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In 1974, Tactical Studies Rules, Inc invented a game that changed lives, Dungeons & Dragons. The tabletop role-playing game allowed players to create characters and campaigns, immersing themselves in a fantasy world. Fans and players of DnD are devoted. They spend hours creating unique, magical characters and will spend days writing story campaigns. The game has expanded from its original version. People play with giant maps on their tables and miniature figures representing their characters. There are books devoted to DnD gameplay and different types of campaigns. The best thing, according to DnD players, is the fellowship it brings. DnD groups are like family, based on my research. They take care of each other, along with playing great campaigns.

DnD is not a fandom the author has explored personally. I decided the best way, and the most timely way, to explore this fandom was to ask players what they loved about DnD. Here are some of the responses:

“Oh gosh I can’t even begin. I’ll probably write more later, but for now, I’ll just say that D&D (and other RPGs) is a way to explore so many different subjects. Politics, history, religion, society, philosophy, acting, comedy, art, and even math. All of it comes together into an incredibly immersive and social game with a fantastic community.” -Vince

“I love playing it for a few reasons. It gives an excuse for a small group to regularly meet. It’s a writing exercise with a built in writing prompt, so it lets me be creative. I get to build and design something with the only potential negative consequences are that it didn’t end up as cool as I thought. It’s really low stress to play with how to put a thing together. It gives stories to tell, absolutely absurd ones, that come with a built in context for so many of my friends to already understand.

I get to experience someone else’s creativity in an immersive and ever-evolving way.” -John

“The social interactions. It gives you a portal into your buddies’ imaginations for an evening and also gives you an excuse to get out of your own head at the same time (which we could all desperately use sometimes).” – Matt

“It’s a creative experience you get to share with others. You get to build a version of that world together and take the story (more or less) where you want it to go. There’s also the artistic side of it where you can build set pieces to use on maps, paint the minis however you want… It’s an all around field day for the artsy folks.”- Laura

“I love DnD because it gives me a chance to hang out with friends and be creative. It allows me to flex my writing muscles as well as enjoying creatively reacting to situations and seeing how my friends try to solve problems. I love how it can be silly and joyful and also heartfelt.” -Dani

Dungeons and Dragons

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About the Author

Mandi is a would-be writer who enjoys nerdy things. She lives in Georgia but she wishes to live many other places as well. Just not anywhere with a zombie infestation. Thanks to books, games, and movies she can live many lives. She hopes she can share with you all her favorite nerd things.

Exploring Fandoms: Dungeons & Dragons

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