Is Dungeons & Dragons Good For You?
Those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time remember the satanic panic in the 1980s when D&D was encouraging Satanism, anti-social behavior, and even espionage!
Now, TTRPGs have been mainstreamed. Critical Role has thousands of viewers. The D&D movie was enjoyed not just by fans, but by lovers of fantasy in general.
And Christian gaming groups exist all over the place.
The panic may return at any time, but right now, D&D is being used…in classrooms.
The general consensus now is that D&D is harmless…but now there’s a growing body of evidence it might actually be…good for you?
Social Connections
D&D is a great way to make friends. Going to a gaming con puts you in an environment where you know you will have something in common with any person you meet.
And it’s a great way to develop long term friendships, too. I have friends I have played with for, at this point, over 25 years. We’ve had campaigns where we could play each others characters as well as our own.
(And yes, corporations have tried it as a team building exercise, with at least some success).
Communication Skills
D&D is collaborative. You have to listen to everyone at the table. You have to take turns…and yes, there are games for kids who are still at the age where that concept is a little difficult. I recommend “No Thank You, Evil” which also has lessons about boundaries and consent.
If you’re an introvert, D&D can help you get out of your shell, although it’s always best to tell the DM if you’re a little shy. If you’re an extrovert, it can help you learn to self-moderate and control your enthusiasm.
And then there’s just the basic fact that D&D requires a lot of verbal, written, and even pictorial communication. It can improve your vocabulary.
Creativity Without Shame
The thing about roleplaying is that you get to be creative…and nobody judges you for how good or bad you are at it (at least they’d better not). This means you get to learn how to be better without being embarrassed.
You can learn to tell a story, create a character, and build a world. Good GMs let their players add bits to the world here and there as a campaign goes on, even if using a published setting (which is easy mode).
And if you want to improve your art skills, drawing your own and other people’s characters, fantasy settings, and maps can be really useful…and will make you popular with the group!
You also have to think on your feet, which is useful for many situations in life.
Improved Empathy
This is why the conservatives really want to get rid of D&D. Inhabiting somebody not like you really improves your empathy. Many players start with a character that mirrors themselves, and all of your characters will have something of you to them.
But playing a character who has a different background, a different gender, a different personality, helps you relate better to real people with those traits.
So-called “conservatives” think that’s a bad thing, because they very much don’t want kids to have that kind of empathy. And yes, I do know people who discovered they were trans from playing outside their gender…and people who confirmed they weren’t.
(And if you plan on writing, it really improves your ability to write more diverse characters).
Being In Control
If you’re stressed, then the root cause is likely a problem you can’t fix or an aspect of your life you can’t control. Whether it’s your or a family member’s illness, your boss being a jerk, politics, or even the weather not cooperating…
During the game, you get to be more in control. Depending on the system, the dice might dictate what happens, but you also get to control your character’s storyline. (And if you’re the DM, you get to play god a little, although not at the expense of your players, please).
This makes for great stress relief. (Killing monsters is also good stress relief sometimes).
Making Math Fun
“Crunch” is really math. I hate math. Unless it involves shiny math rocks and a character sheet. Then, suddenly…
If you have a kid who hates math, a roleplaying game might help them see the benefit of them.
Oh, and D&D helps you understand statistics. It really does. Play long enough and you don’t even need to think about statistics.
“There’s a 5% chance of this bad thing happening.” “Don’t roll a one.”
(real conversation).
And understanding statistics at that level gives you risk assessment skills the vast majority of people don’t have.
Pure Escapism
And last but not least, escapism is, in fact, good for you. When your life is just sucking…whether it’s the minor sucking of the dentist and the eye doctor on the same day or the more major sucking of dealing with a major loss, escapism helps.
A good book works. A good movie works. A good gaming session, though, is more interactive. You have to go into that world. And stay there.
It really helps when you just want the temperature to drop a few degrees so you can go for that walk…or when you just lost your job.
Building Confidence
Last, but not least, tabletop RPGs can build your confidence. We’ve already talked about the benefits for introverts, but it goes beyond that.
Social anxiety drops and self-esteem improves when people play, and therapists use it to treat social anxiety. You can put your character up as a buffer and let people interact with them, not you…trust me, it helps.
And as there are no real-life consequences to failing a roll, you learn to take more risks (and, as I mentioned earlier), understand those risks.
And, of course, it’s fun. (If it’s not, you’re playing the wrong specific game or you’re in the wrong group). Nothing quite beats spending a few hours solving the murder of an elf, cleaning kobolds out of a dungeon, or flying a starship.
Go have some fun, and if somebody tells you it’s a stupid game…or satanic…you have some things to say ;).