Dungeons & Dragons

Tabletop RPG Fandom
Name:	Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Abbreviation(s):	D&D, AD&D
Author:	Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
Company:	TSR (1974-1997), Wizards of the Coast (1997-Present)
Date(s):	1974 (Original Dungeons & Dragons) 1977 (Basic Set 1st version) 1977 (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition) 1981 (Basic Set 2nd Edition) 1983 (Basic Set 3rd Edition) 1989 (AD&D 2nd Edition) 1991 (Rules Cyclopedia) 2000 (D&D 3rd Edition) 2003 (D&D 3.5) 2008 (Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition) 2014 (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition) 2024 (5th Edition Revised)
Medium:	Tabletop role-playing game
Genre:	Fantasy
Dice:	d4, d6's, d8's, d10's, d12's, and d20's
Sourcebooks:	OD&D Core Rulebook D&D Basic Set rulebook AD&D 1e Core Rulebook AD&D 2e Core Rulebook Rules Cyclopedia D&D 3.5 Players Handbook D&D 4e Players Handbook D&D 5e Players Handbook D&D 5e Revised
Official Site:	Wizards of the Coast Dungeons & Dragons page
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Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game in a Fantasy sword-and-sorcery setting, originally published by TSR in 1974. It was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997. It is currently in its fifth edition.

D&D is so prevalent that it is often used as a synonym to RPGs and TTRPGs in general.

Since 2015 and the release of Fifth Edition, Dungeons & Dragons has seen a rise in mainstream popularity due to actual play series such as Critical Role, ⁣Dimension 20 and The Adventure Zone, television series like Stranger Things, and video games like Baldur's Gate III.

Fanzines

Fanzines sprung up globally in response to the desires of individuals, clubs or publishers to put out the good word of fantasy role playing. Like Non-TSR items, these publications were not produced or necessarily approved by TSR. Also like Non-TSR, one can witness the creative energy of early role playing in its prime. These 'zines contain a treasure trove of information ranging from convention reports, published game reviews, new game mechanic alternatives and even reviews of other 'zines.

On the tail of Old School Renaissance has come another movement—the rise of the fanzine. Although the fanzine—a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon, got its start in Science Fiction fandom, in the gaming hobby it first started with Chess and Diplomacy fanzines before finding fertile ground in the roleplaying hobby in the 1970s. Here these amateurish publications allowed the hobby a public space for two things. First, they were somewhere that the hobby could voice opinions and ideas that lay outside those of a game’s publisher. Second, in the Golden Age of roleplaying when the Dungeon Masters were expected to create their own settings and adventures, they also provided a rough and ready source of support for the game of your choice. Many also served as vehicles for the fanzine editor’s house campaign and thus they showcased how another DM and group played said game. This would often change over time if a fanzine accepted submissions. Initially, fanzines were primarily dedicated to the big three RPGs of the 1970s—Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest, and Traveller—but fanzines have appeared dedicated to other RPGs since, some of which helped keep a game popular in the face of no official support.

• Anytime, Anywhere (multifandom, 2002)
• The Beholder
• Blackrider
• Demonsblood
• The Dungeoneer
• The Trap Manual (1979)
• Loviatar
• Dragon Lords (early 1980s)
• The Palantir (late 1970s)
• 1-20

Library groups

Many D&D groups met in libraries, especially school libraries. In the 80's, junior-high and high school gaming groups were common; most of these were D&D-based, with occasional experiments with other RPGs. Most groups had no formal club membership. Some had an established Game Master; others rotated that role between members. Library staff was generally supportive as long as the groups didn't get too loud. For many kids, this was their first introduction to non-age-segregated social groups.

Live-action

Some D&D groups tried live-action role-playing (not yet known as LARPing), with varying degrees of satisfaction. Some limited this to cosplay or development of conlangs associated with the game; others created elaborate "dungeons" in outdoor settings or buildings, sometimes in restricted-access areas. Some of these activities fed the anti-D&D hysteria that tied into the "satanic panic" of the late 80s/early 90s.

Mainstream backlash

Some parents and Christian conservatives feared that D&D was a gateway to the occult. The 1984 tract by Chick Publications, Dark Dungeons, implied that D&D groups were introductions to witchcraft, and that players whose characters died were likely to commit suicide. Many sensationalist news articles used any teen suicide where the child had played D&D to imply or claim that the game was the direct cause of death. This backlash convinced a lot of gamers that they were surrounded by idiots who couldn't tell the difference between game pieces (albeit textual game pieces) called "spells" and real supernatural abilities.

Treatment of Women in D&D

There are some D&D players who are not very accepting of women (and even minorities) in their favorite hobby.

Women have noticed exclusion in many fan bases that are traditionally deemed more “nerdy” by the general public. Because these fan bases are often predominantly male, many women feel under pressure to be a “perfect” player, lest they be criticized and accused of not knowing how the game works. While it’s not always so black and white, it’s easy to see the way women are often assumed to be “fake fans,” and are treated that way. It’s something that is far more common than it should be, and is something that honestly deterred me from gravitating towards fantasy games. However, this behavior doesn’t represent the fanbase in the slightest. The majority of people in the community, that I have experienced personally and online, have been accepting and ready for all kinds of inclusivity. So while this is not how most D&D players are, those that do take part in such behavior do cause an unfortunate ripple, and are important to be aware of.

• rape in d&d
• gatekeeping

Links

• http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=135593
• http://www.gamegrene.com/node/447
• http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20070706210005/http://www.tasteslikephoenix.com/articles/women.html

Racism in D&D

In the set up of D&D, certain races (orcs and drow in particular) have been defined as "evil races". As they were also the only races explicitly described as having darker colored skin, such definition was considered racist. When, during design o 5th edition of the rulebook, the company moved away from the idea of "evil races", some D&D fans argued that lack of pre-defined evil races would impact the conflict in D&D. Other fans cheered the change. Discourse appeared discussing whether or not "evil races" were in fact needed in D&D.

What people don't seem to understand is that:

No evil races ≠ No conflict

You can still construct corrupted nations, a convoluted history between forces that end up in xenophobic behavior among them. It isn't that we want uwu bean orcs, we don't want boring-ass dnd games

It's also fair to portray racism in your setting, create narratives and systems that allow for it to exist. The problem comes when it is in your campaign and you don't have a second thought about it and play it for laughs.

Also demons still exist to kill hordes of things

Meta and Further Reading

• Hand Drawn; archive link (topic is maps) (July 26, 2021)
• A Complete Timeline of Early D&D Scenarios I: 1971-1975 ; archive link (24 January 2022)