Why Should YOU Play Dungeons and Dragons?

Dungeons and Dragons is a game that everyone should play at least once. However, when I try to bring more people into the world of roleplaying I’m often met with a lot of questions and concerns. Some of which you may have yourself. So today I am here to assuage your concerns and answer the biggest question on potential players’ minds: Why should you play Dungeons and Dragons?

Dungeons and Dragons can be the answer to some big problems. One of these is extremely relevant to gamers today, and that is the topic of freedom. In video games today, one of the biggest buzzwords of today’s game is freedom. The freedom of choice, of customizing your character, of playing the way you want to. We are in an age where the technology in games can allow us to do some pretty fantastic things. But there are still limits. There are still walls that the game won’t let you pass; obstacles that can only be overcome by fighting them head on. This isn’t the case in D&D. In D&D you can choose to ignore the main story and forge your own, exploring as much of the land as you want while doing whatever you please. No matter how advanced video games get, they will likely never match the unlimited mindscape that is the human imagination. For a lot of gamers, the promise of freedom is a big seller. And D&D is a game that can truly deliver on that front.

Diving a little deeper now, D&D works as a great tool for self improvement. By playing the game you are creating a safe haven, a social safety net of sorts. This gives you a chance to tackle social encounters head on without fear of failing. This lets you work out how to deal with problems before they appear in real life. Roleplaying lets you test out answers to problems that might give you anxiety and see how those answers play out.

The biggest part of self improvement comes from you playing as the hero of your own story. When you create your hero, you are creating a person with qualities that you aspire to have. By emulating these peronality traits, you learn how to integrate them into yourself to use outside of the game. You might play as a rogue who can smoothly talk his way out of any situation, a fighter with boundless courage, or a wizard who strives for perfection. Whatever it may be, by roleplaying that personality in game, you learn what it takes to be like that in real life. This is the way that D&D has helped me the most. I used to be the quietest, most timid person in the room. Even around my friends I wasn’t that outgoing. But through playing D&D I’ve slowly built my confidence up into the person I am today, putting my thoughts out for the entire world to see. And it all started with Oshi Oreg, the android (homebrew) fighter.

D&D has many benefits, both psychological and sociological. On top of that the game is the most fun activity you can do with your imagination. But even with the benefits all laid out, there are some common concerns that many have. Concerns such as:

Isn’t that game just for nerds who live in their parents’ basements?

This one is probably the one I get the most, yet it still strikes me as odd. In the recent years, nerd culture has been brought into the spotlight. It has even gone so far as to become a “cool” thing to do. Yet one part of this that hasn’t made the transition until recent years is D&D. It’s seen as a game that is nerdy by nerds’ standards. But D&D can be and is played by all sorts of people. I’ve played with people from all walks of life, and every one of them loved the game. Even celebrities play the game. Celebrities such as Joe Manganiello, Robin Williams, and Matthew Lillard. Yes, even Shaggy plays Dungeons and Dragons. I can guarantee you he doesn’t live in his parents’ basement.

The game sounds too hard; what if I get too confused?

The game may seem like a lot of number crunching, but it’s all simple math that makes sense. The game system itself is actually quite easy. Even if you find a rule that your group has trouble with, you can change it to make sense. That’s the beauty of games like this: you can make the game suit your wants and needs.

Dungeons and Dragons is such a unique game. No experience comes close to it. Everybody should try it at least once, and now you know my reasons for why you should play Dungeons and Dragons. Did I pique your interest? Do you still have more concerns? Let me know down below. And until next time, keep those dice rolling high!