Tabletop Roleplay Spotlight Review: Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons: The Go-To Heroic Adventure

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is the quintessential tabletop roleplaying game, and its 5th Edition is widely considered one of the best versions of the game, although there is plenty of debate amongst the veteran players. It’s an accessible entry point that balances narrative storytelling with a satisfying ruleset. In D&D, you are a hero on an epic quest, battling dragons, exploring forgotten tombs, and saving the world. It’s a game of heroic fantasy that invites collaboration and rewards clever thinking and character building.

The Mechanics: Simple to Learn, Masterful to Play

The core of D&D is its d20 system. When your character attempts an action with an uncertain outcome, you roll a 20-sided die and add a modifier to see if you succeed. Modifiers are based on your characters ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, etc.) and if they have proficiency with a certain skill. The games Dungeon Master (DM) then prescribes a difficulty rating (DC) to any dice roll that the player has to beat. The system's advantage and disadvantage mechanic - rolling two d20s and taking the higher or lower result - makes situational bonuses incredibly simple and elegant.

Character progression is tied to a character's class, allowing you to choose from iconic archetypes like the Wizard, Rogue, or Fighter, and unlock new abilities as you level up. Characters start at level 1 as beginner adventurers, battling Goblins that are attacking the local village and progress to level 20 were they could have unlocked near god-like powers and defending the world from destruction.

It's multiclass system allows the player to truly live out their unique fantasy characters; want to build a Battle Mage who uses close combat magic mixed with martial prowess? Well you can, and if you can not find it then you can work with your DM to create a custom Homebrew to make it happen.

Who is This Game For?

D&D 5e is ideal for new players and groups with a mix of experience levels. It offers a classic, structured heroic fantasy experience that’s easy to grasp. It's perfect for groups who enjoy a healthy balance of tactical combat, puzzle-solving, and roleplaying. If you've ever wanted to be the hero in a grand, cinematic story, D&D is the perfect place to start.

Being the most popular tabletop roleplay game on the market means that there is a wealth of additional materials out there outside of the core rulesets and publications from Wizard of the Coasts. This means that in Dungeons and Dragons you are never truly confined to the prescribed universe of Faerun, and can take your adventure into any fantasy universe.

Dungeons and Dragons has a very structured character progression system, meaning that it can be quite welcoming for newer players that need a lot more structure when first being introduced to the worlds of tabletop roleplay games. This is also a benefit to some veteran roleplayers that like to create extremely powerful characters with powerful combinations

Personal Thoughts

What I Like

Dungeons and Dragons has a special place in many people's hearts; for those that have been in the hobby for long enough will have played there fair share of adventures and campaigns. For me this means that it is very easy to run and write an adventure for Dungeons and Dragons, and very easy for me to teach newer players how to play.

The structured class system means that you can plan out your character progression a head of time, looking for unique combinations of skills and abilities that compliment how you want to play.

How I run it

I keep it classic, if I am running a game using Dungeons and Dragons then I run it with Dungeons and/or Dragons. Of all the systems that I run I like running modules in Dungeons and Dragons, giving more structure to the game and gives my players a little better idea of what to expect from the adventure. Out of the Abyss is one of my favourite modules to run, while a lot more open ended than other modules it has a clear setting and clear vibe that signals my players what to expect.

While the combat is great, the rules for social encounters and exploration can sometimes feel a bit light, meaning that I roleplay a lot in those moments. I also find that certain skills and characteristics can sometimes become highly situational, like Nature or Survival, can feel less useful depending on the type of campaign being run.

If any of that sounds like its your cup of tea then check out the adventures that I offer and book your adventure today.

Dungeons and Dragons Adventures