Dungeons & Dragons turned 40 years old in January of this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Beholder… and focusing just on the films that star or in some way revolve around D&D.
I love Dungeons & Dragons. It was a big part of my life as a kid, it was one of the main ways I kept out of trouble as a teenager and despite not playing in years still holds great interest for me as an adult. I may not have had an active game in decades, but I still consider myself a D&D gamer. It’s the lens through which I view fantasy novels and films, and I still feel protective of the game and the way gamers are portrayed.
I was lucky to grow up in an open-minded, supportive town and school system that never fell in with the hysteria surrounding the supposed dangers of the game. I was even luckier to have two attentive, loving parents that not only weren’t swayed by the ridiculous claims that the game was dark, occult propaganda, but took the time to take an interest in what this thing was that my sister and I were so fascinated by. I remember a lot of miniatures under the Christmas tree in our house.
Games are important. Whether sports, board games, card games, tabletop role-playing games (RPGs), live action role-play (LARP), fantasy football, dice, or playing cops and robbers in the backyard, games are arguably human-kinds greatest pastime. Whether for diversion, entertainment or profession, engaging in games develops vital skills and abilities for life.
Many learned people more erudite than I can and have written pieces on how vital role-play is in the development of imagination, confidence, identity, strategic thinking, and emotional growth. I’ll just say that I consider RPGs in general and Dungeons & Dragons in specific fantastic tools in developing creative and interesting members of our society, regardless of how they experience or participate in the games.
But whether LARPing or sitting around a table, there’s something truly special about the human interaction that really is the root of all of these experiences. I am an avowed tech geek and have long wished for the creation of a great technological system for enabling people to belly up to a digital table and really recreate that experience. (There’s lots of workarounds and tools, but I have yet to see something that really works seamlessly and feels like a suitable replacement for meeting in my friend John’s basement with a group of friends.) But whether you’re in the same room or on different corners of the Earth, all that matters is the human connection.
It’s just a ton of fun. Play Pathfinder or Candyland. Just play…
