Demystifying Dungeons & Dragons
Once upon a time, Dungeons and Dragons was a mysterious game, played by people on the fringes of society - those typically labelled as "freaks and geeks" or nerds. The game has been around since the 1970s, but has only recently enjoyed mainstream success. After years of obscurity, stigmas and stereotypes, people from all walks of life are starting to enjoy all that Dungeons & Dragons - or D&D - has to offer.
There are still some stereotypes surrounding the game, however, and I'd like to break through those and, very briefly, explain what D&D is, and what it is not.
In all fairness, I think some of the controversy that has surrounded the game might stem from the name itself. What do you normally think of when you hear the word dungeon? Or dragon? Add to that the point that, especially in its earliest days, game sessions were most often played in basements, and you can see how, for the uneducated, mention of the game carried with it a shroud of mystery and suspicion. "Just what are these guys up to in the basement?"
The game was immediately linked to the occult by some, and took on the unfortunate stigma of being a game that brainwashed children and turned them into "weirdos". There was a story once about two friends, both avid players of the game, who had dressed up in fake chainmail and grabbed not-so-fake weapons in order to recreate a fight from the game. One of them had a sword, the other a bow. During their 'mock fight', the sword-wielding enthusiast was accidently shot with a very real arrow and needed to be rushed to the hospital. I honestly don't know if this story was ever verified as true or not, real or "fake news", stories like this only added to the fuel and served to convince people that the game was dangerous.
But perhaps the largest contributor to the occult stigma that surrounded the game was the nature of the creatures involved. The "big baddies" of the Dungeons & Dragons world include things like zombies and skeletons and more heinous foes such as vampires, demons, devils, and other vile monsters. Just the mere mention of the word 'demon' was enough to convince many that those "weirdos" playing the game were involved in some sort of summoning rituals. Never mind that the goal of most D&D campaigns is to actually rid the world of these evils- many people simply couldn't get past the "demons" part and could only see what they wanted to see - strange people who don't fit in to society playing a strange game, hiding in the basement away from prying eyes.
Thankfully, those stereotypes have lessened in recent years, but they have not completely gone away. I've had many conversations with people who, while not really knowing anything about the game, will say that they've "heard bad things about it". For some, D&D gets lumped in together with the Ouija board as something dark and evil that should be avoided at all costs. This was especially true in the early days of the game. And though the game has reached new heights of popularity, there is still a lot of misunderstanding about it.
What D&D Is Not
Dungeons and Dragons is not dangerous. It has no connection to the occult. It involves no secret rituals, it does not corrupt people's minds. It is no more "evil" than a rock or a sponge - or a sword. Like any tool or game, it can be neither inherently good or evil, it just is. Like so many things, it is all about how you use it. It can be hard for some to look past the negative image the game has garnered in some circles to see what it really is.
Dungeons & Dragons is also not just a game for outcasts, or "freaks and geeks", despite how it has often been portrayed. The resurgence of D&D owes much to the entertainment industry. There's a good chance that a show you watch has dedicated time to the game. Unfortunately, the image portrayed is not always a good one. Take The Big Bang Theory, for example. The characters in the show can often be seen playing Dungeons & Dragons in the apartment that main characters Leonard and Sheldon share. The entire premise of the show is based around the lives of these somewhat stereotypical "nerdy" types - engineers, physicists, etc. - who share a love of video games, comics, and Dungeons & Dragons. While showing the fun that can be had playing the game, it still sets it up as something that belongs to the nerd/geek subculture. In media, players and Dungeon Masters (those who run the game sessions) are almost exclusively portrayed as the socially awkward type. It's still a game played by weirdos and geeks. So personally, while I am grateful that the game is being highlighted much more often, I think the entertainment industry still has a long way to go before it breaks through those stereotypes. D&D can truthfully be enjoyed by anyone. Don't believe me? Just ask Hollywood action star Vin Diesel. Yes, Mr. Diesel plays Dungeons & Dragons. You can find a clip of him playing a customized character on YouTube (just search D&Diesel), in a session hosted by legendary voice actor Matthew Mercer, DM extraordinaire and host of Geek & Sundry's show Critical Role. Other actors that love D&D include Daredevil's Deborah Ann Woll, Ashley Johnson (Blindspot, The Avengers), and Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, True Blood). There is no one 'type' of person that plays the game.
What D&D Is
To put it simply, Dungeons & Dragons is a board game, albeit a far more complex and lengthy one than others, but it's also more than a board game. Board games in general are experiencing a revolution and resurgence as more and more people realize that gaming together is an incredibly enjoyable and satisfying experience. Far removed from the Monopoly's and Risk's of yesteryear, today's game industry caters to an incredibly diverse audience. You can find cooperative games and competitive games, games that focus on fun and others that require strategy and skill. Some games can be finished in under an hour, while some will take most of your Saturday to complete. With most board games, once you're done playing, you pack everything back in the box, and the game is over. Not so with Dungeons & Dragons. In this game, you create a character, and you join the with other characters to play out a story spanning multiple sessions. Depending on how often you play and for how long, some campaigns can last for years. It all depends on the story you've chosen to play through.
In every game of D&D, there is one person who sets up the action and "runs" the game (though in truth, everyone at the table makes decisions that will alter and affect the story line and game play!). This person is usually called the DM (Dungeon Master) or GM (Game Master), and it's their job to make sure the game keeps running. The DM adjudicates the rules, tells the story, sets up the encounters for the players, and plays the part of NPCs (non-player characters), monsters, and other figures in the story not controlled by the players. The players tell the DM what their characters are doing, based on what their characters are able to do. Each player has a character sheet that lists all of their character's important statistics, abilities, and any other relevant information, such as how much damage they deal on attacks, how hard they are to hit, what skills they're trained in, etc.
Like many other games, D&D uses dice to determine what happens.
That's honestly the gist of it. I could go in to much more detail about the game, but I'd rather people learn about D&D by playing it, not just reading about it. There truly is no better way to get to know the game than to jump into a session and have fun!
The main thing I want to get across is that D&D is a collective story-telling venture that unfolds as a game. And a really fun one! I have been playing D&D in one form or another since my early teens, and have introduced many first time players to the game, many of whom have gone on to play with others or who have invited others to come and play in our campaign. I've played with youth groups and family members. I've played with experienced players and rookies. And every time I play, I love it. And here's why:
At its core, D&D is all about connection. You need others to play with. You socialize with others, and as your characters fight alongside one another and grow in their own way, your connection with the other people around your table grows, too. You become invested not only in the game, but in one another. Players are missed when they can't come to a session. D&D is about building relationships both in the game and out of it.
That's why I love Dungeons & Dragons, and why I want to share my love of it with you.
Perhaps you've heard of the game but have never really understood what it was. Perhaps you've held some of those misconceptions yourself - that it's only for geeks, or that it is somehow dark or occult-ish. I honestly hope that you give the game a chance. And if you're looking for somebody to show you the ropes, Paragon Games is ready to help!
- The DM.
