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View Full Version : Why do you play D&D?



Orak
2007-05-21, 07:31 PM
Personally I play D&D to hang out with friends, eat lots of greasy food and drink caffienated beverages. We tell lame jokes, talk about the weeks events and even play a bit of D&D. The company of good friends is what Dungeons and Dragons is to me.

I try to make each campaign memorable with my choice of character. This time happens to be an Elven Bard. I have picked out theme music that plays every time he strums up one of his bardic songs (Eye of the Tiger by Bon Jovi is the song for Inspire Courage). I like a light and fun game, some times we triumph and sometimes we get smeared but everyone goes home happy. Dungeons and Dragons is about having a good time.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-05-21, 07:53 PM
My reasons are nearly identical to yours. But I also play because it's the one thing I find that still really makes me satisfied with my weekends. When I don't play D&D whenever I visit friends, I just feel like it was at least a little bit wasted. Come to think of it, that's kind of sad... I need a life.

Dhavaer
2007-05-21, 07:57 PM
Because it's the least frustrating way for me to indulge my creative impulses.

lacesmcawesome
2007-05-21, 08:02 PM
to express my creativity, hang out with friends, and because I LOVE getting immersed in this imaginary world.

the_tick_rules
2007-05-21, 08:02 PM
cause it's fun, and the real world can suck.

ocato
2007-05-21, 08:03 PM
So far it's the only setting where 'learn an instrument, chicks dig musicians' has actually worked with any success?

That's a joke there. I play for the friendship, the fun, the free mountain dew, and the long-running jokes about spiders laying eggs in your small intestine.

Fun!

OzymandiasVolt
2007-05-21, 08:06 PM
It's an extremely fun and flexible creative outlet.

Ranis
2007-05-21, 08:06 PM
I pride myself in writing stories. D&D lets me do that and hang out with friends at the same time.

dyslexicfaser
2007-05-21, 08:12 PM
Because if I rolled up with a group of friends and put the torch to some random town in real life, there would be consequences.

DnD? Conscience-free. No matter what the paladins say.

Raum
2007-05-21, 08:13 PM
Why do I play? For fun & relaxation of course. Though some days I think older systems were more fun. Nostalgia.


Eye of the Tiger by Bon JoviDid Bon Jovi remake the song? I probably still have it some where...in one of the 80s collections if not on the original Survivor CD.

Counterpower
2007-05-21, 08:17 PM
I play D&D for the world I can create. The stories I can tell. And the comic relief from my insane, deeply perverted D&D group.

dragonwings
2007-05-21, 08:18 PM
Only in D&D can I glare evilly at my buddy and blast the ever-lovin' crud out of him with an eldritch spear.

Thank heavens for "friendly" arena competitions. :smallbiggrin:

Actually, like most, I like the creative outlet.

Zincorium
2007-05-21, 09:16 PM
1. It's the only social activity I've found where I can go, hang out with other people, and not be bored.

2. A lot more freedom than any video or board game combined with more spontaneity and external input than writing, with the fun of both.

3. It's an accepted outlet for pretending you are something you aren't, such as an elf or gnome.

SpiderKoopa
2007-05-21, 09:35 PM
Because d&d is the only game where I can go from animating a legion of undead, to unleashing a wave of arcane might, to shamanistically following the will of Anubis (we use his 1st ed alignment of lg), to slicing of heads with a vorpal sword of holding.
Oh yeah, hanging out with friends and being creative is cool too. :smallbiggrin:

Vazzaroth
2007-05-21, 10:29 PM
Tabletop: All of the above, hanging out and drinking Mountin Dew.

Play-by-post: An amazingly nerd-tastic outlet for my hardcore RPing that surpasses the other DnD players in my area. Also, the leveling up is satisfying. That's about why I like RPGs more than any other genre. The leveling.

Vaniel
2007-05-21, 10:32 PM
What else is there to do?

...

:D

de-trick
2007-05-21, 11:24 PM
have a world changing event that million dies, drinking some dwarfen ale, have some troll weed, burn down the town all in the comfort of my friends basement

Lord_Kimboat
2007-05-21, 11:51 PM
I've been playing a long time - more than 20 years now. I find that if I don't get my fix I start to feel cranky and unpleasant. So I guess it is a little addictive although I'm not a power gamer really at all.

To me, it's the story that matters. A creative process where I can create a being that, while not terribly realistic, is at least believable and consistent with the world that he she is in - using nothing more than my imagination and a few reference books. My characters have pasts, aspirations, desires and give me the opportunity to see things from their point of view. Something that actually helps me in real life.

