Comments on: Why do you Play Dungeons and Dragons?

By: Voidshard

Voidshard — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:32:06 +0000

Why do I play? Well…I dont see how one can quit. Every single game you play after a few Dungeons and Dragons games is kind of annoying.
People find it almost impossible to comprehend that one can actually play any kind of game without a computer.

I mean, playing computer games is good fun – the computer does the work for you (sometimes thats great and the price is worth it). However, always, eventually, something will happen – some problem will be presented to me the player, and I will think of a logical solution. Only, that doesn’t work in computer games. You can only get what the designers put in the software and no more, you can only do what the designer thought of and nothing else.

To bad if you can see an obvious fix to the problem. To bad if you didn’t want to be forced in to the situation you are in the game. To bad if you would never have said such a line in such a situation. Thats what the designer wrote.

Dungeons and Dragons has no such limits – eventually, your character can do anything, with a little luck (and a DM that doesn’t automatically say no to everything). If you reach a problem you don’t have to think “how does the designer expect me to solve this?” only, “how do I solve this?” or perhaps “should I even bother solving this?”. Its a game where you can as easily join the enemy as fight them, as sooner go through a door as nail it shut, as sooner walk down a street as bend it around you. There is no reason you can’t simply walk to those mountains, burn down that house, start a merchant guild, pick a fight, save the populace, build a new temple or study necromancy if you so desire.

If anyone comes up with another game where you can do all that at will and anything else you want to with the (character) time and training, maybe I would play that instead. Somehow, I doubt that will become an issue.

By: just your average DM

just your average DM — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:05:41 +0000

I’d say that in my recent (very short) amount of time using my friend as a practice player for DMing I’ve come to love Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve played a few games as well that I wasn’t the DM except the first time I did it was HORRIBLE (due to having a perverted DM and one that wasn’t serious, also didn’t know any of the rules) at first I figured he did then I kind saw how much he ACTUALLY knew and realized that he wasn’t a good DM. But the reason I like playing Dungeons & Dragons is for the pure fact that you can play some one else for a change, slaughter some goblins to get rid of any stress you have accumulated today. But also for the fact that it has the FREEDOM most games don’t (video games I mean).I think there is absolutely NO GAME OUT THERE, than can compete and win with old school Dungeons & Dragons just because you have the ability to do what you want to do …

By: dungeon_master_cerny

dungeon_master_cerny — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:23:12 +0000

I’m a CS teacher, and sometimes after being messed with by the football coaches it helps me release by watching my fellow allies slay a few orcs in the world I created.

By: Hereward

Hereward — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:57:28 +0000

I’ve been playing a long time, 31 years with short breaks.I can always remember my first game and the feeling of excitement I got even rolling my first few dice and generating “Phineus” my magic user.(I dont remember the face of the first woman I slept with with the same clarity).Even the collection of odd shaped dice excited me when I opened the box, like rare gems from far flung places.
I have mostly been a DM over the years,about 70/30, so it has always been a creative outlet. When I’m not the DM I love the role play and the sense of danger and adventure (which is always a good thing in the safe and sterile western world).
I have long standing friends who started out as fellow D & D players ,but now have been steady friends for almost 30 years in some cases whom I socialise with outside the game (although the conversation always turns to D & D at some point).
I have always had friends outside the game but the bond I have with fellow players is stronger, possibly through the illusory adversity we have faced together in the game (I don’t know for certain, just a thought).
I have been entertained, frustrated, challenged, rewarded and ultimately captivated by this game.Give it up ? Never!
One huge advantage of the game is that it doesn’t require any particular physical prowess to play so why not keep playing when you are 90 years old ?

By: trevor

trevor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:45:53 +0000

I play to get my mind off of stressful things like school or work. Its like that little trap door to wherever i feel like being. I feel that me and my friends should do more than just sit talking about what we did in Warcraft last night or what was so exiting on Tv. Its addictng and i feel you should pull out those dice and find some club and start feeling the fun. Hope you play =)

By: zorpal

zorpal — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:40:20 +0000

a thief who wants to be thor the shame of it all
should have been a barbarian.

By: zorpal

zorpal — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:37:26 +0000

my bad thunder bolts

By: zorpal

zorpal — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:36:02 +0000

overcoming obsticals,the best one is what around
the next corner. if you have one goal per player.
mine was get to 11th level (shadizar). find,get,
steal,beg,kill,wish for hammer of thuder bolts
(zorpal) has a thor complex.

By: Sue London

Sue London — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:09:42 +0000

No, I’m sure that inferring both Dr. Demento and the Catholic Church in one brief thought could never be considered profane… My only regret is that I didn’t think to do it myself.

I don’t know about you, but I can totally hear a Cardinal rustling around the kitchen in the Vatican saying, “If there are any girls there I want to DO them!”

(My apologies to all my Catholic friends. But you have to admit that’s funny.)

By: The DM

The DM — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:42:04 +0000

@ Sue – heh heh heh… we’ve graduate to full-fledged nachos and queso dip here…

You’re right about “the tribe.” There are some other religious and civic organizations that have similar practices. Without trying to be profane, our doritos wind up being our communion wafers, and Mountain Dew our wine.

The DMs last blog post..How To Kill Your D&D Game Without Really Trying