In January 1980, Rick Kamins, then 24 and a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Alabama, was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) by his girlfriend. Intrigued by the tabletop role-playing game, Kamins invited several friends from his program to play, assuming the role of Dungeon Master—a storyteller and referee guiding the game. Although initially met with confusion over the game's rules, Kamins convinced them to try, and within thirty minutes, the group was engrossed in the experience.
What began as weekly Sunday evening sessions in Kamins’s kitchen lasted about a year and a half until internships interrupted their routine. After nearly five years, Kamins organized a 1985 reunion at Martin Haygood’s home in Atlanta, rekindling their play and friendship. Since then, six original players—Kamins, Rhonwyn Carson, Martin Haygood, Jim Maddux, Pat Rippetoe, and Mary Lou Shelton—have met almost annually, missing only a few gatherings due to emergency surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic, fulfilling their vow to convene “come hell or high water, for the rest of our lives.”
The players, all clinical and industrial psychologists now spread across the United States, have maintained their bond through D&D’s immersive storytelling. The game, based on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, involves collaborative storytelling where decisions shape an evolving narrative. Kamins has remained the consistent Dungeon Master, sometimes creating original adventures that stretch for years. The group likens their ongoing quest to Tolkien's *The Lord of the Rings*, with an unfinished mission motivating their continuous play.
Their annual gatherings have evolved from intensive all-day marathons into more relaxed weekend retreats, often at rented Airbnbs, reflecting their advancing ages and need for comfort. Aside from the game, moments of candid conversation around candlelight serve as emotional support during times of personal hardship, including illness, grief, and retirement. The group’s collective psychological expertise provides a unique environment for vulnerability and mutual care.
Over the decades, the group encountered challenges—from one member quietly ceasing attendance without explanation, to political disagreements that temporarily sidelined Kamins as Dungeon Master. Despite such tensions, reconciliation followed, underscoring the resilience of their friendship.
The group’s exclusivity extends to partners and spouses, who must accept the members’ commitment to this tradition. Although Dungeons & Dragons was stigmatized in the 1980s by conservative and religious groups associating it with occult practices, none of the players hid their enjoyment out of embarrassment in recent years. Kamins said he no longer cares about being "pigeonholed" for his longtime hobby.
In 2016, they expanded the circle by "adopting" George Evans, a former student of Rippetoe’s who studies tabletop role-playing games as collaborative literature. Evans, now a high school English teacher and writer, has become a valued participant, contributing creativity and energy to the group’s ongoing narrative.
Through years of shared adventures, both fictional and real, the six longtime friends continue to celebrate their connection with an old Scottish toast and a bottle of Citron vodka, marking their enduring camaraderie fostered by a game that started as a simple curiosity in a college kitchen.