There are thousands of good role-playing games. There are some with cutting edge pop art and incredible game play. Others have huge followings and, for a writer who writes about games, provide an opportunity to actually find an audience. Write about Angry Birds or Dead Island and an author can feel like an overnight sensation.
So why do I write about Dungeons and Dragons then, if it won’t find a massive set of readers? Primarily, because its what I played when I was a kid. I must admit its been years since I’ve played the table top version of D&D. Regretfully, I haven’t joined any pen and paper groups in the area. I still play DDO (the online version of the game) and it is a great game. But the tabletop version was more what the creator of the game, Gary Gygax, had in mind. Both are great ways to enjoy this adventure game. I have made new friends in the online version, and there is something magical about being able to discuss a campaign you played in 1980 and having them understand what you are talking about.
Besides my love of a good community in a role-playing game, I also enjoy excitement. Adventure – the word itself means to have fun in my book. Exploring ancient crypts, battling giant champions, and matching wits with illusionists have all been regular companions to my imagination. The genre has appealed to me since The Lord of the Rings and D&D, but today I am excited to see so many new fantasy genre fans discovering what many of us knew years ago. That these games have a sort of substance to them that make them more than just games, it makes them real adventures.
I will probably expand my writing to cover other games at some point. But for now, I think I’ll just keep on writing about the game I grew up with and that so many others loved, too. Its been 37 years since the first D&D meeting took place. What it lacks in today’s pop culture popularity it more than makes up for in resiliency.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook
Rules Compendium: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Compendium (4th Edition D&D)
