a deity. Someone was thinking about how to create a paladin who didn't need to be lawful good...
[David's voice fades with the lights. A single spotlight remains on Maggie. In the dim light the others are seen miming the continued conversation, Maggie silently watching. A moment passes before the lights go out completely, Maggie's spot remaining. Exit all but Maggie.]
MAGGIE:
Mom?
[A VOICE answers her. It is the voice of Maggie's mother. It can be either a pre-recorded voice over, or an actress backstage with a microphone. The voice should not be exaggerated. It is the natural-sounding voice of a grown woman, perpetually annoyed and always critical.]
VOICE:
What is it?
MAGGIE:
Someone invited me over--
VOICE:
That's a shock.
MAGGIE:
They wanted me to play a game with them.
VOICE:
What sort of game is this?
MAGGIE:
A fantasy game.
VOICE:
Right, like those little books of yours. Your head always in some far away world, hiding from everything else. Good job, Maggie. How are you supposed to survive out there with your paper shields?
MAGGIE:
Mom, I want to try. If that's okay?
VOICE:
So long as you're getting out of your room for once, I don't care.
MAGGIE:
Thank you. I love you, Mom.
[Silence.]
MAGGIE:
Mom?
[Blackout.]
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