Read to the bottom for a poll and a bevy of free reads.
Longtime readers know I’m a D&D aficionado from way back. Since I started this newsletter, the only things I’ve probably talked about more than D&D is Star Wars and Timothy Olyphant.1
There’s a real risk of getting too inside baseball with something like this. And the people interested in this episode probably at least have an idea of what D&D is, if they aren’t players themselves. I tried to walk a middle ground by keeping discussion of the game at a high level, and delving into specifics in more relatable areas.
And, as always, I tried to keep it fun.
This Episode Covers
Where does D&D fall on the scale of nerdy activities?
A super brief and probably slightly inaccurate history of D&D.
How the game is played.
What a Dungeon Master does (hint: it doesn’t involve whips or gimp suits).
What the other players do (hint: it typically involves derailing whatever the Dungeon Master’s plan is).
Dungeons & Dragons & Me
My favorite classes.
How I started during the era in which D&D got you beat up.
The legacy of D&D.
The 4 types of D&D players.
Further Reading & Related Stories
I have written about D&D. Like, a lot. Here’s a cornucopia of nerdish delights.
Paid Reads
The Absolutely True Story of How Dungeons & Dragons Saved My Life
This is a companion article to the podcast, going into a lot of detail about how and why I got into D&D. It’s deeply personal, and though I try to keep it light, the subject matter gets a bit heavy.
Free Reads
5 Things I Learned Running a Hex Crawl in Dungeons & Dragons
These 5 Takeaways From ‘The Hobbit’ Films Will Improve Your Dungeons & Dragons Game
Epilogue
If you’ve played D&D before, I’d love to hear about it!
I’m totally serious. Leave a comment!
Moneyball is creeping up these rankings.
50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons