Kids at school stole your lunch money, picked on you, and directed hurtful comments toward you. Why? Because of your poor taste in after-school activities. But you never cared about the opinions of outsiders, and you still don't -- playing Dungeons & Dragons is your favorite hobby. Well, thanks to Microsoft, you can role-play as a Drow Ranger and seem cool at the same time!

Dungeons & Dragons has been an important part of my life for the better portion of five years. The tradition, complexity, and camaraderie involved in the 36-year-old tabletop game all appeal to me. However, D&D; possesses a sordid reputation among lesser geeks -- the emphasis on mathematics and strategy create barriers to entry, preventing the impatient masses from taking an interest in the game.

By introducing the Microsoft Surface -- a really big multi-touch pad -- in to the equation, a team of engineers at Carnegie Mellon University have removed the math heavy aspects from D&D.; Unfortunately, supplanting human intelligence with computer processing power introduced a new bulwark to approachability: money.

Your Dungeon Master should begin saving up his allowance, because a commercial Microsoft Surface costs close to $12,500. Your party may have to stick to dice and rulers for the time being [via Cnet].