Dungeons and Dragons at a Glance

Elves Enjoing a Game of D&D

What is Dungeons and Dragons?

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a role play game, in which the player(s) have a quest or goal that they strive to achieve. D&D is a very social game that only requires the appropriate game books, dice, paper, pens or pencils, and plenty of imagination and enthusiasm.

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Who is involved?

There are two roles in Dungeons and Dragons; there are one or more players and a single game master (GM). While the role of the players is to play their characters and explore the world they are in, the GM's job is to provide the players with that world. Without the game master, there would be no story or place for the game to take place. An easier way to think about this is to call the GM the narrator and the players are active readers that can make small alterations to the story that they are in.

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How do you play?

After the GM creates the world and story arch, the players are either provided characters or have to make new ones from scratch. Once the setup is complete, the game can begin. The GM provides the players with a setting so they can start their journey, and the players work together to accomplish their goals, whatever those may be (players can literally set out to do anything they can think of, no matter how mundane or complex). Although there is a large collection of guides and rules that helps the GM keep realistic limitations on the characters; the biggest limitation is imagination.

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Why Play D&D?

Everyone who tries and enjoys D&D has their own reason for returning to it, and anyone who hasn't tried it usually has a reason for not doing so. The difference between the two is usually this: people who dislike something they don't really know anything about have some kind of social stigma that is usually based on unreliable information. If you try it and don't like it; it isn't for you. If you never try it and you don't have a reason for not doing so, you many want to look into it. Dungeons and Dragons is no different from any other social game when it is broken down; however, it does have long term potential (you can play a game for an extended period of time) and games can create familiarity and grow with the players as it progresses. As games begin, players generally look forward to the social element, just like if they were meeting to play poker. As a game continues, in addition to the social element, players look forward to what may or may not happen next and how the characters (not just the players) will interact, as if they are watching a TV show or getting a new addition to a book series.

What is Dungeons and Dragons? (Continued)

A Social Game

As with any game with a social aspect, the people involved drastically change the game. D&D is highly definded by the moods, personalities, and energy of the people involved.

A Role Playing Game

The players in D&D are each represented by their respective characters in the game. Each character has its own personality and knowledge. For example, a player shouldn't act on knowledge they know but their character does not. The game can be drastically effected by the deceptions that the characters make and those shouldn't be influenced by their players. Each player plays their role, and each character has its own personality.

A Flexible Game

Although the set of rules is intensive, GMs are allowed to bend them and make exceptions for the sake of improving everyone's experience. The people involved should not mold around the game; the game adjusts to the people.

Who is Involved? (Continued)

Players

Players (represented by their characters) are the driving force in the game; they are the main characters to their own story. Players are given an alternative to their regularity by escaping to their fantasy world, which can lead to many different outcomes. The player's evolvement is not only important, it shapes the experience for everyone.

The Game Master

The game master has the duty of making the game a reality for everyone else. The story, the setting, and the pace of the game all fall into the hands of this one person.

Guests

Although not always present, guests are generally welcome. Guests are often people who either aren't currently playing in a game or simply want to get a glimpse of what it is really like. Although guests can not contribute to game play much, they can contribute to conversation and improve the fun factor of the event for everyone.

How Do You Play? (Continued)

The GM's Prep Work

In order for the game to not take too long and to be well thought out, the game master must have designed the future happenings for the characters. One of the GMs responsibilities is to create the "campaign" (or story) for the players to pursue. This often includes social encounters, combat encounters, puzzles, and/or decisions that the players must make.

The Player's Prep Work

Each potential player must first create or acquire a character to play with. Players are encouraged to "get to know" their character; players that create backstories, develop elaborate personalities, and define flaws and strengths create much more rich experiences.

Actual Game Play

Game play consists of: player interactions, player decisions, GM narration, puzzles, planning, and some "in game combat". Players are often (but not required) to face threatening forces, which can be other people, creatures, traps, and unexpected threats. However, players are often given (although sometimes subtly) an option to avoid combat.