If I'm running a game I have a whole world I can create! History, cosmology, theology are all up to me to create - it also gives me organizational skills, lets me know about deadlines as well as letting me express my social and presentation skills.

Basically, I play D&D for the fun and the expansion of my mind.

I_Got_This_Name
2007-05-21, 11:51 PM
I like to design things, characters, worlds, etc. Nowhere else can I design an entire functioning world and not have to write a detailed story for it.

The company of friends (sometimes; some of my group members aren't worth hanging with for anything else).

The thrill of seeing a good build fall into place; of seeing that one crucial spell turn the tide of the battle; of planning something and seeing it work.

RaistlinandPals
2007-05-21, 11:55 PM
1. Because I can light things on fire to actually solve problems without legal consequence.

2. I can die and come back to life

3. I can piss of friends to the point that they would try to kill me (in game) and laugh about it on the way home.

4. Wholesome family values...and the joy of defeating your enemies.

LotharBot
2007-05-22, 12:23 AM
A friend of mine once described a set of things people normally want from games:

Relaxation -- basically, unwinding, doing something pleasing but not strenuous. This is the sort of enjoyment you can get from a movie.
Challenges -- facing down tough challenges. Stretching your mind or body to its limits, as in many competitive games.
Variety -- adventures, puzzles, new environments.
Social interaction -- basically, interacting with others.

D&D is one of the few games (or, rather, RPG's are one of the few genres) I can think of that gives you all four. Building a character and killing a bunch of mooks is relaxation. The boss fight is a challenge. The dungeon on the way there gives you variety. And you're doing it all with a group of peers you're hanging out with the whole time. And if you're the DM, you get all of it too -- it's a challenge to come up with good dungeons, your players' actions give you plenty of variety, you can relax and enjoy yourself while they spend 45 minutes arguing about whether or not to push the red button, and of course it's social.

The specific part of that I most enjoy is the creative problem solving aspect. It's a very different sort of challenge from any other game I've played. It's not a pure logic challenge, it's not a challenge of reflexes, it's a challenge of balance and creativity and storytelling and using the game mechanics to create. And the process of overcoming the challenge, whether as a DM or as a player, is a rush.

Psiwave
2007-05-22, 03:43 AM
I'm just in it for the pizza. and the funny dice with too many sides are pretty cool.


Seriously, it's the escapism and the freedom of choice that you can't get in PC/console games. or in RL for that matter.

Tengu
2007-05-22, 03:59 AM
I don't play DND.

However, I play other RPG games.
Because I love to create a great story.
But what I love even more is when my players give comments like "woah, that was an awesome session!" after we finish.

Yeah, I'm mostly the GM.

Dungeonmeister
2007-05-22, 04:31 AM
The sheer pleasure of spending time with old friends, making new ones and plotting their horrible, horrible dooms...:smallwink:

The Prince of Cats
2007-05-22, 06:47 AM
I play D&D because it is the only system my group can agree on. I would much rather play Vampire and Mage. That said, D&D is easy on the brain and requires little or no deep thinking. Nice easy maths (I play with hypercubes in my head for fun), with black and white morality.

Actually, if I am honest, Amber is my favourite system. Sadly, my wife owns too many dice and so diceless systems confuse and scare her. I have tried to explain how diceless systems work and it gets ugly, so it is one of the banned subjects in our life. (it may be the single banned subject, now I think of it)

Lòkki Gallansbayne
2007-05-22, 06:56 AM
I think it's a mixture of the escapism that comes from pretending to be fantastic magical heroes battling the forces of evil (the last session I played we killed a god :smallbiggrin:) and the social interaction: sitting around with a bunch of friends, playing some games, having some snacks, making lots and lots of very nerdy jokes. Good times.

As for why D&D over other systems, well, I can't really say as I haven't had much opportunity to play other games (although Wushu sounds like a hell of a lot of fun), but I think I'll always have a soft spot in my heart because the books that got me into fantasy were based on a D&D campaign setting (DragonLance) and it was the first RPG system I was ever particularly familiar with.

DrummingDM
2007-05-22, 07:34 AM
Because I'm too lazy to actually write a book, and D&D lets me focus on writing the stuff I like, and letting the PCs fill in the rest.

