Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D for short, has been a big part of the gaming scene since its first publication in 1974! Although it has now been picked up by Wizards of the Coast, it was originally created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

It wasn’t a completely original idea, it had derived from other miniature games, primarily the 1971 game Chainmail that served as the initial base of the rule system… However we’re not here to give you a history lesson, we’re here to persuade you give this fantastic game a try if you haven’t already.

Dungeons and Dragons is an awesome tabletop role-playing game (abbreviated to RPG) where you create a character and go on adventures with fellow party members, solving problems, fighting mighty beasts and most importantly, rolling natural 20s!

The aim of D&D is… Well, to have fun first and foremost! Campaigns can last from one session to years so having fun and enjoying the company you’re with is a must! But if you truly want a definitive that will depend on the type of campaign you’re playing, if you’re using a pre-made story there’s usually an end or winning point. However if you’re with a Dungeon Master (DM) that has created an in-depth world filled with lore, well, that’s probably going to take a while, so be sure to savour all the small victories and work put in by the creator!

So we know that having fun is important and that D&D will take time but what makes game so special to so many people? We would say it’s the fantastic character creation, making a character you love and want to be in that would, but honestly? It’s different for everyone! Some people love the exploration and creation, some love the miniatures, some love the feeling of playing someone else and relieving stress, some love the idea of glory and some just love the social aspects D&D can provide. What’s even better if you don’t like the fantasy genre there are hundreds of specially made rule sets (called homebrew) online for all sorts of genres from sci-fi to steampunk so there’s always something for someone!

Interested in trying out D&D? Come down to one of our weekly D&D clubs either by yourself or with friends, to meet the people that run various groups or even to learn how to run games yourself!