Dear Alien,
I understand that you find our planet strange, and these tabletop RPG games we play even stranger. Please let me explain to you as if you didn’t understand people at all, why we love this thing called D&D so damn much.
Humans Crave Connection
Humans are biologically, physiologically programmed for social connection with other people. This is why it feels so devastating to feel isolated, disconnected, or shunned. Authors, researchers, preachers and teachers alike have studied and written scores on this topic. We will not try to further prove that point, but instead to keep it in mind when we think about D&D in our lives.
In a tabletop RPG like D&D, we experience a game format like none other. The nature of the story itself is driven primarily by the collaborative, imaginative spark that is shared with others. It is a shared experience, folks. Can’t be D&D without it.
Humans Crave Expression
Also, many of us in our adult lives stop doing things that are just creative. That are not aimed at an agenda or milestone, but simply done to express, and to play. There’s a part of us that we get back in touch with when we create, when we play. That is… to participate in an expressive or creative activity simply for the joy of it.
Our adult lives are often devoid of these things…. Of play and of creativity and expression, and a sense of us. Of togetherness… of a shared goal and of comradery… and of being known and belonging to a group.
D&D Offers Us a Very Fun Avenue to Connect and Collaborate With Others and Express Ourselves
It’s because our lives can be so devoid of these core human needs, expression and connection with others, and that D&D is really a hobby unlike any other that really is a perfect conduit for these experiences. People tend to find it, get a taste of it and want to jump feet first into getting more and more of it into their life. D&D gives us a shared goal, a sense of togetherness, and the ability to really express and be seen for what’s being created inside, expressed outside, in a novel, and fun way.
This is not to say that you need to have some kind of social hole in your life, or not have done a piece of art since you finger painted in Mrs. Stroop’s 2nd-grade class. This is to say, that we love games in general, and this particular game is the very best one at interweaving some really fundamental parts of what we crave in our lives.
So, Mr. Alien, if you’re someone who has not yet jumped into creating a collaborative story in a D&D game with others, and your heart and needs are like us humans, jump in. Our blog has got articles on getting started to play D&D, and a great place to start could be our discord community to find like-minded people to game with. But we don’t want to make this a commercial for just our stuff, there are so many great D&D communities at your fingertips. Try ours and if it’s not your cup of tea, then find another that is. Jump in and experience it.
The challenge with jumping in and experiencing it as someone new is that learning the game can be very difficult if you haven’t yet found “your people.” Your other D&D geeks who will walk the journey with you, nat 20’s, critical failures, noob learning curves, and amazing shenanigans. Trying to learn D&D new, with other people that are new, is like trying to start a fire, cold, with flint and steel. It’s possible, but it takes a lot of effort and some skill and stick-to-it-iveness. Getting a great game experience by connecting people that already are around the campfire, with other geeks like us, is far more easy, accessible, and gets a fire going way faster. Find your people, jump in, and spread the joy.
Thank You D&D
I love this game (and other tabletop RPGs) for the expression that it allows like no other, for the collaborative storytelling that cannot be found elsewhere, and for giving me a setting that allows me to forge friendships that carry on beyond the dice and minis.
Thank you D&D for being a part of my life, and thank you, Alien, for listening.