Narmoth
2007-05-22, 08:11 AM
to be a hero, something that I can't be in the real world, or let others be heroes. :smallcool:

Tormsskull
2007-05-22, 08:25 AM
I'll second the creative outlet thing. D&D is a chance to sit around with friends and have a good time. I specifically enjoy making memorable characters and capturing that "omg" feeling. Even today, 3+ years after the best campaign I have been in, the players still talk about it.

Indon
2007-05-22, 08:30 AM
It's way more interesting than card games.

The Vorpal Tribble
2007-05-22, 08:36 AM
I'll have to add another to the ranks of 'creative outlet'. Also, I have a love for games, be them sports or more sedentary stuff. Of the latter I've yet to find a game that requires more thought, more imagination, or has half the possibilities.

I'm also a writer and D&D lets me flesh out ideas.

As for the social aspect, I wouldn't know, don't know a soul near me who plays. Always played over the internet, be it real time over like mIRC or play by post.

Mr. Moogle
2007-05-22, 08:38 AM
My friends older brother got me started 2+ years ago and i converted all my friends. End of story.

Penguinsushi
2007-05-22, 08:46 AM
So, I read through this thread. It seems most of us play d&d (or rpg's in general) for mostly the same reasons: To hang out with friends, have a good time, work within a fantastical environment and to take part in the creation and expansion of a good story.

I happily follow suit.

~PS

Were-Sandwich
2007-05-22, 09:49 AM
Because for some crazy reason its not socially acceptable for anyone over the age of 8 to run around playing pretend. So we make do.


And the creativity thing.

The Prince of Cats
2007-05-22, 10:47 AM
Because for some crazy reason its not socially acceptable for anyone over the age of 8 to run around playing pretend.
I pity you. My friends and I still (at 25-ish for most of us, 30-ish for a couple of them) have impromptu light-sabre battles with sound-effects. (thanks to my years of sword-fighting in theatre, I am often given two light-sabres and left to fend off all comers at once - I have the style down really well, but it doesn't seem to work on a hill)

Also, we have a local fort built 200 years ago with lots of tunnels which hosts regular LARP and BB-gun games. Technically, I suppose LARP is just D&D with boffers, but it is still more like 8 year-olds playing pretend than tabletop...

Penguinsushi
2007-05-22, 10:56 AM
I pity you. My friends and I still (at 25-ish for most of us, 30-ish for a couple of them) have impromptu light-sabre battles with sound-effects.

Mostly off-topic >>

My roommate and I used to do that back in college. With those flip-out plastic lightsabres made out of concentric tubes (you know the ones?). Those things were surprisingly resilient, though we ultimate killed them and graduated to kendo swords. We got some funny looks from campus security (who, strangely, never said anything to us when we were beating the crap out of each other at 2am outside one of the lecture halls).

Good times...

<<

~PS

Lord Iames Osari
2007-05-22, 11:01 AM
I play D&D because I've always played D&D, really. I had my first character when I was 3 and grew up playing D&D with my uncle and his friends. Good times. :smallsmile:

tobian
2007-05-22, 11:24 AM
I'll have to add another to the ranks of 'creative outlet'. Also, I have a love for games, be them sports or more sedentary stuff. Of the latter I've yet to find a game that requires more thought, more imagination, or has half the possibilities.

I'm also a writer and D&D lets me flesh out ideas.



This nails it word for word for me. Also, where else can one be a half-dragon? :mitd:

KoDT69
2007-05-22, 11:53 AM
Good friends, unhealthy food, creative flow, debating, number-crunching, dice-slinging, escapism, and heroism. Where else but at the dinner table? Let's face it, reality just isn't fun, or cool, for the majority. It provides a way to do the impossible/improbable in a fun way with no chance of bodily harm (depending on your group :smallamused: ). It's also a good way to relieve pent-up aggression and stress. Besides, where else can a band of Kender getting drunk and dancing naked on a fountain in the Duke's courtyard prevent and solve a crime in progress? Don't ask, but it happened once :smalleek:

Zarmina
2007-05-22, 04:30 PM
I play D&D because I love fantasy, roleplaying, and anything involving creativity. Plus I get to hang out with a bunch of psycho people and drink way too much soda.

I also love to write, and playing D&D gives me ideas and lets me really flesh out characters for later use.

But I think the bottom line for me is, it's just plain fun.

Acco Spoot
2007-05-22, 04:32 PM
It's the escapism for me, though I dunno, I'll have to modify this post after I've actually played a full campaign.

But I know it's probably the escapism cos that's why I play other free-form RP's.

reorith
2007-05-22, 07:25 PM
i play for the lolz and to do something with this meaningless facade i call my life.

dyslexicfaser
2007-05-22, 07:28 PM
For the power... my God, the POWER!

