Don’t Knock it! — Dungeons and Dragons
“Don’t Knock it” is a series about living outside of your comfort zone.
Dungeons and Dragons may incite visions of acne-ridden nerds speaking in foreign tongues with Cheeto-dusted fingers; however something with such a cult following doesn’t actually have to be a cult. Like many popular video games, D&D is just one of various RPGs (role-playing games) where the goal is more focused on generating a narrative, than following a predestined, linear storyline. The main difference is that D&D is played in person, with real people, not computer generated artificial intelligence. The “dungeon master” or DM presents the narrative framework and enemies, but it is up to you and your party to improvise the specifics of the storyline and dialogue. A DM can make up a story themselves or use one of many pre-written narratives distributed by the greatest and nerdiest of fantasy writers. There are no handheld controllers here, just pencils, paper, dice and your miniature. Renowned DM, Chris Perkins has a very helpful introductory video on what D&D is all about.
You and your friends won’t be competing against each other; you will be working together as a “party” towards a common goal. Through the successful completion of quests, the players gain experience points and eventually levels, making the game a dynamic, living story. The DM may be giving life to your enemies, but the DM’s goal isn’t to squash the fun. They are there to pose the necessary resistance; enough to pose a threat, but not enough to literally kill the fun. The strong bonds you create with your party and DM will be fueled by your collective growth, in game and out. After mentally going through so much together, it would be hard not to cultivate real-life friendships. Think of them as another family, just one that plans to slays orcs rather than eat a sit-down meal; although eating together isn’t off limits.
Together you will be flexing your creative muscles by making up the script as you go along, often resulting in hilarious and interesting outcomes. Acting out the motives of your character gives you leeway to do and say anything. Best of all, you decide your character’s background story, skills, and motives. Creating and acting out your character’s flaws is encouraged! Use of creativity isn’t restricted to just the party, the DM dictates everything thrown at the party. The DM can create the dungeons using whatever medium they like. Penny Arcade’s Mike Krahulik went as far to create a multi-sphere landscape with different gravitational effects on each “planet.” Mike’s ingenuity forced his party to play by his unique physical rules, and conversely his party had to adopt a new mode of thinking. They eventually finished the encounter by fashioning a makeshift tether, so they could stay together and use the movement of the planets like a ski-rope on a speed boat. In D&D the possibilities are only restricted to your own imagination!
The best part is that the story never has to end! There’s comfort in knowing that every week you can all meet up, let loose, and embark on an adventure! Many gamers use this weekly escape as a form of therapy. It’s comparable to the benefits of reading a book! You become someone else; you take on their motives and thought processes as your own; you’re forced to step out of your own mind and build compassion for another’s moment to moment existence. You take on your character’s life as it it were an extension of your own. If you can learn to truly take on the life of Balrak, your level 3 swordmage, your everyday compassion will grow as well.
If you naturally have an insatiably hungry mind or you’re just wanting to try something new, your search for a new obsession may be over. As your character grows stronger, so will your friendships and connections with the other members of the party; your knack for creative thinking; and your social prowess in reality and fantasy. Once you enter another realm of thought, prepare yourself for a weekly new found sense of adventure, imagination and wonder. So lace up those dire boots, equip that greatsword, and prepare to venture outside of your comfort zone!
