When you think of the word "nerd," what's the first thing that pops into your head? Pocket protectors? Braces? Most people today also think of an image of an overweight man-child eating potato chips in his parent's basement.

These, of course, are not accurate descriptions. The term "nerd" can be defined as "a single-minded expert in a particular technical field." Basically, someone who knows a lot about a specific subject. Usually these are fictional or non-practical things like anime, video games, or comic books. But a person can also be a nerd in just about anything, including engineering, music, cooking, teaching, or even juggling. But there is one thing that is immediately associated with the term "nerd". That, is the tabletop role-playing game: Dungeons and Dragons.

Dungeons and Dragons has been around since 1974 when Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson decided to create a game loosely based around a fantasy war in medieval times. It later was published by Wizards of the Coast, which is a sub-set to the popular board gaming icon Hasbro, in 1997. The game itself has gone through five different versions with version 5E being the most current. According to the Wikipedia article on Dungeons and Dragons, it "departs from traditional war-gaming and assigns each player a specific character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master serves as the game's referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur and playing the role of the inhabitants. The characters form a party that interacts with the setting's inhabitants (and each other). Together they solve dilemmas, engage in battles and gather treasure and knowledge.[4] In the process the characters earn experience points to become increasingly powerful over a series of sessions." As of 2004, the game has grown to become the best-known and best-selling role-playing game ever. Reaching over 20 million people and profiting over 1 million dollars in equipment. Considering that you don't need equipment to play the game, this number is very significant.

Unfortunately, as successful as it has become, many people still don't appreciate it.

Do you remember when you were little? When you still had a wild imagination and played pretend with your friends? You would go off and defeat monsters, become kings, and altogether have a great time. Even though it was fake, you still enjoyed yourself. Now, you have to admit, even as an adult you still wish you could break out that imagination and just have a ton of fun! Well, as you may have guessed, a certain game can provide you with such fun. That's right. At its core, Dungeons and Dragons appeals to anyone who wants to let their imagination run wild! Have you ever wanted to be a dwarf king who wields his mighty hammer at his foes to defeat them with brute strength? Or have you ever wanted to be a knight in shining armor rescuing the princess from an awful dragon? Or maybe a certain elf who has particularly good skills with a bow and arrow? Dungeons and Dragons is a game about the imagination, and how it inspires us to dream and reach new heights. In the game, you start out as a local with nothing more than a few swords and puny spells trying to solve peace in a local city. However, as you play, you get stronger, defeating foe after foe until eventually you become so powerful that you're fighting darkness itself! And you never do it alone! The entire time, you are with your friends, developing bonds that will never break, laughs that will never die, and friends you will never forget.

So yes! Roll that D20 and level up that wizard! Because your imagination, combined with your friends, will lead you to believe that Dungeons and Dragons isn't just a game for nerds, it's a game for you. When you think about it, they should change the name to make it more appealing. Something like...

Childhood Imagination: The Board Game

Or something like that...

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