DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: This is one of many in a series of RTS columns highlighting some of the gems found in a Dec. 6, 1981 New York Times Magazine that was recently gifted to the newsroom.
Today’s discovery was an ad for a “Dungeon! Adventure Game,” developed by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR), which was a simplified version of the popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). TSR owned D&D until Wizards of the Coast bought them out in 1997.
First developed in 1974, D&D allows players to create their own characters and embark upon imaginary adventures within a rich, fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master, also known as “DM,” guides the players through the sandbox-style adventure, while also roleplaying the characters the players will encounter.
Together, players engage in battles, explore dungeons, gather treasure and solve various problems. As players tackle obstacles within the game, they gain experience points, which allow them to rise in level, thus increasing their abilities according to their class (wizard, sorcerer, rogue, etc.).
While many laud D&D for its imaginative roleplay, not everyone has always welcomed the game with open arms, particularly some Christian groups that allege D&D promotes practices such as devil worship and witchcraft. In 1981, Rona Jaffe wrote “Mazes and Monsters,” a cautionary tale of tabletop roleplaying games such as D&D, based on urban myths of games “getting out of hand.”
The game has developed a cult following over the years, even more so with the inception of Critical Role in 2017, an online streaming series in which a group of professional voice actors, lead by Matthew Mercer as DM, play D&D.
Currently in its 5th edition, the various editions of D&D have won many awards. Additionally, D&D was listed in the Games Magazine Hall of Fame in 1984, inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2017.
Speaking of gaming, those interested in playing a wide variety of games should check out The Magic Bean Cafe, located on Kennedy Street in Bradford.
