What’s the big D&Deal?

Whether you’ve seen the ads for Chris Pine’s latest movie or you just have a really nerdy friend, you’ve probably heard the name “Dungeons and Dragons” floating around recently. Over the past few years, D&D has exploded in popularity around the world thanks to D&D themed media and the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because it’s a good game. 

Many fans consider 2020 to be one of D&D’s most popular years in the game’s almost 50-year history, with revenue up 35% compared to 2019, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

“I think it’s gotten popular a lot more since the pandemic, because people were shut inside and they didn’t know what to do,” said Avery Stenstrom, a freshman and avid D&D fan since middle school. “D&D has a great way of bringing people together, and you can do it online over Zoom.” 

Since the end of quarantine, new D&D players have sought out ways to play the game in person. Benjamin Cohen, president of Hofstra’s Tabletop Gamers Club, has been playing D&D for around five years and plans on bringing that experience to Hofstra.

“The club itself has been here since 2017; I became president this last spring,” Cohen said. “One of the initiatives I wanted to make this year was to have a presence with D&D.”

And the demand for it was high. Last semester, Cohen ran a game with eight or nine players. He chuckled, saying, “I would never suggest that.” 

Now, just a few months later, multiple groups meet every Thursday night at HofTop, picking up their stories where they left off the previous week.

Unlike other board games, there’s no winning in D&D. Tabletop role-playing games like D&D develop a plot from session to session in what’s called a campaign. Each player builds a character who they embody during gameplay, which can be a little strange for new players.

“I was nervous because it’s kind of like acting. I don’t really do drama or anything like that,” said Matthew Carlinsky, a computer science major who’s been playing D&D for a few years. “Sometimes people like to do voices and stuff, and it’s good fun, but I remember when I was first starting I was like, ‘Gimme a second.’”

He’s since warmed up to the idea though, proudly donning a plague doctor costume which he wears as part of his character.

The character immersion aspect has translated to actual play shows, where D&D groups record their game sessions and upload them online for viewers.

These shows have convinced even more people to try out D&D. One of these people is Theo Bazin, who first played D&D as a child but found it too complicated to enjoy. 

“I was just like, ‘I hate D&D; I’m never doing this again,’ and then I found a show called ‘Dimension 20,’” he said, “and I just saw what D&D had the potential to be.” 

Now, Bazin runs a campaign at HofTop and encourages everyone to give D&D a try.

“This should be the least gatekept thing in the world,” he said. “It is the best and everyone should try it once, because you’re either gonna hate it or you’re gonna never wanna stop.”

“Dimension 20,” which was first uploaded to YouTube in 2018, and “Critical Role,” from 2015, are two of the most popular actual play shows, and they have played a large role in D&D’s current popularity among teens and college students. In fact, Stenstrom and Cohen both cited actual play shows as part of their introduction to D&D.

Fans of “Dimension 20” and “Critical Role” might be excited to learn that Hofstra is getting its very own actual play show but with a twist. Rowan Hladik, a senior TV & film production major, is producing the pilot episode of their original show “Rolling with the Punches,” which will feature actual play intercut with filmed segments.

“It’s almost like a film challenge. I’m giving our DM, Steve Wood, a very short campaign that they’re going to run, and it’s completely improv,” Hladik said. “And then we have to deal with what actually happens, write a script about it, and go film it.”

“Rolling with the Punches’’ marks a middle ground between actual play and a typical, fully immersive story. Hladik thinks this format could be more appealing for people who are intimidated by D&D’s many rules.

“I think it will be easier for a lot of people because now they’re not focusing on ‘what does initiative mean?’ They’re just seeing what’s happening, and they’re just digesting the story,” they said.

Through this show, Hladik hopes to show more people that D&D is not just for nerds – it’s for everyone.

“Rolling with the Punches” is set for release sometime in May. Those looking to learn more about D&D before then can drop by HofTop from 6-10 p.m. on Thursdays in the Student Center.