This week: Dungeons & Dragons Edited by: Jeff  
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"Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality.
It's a way of understanding it."
— Lloyd Alexander
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm your guest editor for this issue of the official Fantasy Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site in that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly or submit feedback in the comment box at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Dungeons & Dragons
When I was in middle school, a group of friends first introduced me to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). An older brother of theirs wanted to run a game of Dungeons & Dragons and needed players, so he enlisted us to play along. At the time, it was a niche hobby; this was the mid-1990s shortly after the "Satanic panic" of the 1980s, and it still wasn't a very mainstream hobby. Game groups were mostly formed like mine, where you had one or two people who wanted to play (or had played before), and they convinced a bunch of their friends to play along.
There was a brief resurgence of TTRPGs in the early 2000-2010s when it was discovered that some popular (and decidedly un-nerdy) celebrities like Vin Diesel and Joe Manganiello actually played, and in the past five years there's been a huge resurgence of tabletop roleplaying thanks to two things:
1. The advent of technology like Roll20 and D&D Beyond which allow remote play.
2. The increasing popularity of "actual-play" shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20.
I think its popularity was also helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a time when a lot of us were looking for ways to build community with others while staying safe. Some of us learned how to bake sourdough, some of us got hooked on TikTok, and some of us rediscovered our love for a game that allows you to build and tell a story together with a group of friends.
So what is a tabletop roleplaying game anyway?
Although Dungeons & Dragons is - by far - the most well-known and popular games in the genre, it actually what's called a proprietary eponym, which is a brand name or trademark that has come into general use for an entire group of products or items, regardless of the presence of other brands in the space. For example, the same way we say, "I need a Kleenex" (when we really mean, "I need a tissue"), or "You should Google that" (rather than, "You should use an online search engine to look that up"), or "Can we have some Jell-O?" (rather than, "Can we have some flavored gelatin?"). Similarly, people outside the gaming space might ask if you're playing D&D (or assume you mean D&D even if you say "tabletop roleplaying game") even if you're actually playing Fate, Pathfinder, Rifts, Shadowrun, Daggerheart, etc.
A tabletop roleplaying game is a type of collaborative game run by a Game Master (GM) - also called a Dungeon Master (DM) for Dungeons & Dragons - who runs the game for his or her players. Each player controls a character they've created, and there are rulebooks and rolled dice that determine what each player can do. Players can be magic-wielding wizards, combat-savvy fighters, sneaky or conniving rogues, and a whole bunch of other character occupations (called classes). The player can also choose a fantasy species to play; everything from the standard elves and dwarves and halflings and gnomes, to some really unique creatures.
Why am I talking about all of this?
Because TTRPGs (and specifically Dungeons & Dragons for the fantasy genre) has been one of the single greatest contributors to my skills as a writer. Especially as a GM/DM, you have to constantly come up with adventurers for your players to undertake, which often requires you to develop settings and characters, converse with the players using dialogue, and figure out how to carry a storyline across several game sessions to create a story arc. You're literally using all of the skills that a writer needs in order to tell compelling narratives... with the added challenge of trying to do it in a live setting where the characters in the story can surprise you with the way the players unexpectedly respond to a challenge you present to them.
These days, it's easier than ever to find a TTRPG group. Online communities like Roll20 and D&D Beyond (referenced above) allow you to play remotely with anyone anywhere in the world. And social media has connected us in ways that allow you to find local groups easier than ever before.
If you find yourself looking to develop your skills as a writer, consider giving TTRPGs a try. They're a great way to keep you learning and evolving as a storyteller.
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy Things" | "Blogocentric Formulations"
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This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:
You are also invited to check out these items from members of the community:
|  | Spellbound Heart (13+)
A man forces love with magic, but it feels hollow. Learning love can't be forced.
#2335543 by rebby  |
| | | CIC Inc. (E)
A scandal in a major tech company leads to some unintended consequences.
#2335708 by PCGuyIV |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Feedback from "Fantasy Newsletter (September 11, 2024)" about world-building as procrastination:
Nice word salad. Yes, worldbuilding is addictive. It's great therapy for those of us who don't have egos requiring that we put out name out there for all to praise. (Most writers don't, but some can't help themselves.)
I have a sci-tech background, and worked in the shadows for years ("silent warrior"), so don't go running around proclaiming, "I just invented a new way to melt a planet," or, "This is how to design a neural network for a starship."
I'm part Indigenous American. If you find a christian white boy in one of my writings, they're probably being executed for slavery or genocide of an Indigenous People somewhere in spacetime. That's satisfying, by the way, because I also study history, and know what "god's chosen" did to the so-called savages who refused to let the whites steal timber, gems and metals, and furs, from the Great Spirit's care. Today, there're laws protecting what's left, and The People.
That's part of my therapy. Keeps me out of prison, presentable to humanity. WdC helps in my rehumanization.
But only a veteran or their close family would understand.
— oldgreywolf on wheels
Thanks for including my first attempt at a Unicorn and Bunny story.
— dragonwoman 
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Fantasy: February 26, 2025 Issue [#13009]
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