#16 - In Praise of DND

I had a debate with a fellow player recently. It all started when I requested joining his new DND game. My pal was happy enough to accept me, but he did raise a concern, "I thought you didn't like Dungeons and Dragons."

Well, its complicated.

But I didn't back out of my offer to join the game, I wanted to participate. On that day, as I will today, I offer my single greatest praise of DND. The game is robust!

When I say robust I think of my High School statistics class. I think of sample sizes, and the more data you can get for your question the stronger an answer you will have. This is what it means to be robust; strength in numbers.

This is an understated part of what makes DND a great game. The people I know who love it, compliment its variety and the opportunity for creativity. How much room there is to play around within that system. Why wouldn't there be room to play around? the game has existed for 40+ years! The community is millions strong. There is a continuity from one group of players to another. Even if the campaigns hold no similarity in settings, or evil-doers, the players will likely make similar characters. Their spells and equipment will be familiar from one hobby center to next hang-out. There is a symmetry from one game to the hundredth game - even after decades!

DND is like a stock or broth. The flavor that it brings to your stews, sauces, and dishes is so strong that it allows every chef to experiment and personalize it to their taste.

Ravenloft makes a perfect example of this strong flavor. Ravenloft as a module or setting blends two different types of adventures into a fantastic mixture. That quest to slay Strahd is unmistakably Gothic, while at the same time a bold sword and sorcery tale! A perfect crawler and horror mixture.

This robustness of DND, the long history, makes it one of the greatest games of all time.

So yeah, I want to play.