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Think about the last time you imagined yourself as another person. How far did you go and how different were you? If you were a wizard at Hogwarts, what wand do you have, what is your patronus, what house are you in or what is your area of study? If you have gotten that far, congratulations! You are almost fully equipped to play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).  

D&D tends to use a lot of unique terminology and language; a normal die is called a D6, a four-sided die is called a D4, a coin is called a D2 and so on. The famous Tabletop Roleplay Game (TTRPG) D&D follows a D20 system. A TTRPG is, “a game played around a table or online in which a group of people create and play the part of characters in a story that develops as the game is played” (according to Cambridge Dictionary).  

To play D&D all you need is a rulebook like the Player’s Handbook, character sheets, a Dungeon Master, a group of friends to play with and a set of dice.  

“Dungeon Master play every other character in the entire universe who are not players, they run all the mechanical aspects of it, they build the storyline, they build the encounters [and] they build the villains,” Dr. Thomas Lecaque said, a history professor at Grand View University who has been playing D&D for 25 years.  

The Dungeon Master crafts the entire story; they bring an idea to life. Lecaque has been a Dungeon Master for most of the time that he has played D&D. He comes up with a world and creates it. He writes non-player characters (NPCs), villains and their personalities. The story can take place at any time and be anything. There are different rulebooks for different kinds of worlds you want to do. For example, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Cyberpunk.  

“The players only control themselves. And they’re supposed to fully embody the character they’re playing,” Lecaque said. “You’re supposed to play the character. They’re acting.”  

The players who act as their characters are the second main part to the game. Players make their character based on a bunch of classes and races, for example, a bard elf or an assassin human. You navigate the world that the Dungeon Master builds for you and you make choices. 

So, what is the goal of D&D? Have fun. Hang out with friends. Some people might think that the goal is to get to the end of the campaign, but the goal is fun. There are different types of campaigns like homebrews and one-shots.  

“A homebrew is any universe outside the normal realms of Dungeons and Dragons,” Jared Story said. 

Story is a game design student at GVU and has been playing for six years now. He has only played in homebrews and has never played an in-person session. Online campaigns have become increasingly popular lately as people across the world can play together. Online D&D does not take away any of the core reasons to play. Story gets to interact with his friends, create memories and see his character progress; the same fulfillment that a player will get from an in-person campaign.  

A one-shot is an adventure that you can start and finish all in one sitting. Some have characters made for you and some require you to build a character similarly to a full campaign. One-shots are a good way to get a taste of D&D. There are pre-written ones available online both for free and for purchase. It is a low time commitment and easy to do. If you end up not liking it, you can try another one—a good way to see what you like and do not like about D&D.  

Participating in a one-shot is often how people are introduced into D&D. GVU junior Monica Cunningham played for the first time last semester because her friend had to run a one-shot for a class assignment. Then in January, her online friends asked if they wanted to join in on a homebrew D&D campaign. 

“I’m like, why not? Just a warning, I don’t know anything about D&D. I’ve just heard of it,” said Cunningham. 

Some people in her group have played before, and others have not. Her online friends often host hangouts and game nights to bond and participate in fun activities together, and D&D was an easy way to accomplish both of those things at the same time.  

Ranging from new player to the lifetime player, each person in extremely different campaigns and positions have one thing in common—they play D&D to make memories and have fun.   

 “Try it out, it’s lovely. I love D&D,” Lecaque said.

Interested in dipping your toes into D&D? Dungeons Gate in Ankeny runs D&D games on the weekends you can sign up for in advance. Walk in and let them know you are wanting to try it out!