The Dadlands.
A barren, scorched landscape populated solely by… dads. There are different tribes of dads, from the grill dads and their seared meats to the travel dads and their ability to leave early and make good time.
Sunday night, we heard their story.
The Dadlands is a one-page tabletop RPG, something like Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike Dungeons & Dragons, you don’t really have to have a character sheet, dice, or desire to be a part time volunteer accountant. No. Instead, you make your own dad and strap on a fanny pack with red and green tokens. Red ones represent chaos, like the chaos of setting off illegal fireworks or jury-rigging something with electrical tape. Green ones are order, like going the speed limit or setting an early bedtime.
Every action is decided by pulling a token at random, without looking. If you pull the correct corresponding token(s), the action is success-
Honestly, you can probably just read the rules right here.
Anyhow, we went to go see The Dadlands live one-off at the DAR Constitution Hall in DC. (It’s a lovely venue but get a ride there — trying to park would be a nightmare.) Brennan Lee Mulligan was the DM, while the McElroy brothers and dad were the Dads. I won’t give away the story here, but I will say that they introduced a mechanic that required the players to play cornhole, and it was the most suspense I think I’ve ever felt in my life.
(There was also a rousing chant of “CORNHOLE FOR YOUR SOUL” at one point.)
It got me thinking, too. I have access to a yard now. I have power tools. I could make a cornhole board.
I could print the Dadlands rules.
I could rustle up a handful of fanny packs and some tokens.
… I’m going to have a Dadlands party.
Cosplay would be optional, of course, but recommended.
It’s also pretty easy to Get the Look:
Refreshments would be barbecue and a variety of canned beverages. Crispy Stellas, Buds, Coke Classic, Liquid Death, the works.
Now I just need to figure out who in my social circle has a secret Dadliness in their heart. Gender doesn’t matter — it isn’t the Dad on the outside, it’s the Dad on the inside that counts. As Rory Powers once said,
You don’t need kids
To be a Dad
You don’t have to have a penis,
Or even be a man,
You just need Levi jeans
And to be a little drunk, yeah!
It’s a Dad Squad, it’s a Dad Squad!”
This Paranormal Life, episode #271: The Legend of Momo – The Monster that Terrorised Missouri
I’m gonna find a Dad Squad and make them play cornhole to survive a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and it’s going to be amazing.
Marble Crow 