Dungeons and Dragons: Chaotic Storytelling at its Finest
/You might be wondering: What does Dungeons and Dragons have to do with storytelling? The answer is: a lot!!
For those who may not know what DnD is, here's a little run down: it is known as a Table Top Role Playing Game. People create characters (and there are many choices) and a Dungeon Master (or DM) guides them through either an official campaign (story, if you will), or a made up one (aka a homebrew). The size of the group varies quite a bit (I've played in ones as small as four, not including the DM, or as large as six). Each player has a say in what the group does, and dice rolls often determine the success of their actions.
A D20, picture by Leah Levert
What do I mean by “dice rolls?” In DnD, you play with 7 dice. The most important of which is the D20. This one is used for what is called “skilled checks”, which can mean anything from: “Do you hit this monster?” to “Can you successfully sing a song to distract the guards while the rogue steals the keys?”. So, when you leave the success of each task up to chance, it allows for spontaneity that’s hard to come up with in traditional storytelling.
Even though this is far from the only method of co-operative storytelling, I'd argue that Dungeons and Dragons offers an unpredictability that makes it extra fun and exciting. In your head, you come up with a brilliant plan that will make your character seem cool, suave, and capable, but then you fail your dice roll and instead your character will fall flat on their face in a pile of poo.
When your character is too focused on a forcefield to see what’s past it. (Art by Leah Levert)
What adds to the dynamic of gameplay is how each player interacts with each other. As one of my Dungeon Master’s said: “it’s a group of leading characters.” Which means that everyone is acting out their own story at the same time as everyone else. With the right group of people, it’s not actually competing for the limelight, but it does mean that your actions might end up interrupting someone’s plan.
For example, during a recent session our party had come across a camp of goblins and hobgoblins. The rest of the party wanted to stealthily sneak up to the camp so we could scout it out and see what kinds of enemies we were dealing with. However, one member of our group was unfortunately suffering from paranoia and didn’t trust the rest of us. Running ahead, she alerted a large worg. My character, seeing that her friend was in danger, rushed forward and unleashed a large, loud, spell called Shatter… which then alerted the entire camp of our presence.
It led to a very exciting and highly entertaining battle scene. Being able to constantly bounce off of other people in an improvised way really keeps the creativity alive and makes for very exciting storytelling. Even if the Dungeon Master has a thought out and carefully crafted narrative for the players to go through, it is very easy for both the players and the dice to completely throw it out the window. It keeps you on your toes and it forces you, as a storyteller, to be flexible and willing to change your ideas to adapt to what the dice and players are dictating the story to be.
Many authors have written stories based off of their D&D adventures. It is a game that excites imaginations and offers a dynamic method of storytelling that is both fun and exciting. If you ever have the chance to join a game, I highly recommend you do so.
Leah Levert
Leah is currently studying Professional Writing. She loves to write and hopes to be able to use her skills to make the world a little easier to understand. When not studying, she can be found at the stable with her horses, or playing video games.
