Dungeons & Dragons. You’ve probably heard the term before, somewhere. It’s the name given to the world’s oldest, and most popular, fantasy role-playing game. If you can believe it, the game has been around since 1974 (yeah, it’s almost 50 years old now). There’s a reason it’s survived this long – the game is a ton of fun. So what is it, and why should you try it out?

What is Dungeons & Dragons, Anyway?

Dungeons & Dragons, or D&D for short, is a fantasy roleplaying game that’s made to be played at the kitchen table with family, friends, or frenemies – I’m not judging.

The game is essentially an open-ended story that is guided by one person, called the Dungeon Master (DM for short), but created and lived in by the players. As a player, you create a character, and this person becomes the hero that you navigate through the world you create with the others at the table.

Along the way, you might fight hostile creatures like goblins, trolls, and, yes, dragons. But you might also have to negotiate your freedom with the noble of a powerful house, or you might start a bar fight by accusing the wrong thug of cheating at cards.

Point is, anything is possible in the game. You’re limited only by what your imagination can conceive. Your DM will give you goals and quests, but how you go about achieving them, or even whether you choose to take them on, is up to you as a group of players.

At its core, D&D is a dice-based game. You play with a set of seven polyhedral dice – a 4-sided die, a 6-sided one, an 8-sided one, two 10-sided dice, a 12-sided die, and a 20-sided die, called a d20 for short.

Almost any time you want to do something in the game, whether it be attack another creature, sneak through an alley or sweet-talk the barkeep, you roll that d20 to see how successful you are. Your odds of succeeding depend largely on how ambitious your intended action is (as judged by your DM), and a set of personal stats that you roll for when you create your character.

So that’s an overview of what the game is. So why is it worth trying out?

Reason #1: It’s good fun.

The first reason you should try any sort of pastime is that it’s fun. None of the other stuff matters if you’re not having fun. So find yourself a good group of folks who you can crack a beer with, and who won’t judge you if you fumble around the rules a little bit as you start off.

Once you get the hang of it though, there’s something intensely liberating about just how open the game is. You can literally do anything. You want to go punch that guard in the face? Be my guest, but be prepared for the consequences. You want to bite that goblin’s ear off, Mike Tyson-style? Yep, you can do that.

Or, as one member of my group famously did, you can also set a monastery on fire. Not that I condone burning monasteries – as the Dungeon Master for my group, I’ll be making sure he feels the consequences of that particular choice for some time to come.

Point is, you’re there to have fun. So lean into your character. Use your imagination, and watch as the story unfolds before you.

Reason #2: It gets your creative juice flowing.

This game takes place large in the collective imagination of the players. The choices the players make don’t just influence the story; they become the story. If you’re a writer like me, this is a fantastic way to get your creative juices flowing.

As a player, you can give your character any backstory you like. It’s easy: just start by asking yourself “Where did this person come from, and why would they be out adventuring away from home?”

For example, maybe your character fled home as a child when his village was overrun by orcs. Or maybe you’re an ex-military guard who became disillusioned by the corruption she witnessed among the captains. Or just maybe, you’re a former alcoholic-turned-cleric as a result of a near-death incident in which you were rescued from certain death by a god.

Like I said – the sky’s the limit. This is probably my favourite part of the game – the creativity, the improvisation that happens at the table, and the excitement of finding out what’s going to happen next as a result.

Reason #3: It’s quality time with no screens.

D&D is made to be played at the kitchen table, with no screens whatsoever. Playing this way is the only way I enjoy the game, personally. I love that, when you’re playing the game, you’re with a bunch of family, friends, or even just acquaintances who might become friends, and you’re all invested in crafting this story together, with no screens.

I have a strict no-screen policy when I play, because when one person whips out their phone, it pulls others out of the story, and they’re more likely to grab it themselves. Not to mention the fact that it’s insulting to the Dungeon Master, who probably spent hours and hours preparing for the session the players are working through.

Now, I should proooobably mention here that you can play D&D online, through a site called Roll20. It’s great for the current times, what with COVID being a thing and all. I’ve never played it though, and I don’t plan to – like I said, one of the things I like most about the game is the face-to-face interaction. We don’t get nearly enough of that these days!

Reason #4: It keeps depression at bay.

COVID has been tough on a lot of people. Instances of addiction and depression have shot up dramatically during this time of isolation. We’re social creatures, at the end of the day. We need company. Dungeons & Dragons is a way to get together and, just for a little while, leave behind the fact that we’re living in a real-life global pandemic.

Now obviously most of us can’t get together in big groups to play, but you don’t need to – you can play with just your immediately family and friends, or you can go online and find a game that way. But putting reality to the side for a moment for the sake of using your imagination and having a bit of fun is a great way to make this pandemic a little bit easier to digest.

Reason #5: All the cool kids play it.

When Dungeons & Dragons was first released, its players were accused of being devil worshippers and practitioners of witchcraft – you know, along with the usual half-assed insults like nerd, geek, and so on.

Ironically though, today D&D is played by well over 20 million people worldwide, including a long list of Hollywood celebrities. Here are some of the folks who consider themselves diehard players:

• Stephen Colbert
• Vin Diesel
• Vince Vaughn
• Joe Manganiello (who DMs his own game with a bunch of these guys)
• Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello
• WWE’s The Big Show
• Mike Myers
• Chris Hardwick
• Patton Oswalt
• Wil Wheaton, and
• The late Robin Williams

Now obviously you’re not going to pick up the game just because a few celebrities play it – that part was tongue in cheek. But it just goes to show the widespread popularity of the game, and suggests that there’s probably a good reason for it. By the way, if you want to hear more about who these guys are and why they play, there’s a great video you can check out by clicking here.

Wrapping it Up

If you’re looking to try Dungeons & Dragons out, ask around. You can probably find a friend or family member who might be able to get you into the game. And if not? Start one yourself! It doesn’t take much to get started. If you want to start as a player, you’ll need a copy of the Player’s Handbook, which teaches you the basic rules and will walk you through how to create a character.

If you’re looking to start a game as the Dungeon Master, you’ll want to pick up the Player’s Handbook, along with the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. These books will help you craft a world for your players to explore, complete with a storyline, threats to fight off, and more. Remember: let your imagination lead the way, and don’t be afraid to get a little ridiculous. You’re playing a game, after all!