So, what is it?
Dungeons and Dragons (DnD/D&D) is what is known as a Table Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG). I describe it as collaborative storytelling: The DM (Dungeon Master, that’s me) and the party working together to create memorable characters and weave an amazing tale. The DM creates the parameters of the story and guides the players through various plot points over multiple sessions until the story concludes.
How do you play?
Though the game is heavily based in role play and world building, there are some rules to follow. For example, how your character performs certain skills and how they operate in combat. To determine these outcomes, each player will create a character sheet with all of their character’s stats on it, and they roll dice to determine how well (or how badly!) they do at each task. Your characters will also level up as they gain more experience (it goes up to level 20) and I may even throw in special items for your characters as well, increasing your character’s skills and abilities as we play. It sounds complicated, but honestly after a few sessions you’ll know your character well enough that it will feel like second nature.
What characters can I play?
In DnD you create your character as a person of a particular species and with a specific class (their profession). DnD has 10 key character species to choose from:
- Dwarves
- Half-orcs
- Elves
- Halflings
- Humans
- Dragonborn
- Gnomes
- Half-elves
- Tieflings
If you wanted to get weirder, there are actually almost 200 playable species within the DnD universe, so if none of these speak to you there are plenty of options! You can have a look at all the species, including the main 10, here.
In terms of your player class, which is what particular ‘job’ your character has, there are 13 classes available:
- Barbarian
- Paladin
- Fighter
- Wizard
- Sorcerer
- Ranger
- Warlock
- Druid
- Artificer
- Monk
- Cleric
- Rogue
- Bard
But, much like the species options, there are over 100 subclasses that can be added to these main roles, plus you can multiclass (e.g. Be a wizard but take a couple of levels of rogue) allowing you to customise your character and their skills even further. You can read more about classes and their typical subclasses here.
Do I have do dress up or do a voice?
Some people find cosplaying helps them get into character, some just find having particular accessories like a spell book or staff fun, but there’s no obligation for anyone to do this. In terms of character voices, I would encourage you to create a character ‘voice’ that is different to your own, but this doesn’t have to be a crazy accent or wild pitch changes. It can be as simple as changing up some of the words you use, elongating your vowels, or switching up sentence structure. Finding your character’s ‘voice’ can take time, and I encourage you to experiment and, ultimately, do whatever feels comfortable for you.
How long is the game?
Each session of Dungeons and Dragons takes between 3-4 hours, but the overall story can be as long or as short as you want it to be. We can do anything as short as one session (often called a “one shot”), a story over a couple of months, or one that lasts years. My longest campaign so far just celebrated their two year anniversary! The beauty of the game is that we can customise it to whatever you like and, once a story is over, there’s nothing stopping you and your party from taking those same characters into another story if you want to carry on their adventure.
What kind of stories are they?
We can play whatever kind of story you and your party want. It can be horror, fantasy, sci-fi – the DnD universe is absolutely massive. I’m here to facilitate whatever story and characters you wish to explore!
What about player safety?
Before any gaming sessions take place, I run something called a Session Zero. This is where we talk about the kind of story you want to tell, what kind of characters your party want to play, and h0w long you want the campaign to be. In this session we will also discuss potentially difficult or triggering topics, and there will be an opportunity for you and your party to veto certain topics or experiences from being included in the story. That way, there are no nasty surprises and everyone can enjoy the story safely.