In Defence Of Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons doesn't really need to be defended in all honesty. It is enjoyed by millions and has grown into a phenomenal icon for the age of the nerd since the release of 5th Edition and the growth of live streamed tabletop games.

However, I was recently asked by a friend why Dungeons & Dragons is still the 'go-to' role-playing system for many and continues to dominate with talented and creative individuals bringing all sorts of different systems to life. He postulated that maybe it's simply because D&D came first, and to a degree that might be the case, but I think there's something else in the DNA of D&D which has let it stick around.

Humble Beginnings

The first thing that I think draws so many to D&D and keeps them interested in just how easy it is. Yes, once you get below the surface there's a lot of maths working behind the scenes and if you're going to be powering through to high levels, writing your own spell book seems like a good idea but in essence it's as simple as asking if you can do something followed by the roll of a single D20.

This means that anyone getting stuck into the game for the first time just has to exercise their creative muscles and go for it. Sure there are a few limitations here and there, but a good Dungeon Master (DM) (even a new one) is going to find ways to make what YOU want to do, do-able. Or, as Matt Mercer would say, "you can certainly try".

In addition to that, the new edition of D&D especially is just as helpful to new DMs as it is to its players. The Dungeon Master's Guide, possibly the most un-read of the three different core books, gives you SO many different options for those looking to build adventures and it comes up with answers to a lot of questions that players are no doubt going to throw at you.

The Toolkit

This then leads me to another of the reasons why D&D still sits on the throne. Yes, there are a lot of other good role-playing games out there but very few of them have such a wealth of options AND the guides as to how to bring it all together. Everything from building encounters, traps, dungeons, monsters, races, classes and much more...all of it is there, and unlike some systems, they've generally tried to make it as easy as possible for you to add it into your games on the tabletop.

I've got a lot of game systems on the shelf and a lot of them can be very fun to play, but none of them are as 'off the shelf' fit to purpose as the newest edition of D&D. I can hear that my friends want to play a session next weekend, grab the various books and have an entire dungeon planned out in an evening without having to look up guides and player-built aids online.

For a new player coming to the tabletop, you need options like this to make it easy to get to the tabletop and your friends involved. Straight forward and no-nonsense has a use.

Welcome To...

One of the biggest steps in the right direction for the newest edition of D&D has been that they have looked back to the Forgotten Realms and the world of Faerun as their primary setting. This means that an immediately deep and rich world is ripe to be explored by not only new players when making their characters but also DMs who want to look at pre-made adventures. There's SO much to draw on and again, the range of options like Storm King's Thunder, Curse Of Strahd, The Rise Of Tiamat etc, all make it very easy to get stuck in without having to worry about getting the balance of a good story and a challenge right.

Similarly, however, D&D also provides you with the ways to create your own worlds very easily. We've already talked about that toolkit and what it offers, but once you've decided that you want to build your own world Wizards Of The Coast has managed to give you all the things you need to make that a reality.

A Classic Story

Beyond the mechanics, there's a sense of the classic about D&D. It's stories of good versus evil, heroes vanquishing monsters, claiming treasure and overcoming evil foes. People like their shades of grey nowadays, and there's always a good reason to bring those to the tabletop, but sometimes people just need a black and white struggle between valiant heroes and dastardly villains to help them escape. D&D offers that up alongside a plethora of options that make it easier than ever to try out pen & paper role-playing games.

Back To The Beginning

The big test for D&D is that if it simply so dominate because it was 'the first' then people would play it a few times and then drop it, moving on to other systems (there are lots of them out there, all giving you different ways to explore storytelling on the tabletop, and they're all great) but the simple fact of the matter is that...they don't. D&D offers them everything they need to tell great stories that satisfy mechanical focused players, storytellers, drama lovers and everything in between.

I'm under no illusions that there are systems out there which offer fantastic worlds to explore and new, innovative mechanics too, but D&D really does deserve its top spot.