Explaining what Dungeons and Dragons is for total newbies.
Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) initially started as a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game published in 1974. Today, it is a collaborative experience that can quite literally be about anything depending on the players and dungeon master (DM).
What Happens In a Game of DnD?
Think of DnD as an interactive story where you assume the role of a character you created, travelling with other player characters to achieve a goal. The more in-depth your character, the more opportunities you have to influence the story. For example, you might have a Robin Hood-esque character with a crippling weakness for the fairer sex that always seems to get into trouble with them.
Combine that with the character motivations and backstories of other players, and you have a recipe to make a few compelling (or amusing) story bits that the DM never planned for. We shall not speak about derailing the DM's entire campaign through questionable in-game choices.
Another pivotal aspect of DnD is the game mechanics itself. The roll of a die primarily determines the outcome of most actions taken in the game. For example, to convince a non-player character (NPC) or attack one, you must roll to determine the likelihood of success.
Furthermore, depending on how you build your character, certain actions will have different modifiers to your dice roll. So a charismatic bard will have a higher modifier for convincing others and therefore, be better at it versus someone that only knows how to swing a sword.
Depending on your preferences and DM, your experience can wildly vary.
So it is just a bunch of talking?
DND is ultimately a social game, so there will be lots of talking. It is also a collaborative, turn-based strategy role-playing game (SRPG) where you build your character, level up, get fancy equipment, fight monsters, save princesses, etc.
Traditionally, DND is played like a board game, with miniatures representing characters interacting with one another on a makeshift map. Nowadays, the internet opens various online/digital options to make the experience all the more engaging and convenient.
Games can land towards combat-heavy sessions, social-heavy sessions, or a mix of the two, depending on your's and the DM's preference.
What Do I Need to Start a Game?
First of all, you'll need friends to play Dungeons and Dragons. Secondly, you'll need a DM, such as yours truly, to oversee your game. You can think of the DM as the game master or the host that tells the story as it unfolds and ensures everyone has a fair experience. My games are typically done online via Roll20 + Discord.
Next, you'll need your very own character sheet. Usually, the DM will host a session 0 to help build all the player's characters. There are many things to choose from, such as race, class, background, subclasses, spells, and possibly more. These selections can be overwhelming for new players. Me, I like to let their imaginations go wild. Do you want to be a tiny frog magician or a beetle warrior? By all means, I'll help you build a balanced character that suits your aesthetics.
You can check out the form I provide my players to help build their characters, just to get a glimpse of character creation.
Is it free??
Mine is. You should join my sessions. 😜
The Takeaway
Dungeons and Dragons is one of those things that you have to try for yourselves because there is nothing quite like it. It is part social roleplaying, part character building, and part strategy game. Where else can I go around villages and recruit them to my make-believe cult (while other people watch)?
My Instagram page.
My DND Discord server.
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