It's the only time I feel aliiiiiiive!

Ravyn
2007-05-23, 12:01 AM
D&D specifically: For those few times when I can't find people who'll play anything else.

RPGs in general: A lot of reasons.

One, I like to write, and RPing is very good practice, especially when PBPing or AIM-chatting. (Games that reward me for good writing are an added bonus, since it tells me what I'm doing right and what I need to do better.)

Two, it gives me a lexicon in which to speak and people with which to speak it. I have friends with whom I can speak of practically nothing but session because we've been prioritizing our interests in entirely opposite direction all our lives, or so it seems.

Three: Interaction. OH, the interaction. Have you ever had friendly conversations on two levels at the same time?

Four: In the case of AIM-chatting, getting to read the logs afterward. When you've got six people who are all epic'ing the living daylights out of it, the post-game can be a very worthwhile read.

Five: Self-improvement. One of my more recent characters turned out to be a walking confidence-boost, oftentimes on things that required more skill than rolling (particularly in the social arena), so I got to the point where I was reassuring myself with "All right, I can read a situation well enough to work it correctly--I just need to think faster and speak louder." Then it started being more a case of Issues, but the things I learned about myself from trying to take apart said character's mental process were pretty impressive.

Six: Teamworking, in all its forms. The group coming up with a battle plan for dealing with the overpowered opponent. Two players in an offscreen chat working together to amuse the living daylights out of the GM. A GM-player conspiracy to make life more interesting. Working with an assistant to flesh out the story better than I could alone.

And it's fun, and gives me a chance to show off. 'Nuff said.

Kuprin
2007-05-23, 09:06 AM
I play d&d when I don't want to GM a better system, because it's the one my friends know better. We usually play lighthearted games where the myriad bugs and inconsistencies don't come up, and we can just have fun messing with the nine hundred bajillion options the game gives you. :)

banjo1985
2007-05-23, 09:19 AM
I only play D&D when specifically asked to run it, or when I don't have the time to adapt the World of Darkness system to fit the story I want to tell! But RPG's in general I play for the laughs and to spend time with friends. When I'm running its because I have a story to tell and want other people to enjoy what I've created if possible. When I'm playing it's because it lets you enter a different world and just enjoy the ride made by somebody elses ideas...

Oh, and squashing orcs is always fun

lillitheris
2007-05-23, 11:43 AM
I started playing cause it seemed like a fun thing to do.

I keep playing because rarely is there a place I laugh so hard as with my friends around a table with some dice, books and a few pieces of paper.

TGWG
2007-05-23, 01:36 PM
For Flexibility. there is no other video game, PC game, or video game that lets me do all the following

1. burn down a village, and get away with
2. consistently piss off the paladin guarding my cell
3. rip off a rusteaters antenea so that it doesn't destroy my team's stuff (true story, I had to roll a natural 20 on comand and since i've never been very good with dice my groups cries of enthusiam could be heard 3 blocks away)
4. intimidate someone into mugging himself
5. kill my friends because they're being anoying (in game)
6. Kill anyone who hurts flowers.
7. intimidate my friend into asking the barmaid out only to watch him get slapped across the face because he rolled a natural 1 on a charisma check
8. see my friend's "devine rod of godly might" serve as a handhold for a skeleton to get out of the grave because said friend decided to use a tombstone as a pitstop
9. making NPC characters that are based of various anime i've watched, give them PC levels in the most appropriate classes available and pretend that their series is not yet over.

Ardantis
2007-05-23, 01:53 PM
I think I might represent a new kind of player in this thread-

The player who reads and re-reads the books voraciously, builds characters and synthesizes ideas spasmodically, but plays only sporadically. The engineering school I went to had a lot of people like me, people who only got an actual game rolling maybe once a semester and for no more than a few sessions, but spent a LOT of free time reading and thinking and talking about it.

I still love to play DnD, but I REALLY love it as a creative intellectual exercise.

Then again, engineers have a lot of homework, and they actually do it (I'm not an engineer!)

Anyways, that's the main reason why I love DnD.

PaladinBoy
2007-05-23, 02:33 PM
Because it's fun. I like the creativity aspect and I like the escapism.

Particularly the escape from moral relativity. In D+D, I can say, "I'm Good and you're Evil," and be unequivocally correct. They can try to say that what they're doing is really Good, but they'd (usually) be wrong, and I can say that without spending hours in a debate.