In a world of dark, depressing politics and war, we often get influenced by the climate and become depressed and dark ourselves. In times like this, one should look for a way to break away from this world's influence and become someone else. The world of fantasy and adventure is often visited for this exact reason. While the world of elves and dwarves, before the time of man, cannot be physically visited by us. In place of that, we have Dungeons & Dragons, a massively popular Role Playing Game where you design your own character and explore and live in a fantasy world for you and your friends. If you are interested in this pen and paper RPG, there are a few things you should know before you go and buy a starter kit.
1. Dungeons & Dragons takes a LONG TIME to play
For an average session, players and their Dungeon Master will spend on average 3 to 5 hours in a single setting. This may seem daunting, but the time flies as everyone fully immerses themselves in a world of their choosing. When playing, everyone will describe what they want to do, and the Dungeon Master will ask them to roll specific dice in order to accomplish their task, and the roll will determine the result of their action. For every player to get their say, roll their dice, and have the results determined, this can take an extremely long time to accomplish. This is even forgoing combat, which includes three different stages for each turn, so a 5 minute combat in character could take 3 hours itself.
2. You are going to need a group of 3-7 people to play.
For Dungeons & Dragons, you are going to need a team in order to play, as there are several roles that need to be fulfilled. The Dungeon Master is the most important of all these roles, as they control the rest of the world and the adventure that the players go on. They are the pivotal role in the group, as they create the reasons for their adventuring and their motivations. The players make their characters, and they all fall into different classes and roles in order to make themselves unique for the group. One person might play a paladin, a holy knight who uses the light to smite evil, while another might play a roguish assassin. The characters will interact with the DM's world, creating an immersive experience where one will become their class and race in order to fully enjoy the game.
3. Do what you want...with reason.
One of the appeals of Dungeons & Dragons is that you have the freedom of choice. You can choose whether or not you will help the little girl stuck in the well, or you can choose to bargain with the dragon, or even try to seduce the dragon. The world of D&D is one of freedom of choice, but with reason. Someone could abuse this freedom and do horrendous things that make the experience not fun for everyone else. This is where the DM should step in, but it is up to the player to keep themselves in check. Going to far can work in certain situations, but certainly not in every situation.
In the end, Dungeons & Dragons is an amazing experience that I believe everyone should try at least once, just for kicks! I hope this helps you start your Dungeons & Dragons adventure, and hopefully I inspired you to try it!
