One of the students who attends the school Dungeons & Dragons Club is a big fan of Doctor Who. Actually, that’s an understatement: I’ve met my fair share of Whovians over the years and this student would give many of them a run for their money. Anyway, this student has been attending the club and playing games with friends using one of the Pathfinder Second Edition Beginner Boxes and having a good time over several weeks.

On a whim, today I took to the club my old 2009 (I think) copy of the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game Starter Set – with David Tennent on the cover – which has lain largely unused for twelve years within a stack of books at home. Showing the student the box elicited delight. We chatted about Doctor Who, explored the box, looked up the other products online, and generally shared a mutual enjoyment of the series.

What really made my evening, however, was the delight elicited when I offered to lend the set to this student and their friends. I mean, in my head, it seemed logical: I’m not using it, they were talking about how cool it would be to play, and so… yeah: “Do you want to borrow the set and play with it?”

It’s rare to see a student literally jump up and down with excitement. It’s unusual to so simply make a person’s day. I think that even if they were to go home and read the booklets inside it’d be a good thing and a pleasure for that person. But I think this will get played. A lot.

It was a moment that had me reflecting: better to put a game into hands where it’ll be played than leave it hanging around getting dusty. And giving it away, albeit officially on loan, felt good. No matter if it doesn’t come back.

Game on!