Dungeons and Dragons

 Written by Zach Goodier

Dungeons and Dragons is probably one of the iconic examples of hobby/tabletop RPG games, and for good reason.  It's hard to find anyone who doesn't already at least know the name, but "D&D" isn't just a game, it's an experience.  It allows for virtually limitless adventures with your friends raiding, role-playing, and ultimately trying to develop your character into the ultimate expression of just how awesome your imagination can be.  To help along this path, you have the "Dungeon Master," or "DM" for short.  The DM is responsible for crafting the world and story for the players, and just like the characters, every DM is unique.  Some may like to provide puzzles for the players to try to solve, some may like a straight-forward fight against monsters or armies of foes to keep the party active and engaged.  Some may prefer simple adventure, crafting an elaborate world for players to immerse themselves in and enjoy.  This is what makes Dungeons and Dragons a truly wondrous experience that provides for some of the greatest fun I've had with my friends.

This is definitely one of the more elaborate setups I've seen, but most of the time it won't be this visual.

The big obstacle that people will find going into this game is one simple thing: imagination.  If you don't have it, you will find immersing yourself almost impossible.  There are few visual components of D&D; you spend probably an hour or so creating your character, laying the groundwork for your future development.  Then, you have your adventure presented by your DM, usually in the form of a narrative.  Generally, the DM is responsible for providing visual components you may need (ex. maps, layouts of cities/towns you may need, etc.) in order to help guide the party along their journey.  Tokens and miniatures are often used on a grid during events like combat, to help keep track of where everything is along the journey.  However, the generally rule of thumb is that a DM doesn't dictate what players have to do, the players are presented the world, and they chose what to do with it.  While the campaigns can be linear, some of the best are where the party is able to explore the world as they see fit, giving that freedom that many players find enjoyable. 

Some DM's may attempt to use artwork to support their campaign, providing some visual elements to support the narrative.

The mechanics are fairly simple to understand at a glance, but grow more complex as you get into the game.  D&D follows the D20 system, meaning that most of the time you'll be using a 20-sided die in order to attempt actions such as attacking, performing complex actions, or whatever else may be required of you at the DM's discretion.  Players must first create their character, though, and that alone may seem tedious to some, but it is meant to get you started and to give you the materials you need to interact with the world in whatever ways you may want to.  First, you decided what you want to be: Fighter, Mage, Bard, etc.  Characters have basic stats, strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma, and these set the foundation for the character.  You roll for these, and assign the numbers as you see fit to help your character.  Fighters generally don't worry about things like intelligence, they leave that to the mages.  Does that mean all fighters are morrons? Of course not, but if you roll poorly for your stats, then you would probably want to sacrifice intelligence before strength as a fighter, since much of what you'll be doing depends on you being the big guy with a hardly constitution to act as the party's "tank."

Get used to seeing these, because you'll be using them quite a bit.

From there, you will be gaining skills and feats/spells.  Skills reflect what you can do, including skills like persuasion, intimidation, knowledge of various subjects, disguise, searching, spot, sense motive, and survival.  This by no means is all of the skills, with a whole page worth of material for you character sheets being devoted to skills.  As players increase in level, they get skill points that they can assign however they wish.  This is where players often converse and decide who should specialize in what.  That way, the team will be more versatile, with certain players being called on to negotiate, others for scouting, and any other number of roles that a party might want to fill.  This is where the experience of D&D can become interesting, with a party having to function as a group in order to excel in the game world.

Campaigns are constructed by the DM and serve as the basis for all the party’s activities in the game world.  Some campaigns are inspired by popular fiction such as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, and others may set forth original stories that may take inspiration from other stories or settings.  However, most campaigns won’t confine players to a linear storyline, instead allowing the party to converse and make decisions on how to proceed, whether it be which fork in the road to take, or which side to take in a conflict.

When it comes to people not appreciating a D&D campaign, 9 times out of 10, it can be attributed to the people you are playing with.  D&D is definitely a social experience, and if a party member is not contributing, or is constantly getting the party into trouble, then the whole table suffers.  If a DM is making the game too difficult, or too easy, then the game becomes frustrating or boring.  However, when you have the right people, who are creative and helpful to the party, and the DM is able to scale the difficulty of the campaign to keep things exciting and engaging, then you see campaigns become a thing of legend.  A good campaign will be talked about for months, even years after the game is done. 

I highly recommend any player download a free PDF or buy a copy of the book, be sure it matches the version of the game you are playing.

Dungeons and Dragons is probably one of the most versatile and enjoyable games ever devised.  While there are volumes of material relating to the rules, items, and spells, the entire experience is in your hands.  If you have an idea for something you would like to do, present it to your DM.  However, the job of any DM is to make sure the experience remains balanced and fair, so no god items are generally allowed.  The only limitation on the game is our own imagination, and our ability to work with others for mutual benefit.  In short, be a team player; keep the game balanced, but most of all…. HAVE FUN!!! This game has provided hours upon hours of laughs and excitement for me and my friends, and we plan on having hours more.  So go out, raid some dungeons, kill some dragons, and score some sweet loot with your friends.

Good:

-Virtually limitless stories and quests for the party to enjoy

-Can apply virtually ANYTHING to your campaigns. 

-Volumes of reference materials to help you out if you need it.

-Perfect way to bond with your friends and just have fun.

Bad:

**Note** My "bad" list does not apply to the game itself, but it does outline some of the issues that a prospective player is likely to find at some point.

-Depends on the people you play with.  So make sure you get along with your party and DM before committing to a campaign.

-One should be warned that like all pencil and paper RPG games, D&D generally lacks extensive visual components to support the narrative.

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10