Dungeons & Dragons (frequently shortened to D&D or just DnD) is a fantasy tabletop RPG, and to many is the most iconic and quintessential one of its genre.
First published in 1974 by Tactical Studio Rules (TSR) and designed by the company’s founders, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, D&D focuses heavily on cooperative narrative storytelling, letting its players naturally develop their character throughout their adventure, guided by a Dungeon Master (DM).
Its creation marked the beginning of RPGs as a genre of gaming, and has since become synonymous with tabletop roleplay games in pop culture, growing into a multimedia franchise of popular films, cartoons, novels, web shows, and more.
Troubled and complicated
The history of D&D is more than a bit troubled and complicated. The original version of the game was quite simple, especially in comparison to what was to come. The creators based its gameplay on their own existing miniature wargame called Chainmail and based a lot of its setting on popular fantasy tropes, as well as real word history, mythology and other fiction.
Later, TSR would release new editions of D&D, iterating on it with more rules and content such as the now iconic d20 system.
Creative differences would lead to the original simpler version of the game to be released separately as Basic Dungeons & Dragons.
Today, there are five major editions with many more revisions and side publications that both complicated and streamlined the game overtime.
At its core, Dungeons & Dragons is fuelled by the power of imagination, and a lot of preparation, compared to other tabletop games. Unlike video games or board games, D&D offers its players a more open-ended experience, allowing them to craft their own character and embark on quests in a world shaped by the DM, who serves as the narrator, referee, and creator of the game’s setting. TSR officially releases many rulebooks, player handbooks and other materials that serve as guidelines and help flesh out the settings that DMs can use to create campaigns though they are generally free to also create their own original scenarios.
Preparation
The level of preparation required to even start playing can be a little intimidating for newcomers, and a lot has been done by both the publishers and D&D player community to help streamline the new player journey in getting started. Premade campaigns and character sheets do a lot to help players enjoy a simplified sit-down-and-play experience without losing out on the more fun parts of what DnD has to offer. Other resources, such as grid maps, detailed miniatures, virtual campaigns allow players to better visualize their adventures and play together remotely, with digital tools handling most of the technical heavy lifting.
The current edition, known as the fifth edition (5e), was released in 2014 and has been praised for its streamlined rules and accessibility to new players. 5e has helped to usher in a renaissance for D&D, with the game experiencing a surge in popularity, partly due to its presence in pop culture, including shows like Stranger Things and the rise of online streaming of D&D sessions on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. The web series Critical Role’s live streamed campaign was so popular it spawned its own original animated series The Legend of Vox Machina.
