Dungeons and Dragons Isn’t Just For Nerds Anymore

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When you think of Dungeons and Dragons what do you think of? Do you think of a group of people in a dark room around a table, rolling dice and playing with fantasy settings?  Well, the actual culture around dungeons and Dragons is very different than what the stereotypical image may actually be.

In the past, D&D was seen as something that only nerds would play. In media, it was portrayed as something that people with acne and big glasses would nerd out about with all the numbers and Dragons. To some extent, in the past, that may have been the case but it is not the case anymore.

In today’s day and age, for a lot of groups of friends and fans around the world, it has replaced the Tuesday or Saturday night out. It’s a way for friends to meet weekly at a house and play games with each other instead of going out to bars or nightclubs and spending lots of money on drinks and experiences that they will either regret or forget.

D&D has also turned into a spectator spectacle. There have been many successful campaigns that have been run on sites such as YouTube and twitch where people will pay to watch these campaigns played by personalities and get enjoyment out of them, similar to how people will watch video games or sports on TV.

Some examples of these shows are channels like Critical Role, or dimension 20. These channels have had many videos that last hours upon hours be viewed millions of times by people around the world, and have even gone on tours around the world as well. No longer is it a game played by people that are afraid to go outside, or leave their parents basements, but instead played by people all around the world.

It also isn’t limited to the fantasy setting that has been typical of D&D in the past. There have been multiple different scenarios that have released over the years set in different settings, such as the far future or dystopian present day settings. It is evolved from the stereotypical Knights in shining armor slaying Dragons to people running around with cybernetic enhancements and laser guns.

I would say it’s fair to drop the stereotype of D&D only being for nerds, but instead being something for everyone to play together and get enjoyment out of. To experience something new and go on adventures with your friends that doesn’t involve playing video games or going out to bars or restaurants.

Give it a try, see if you like it, and who knows. You may even find the new pastime for your friend group that helps you both save money and experience something new.