Remote interactions have propelled the PeaceX team to consider new ways to do daily tasks. Everything from working, learning, and collaboration have all been drastically shifted as a result of quarantine and the pandemic. However, spending time with friends and family has also shifted and many new activities are being examined under the lens of remote interaction. We at PeaceX have spent many hours playing RPGs (role playing games) as a way to safely engage with one another and have a good time. Our game of choice is the world famous Dungeons and Dragons. In this post, we’ll shed some light on how these games work, why they are a good pastime, and how you could get started playing them. 

What are RPGs and how do we play them?

An RPG is sort of a blanket term to describe a huge genre of hobbies. Technically, any activity in which you assume the role of a character or tackle an imaginary scenario could be considered a roleplaying game. Recently, video games have dominated the RPG industry. Titles such as The Witcher: Wild Hunt, Persona 5, and Skryim have connected thousands of gamers to interesting character-driven narratives. However, the original RPG, and arguably the best, is Dungeons and Dragons, a pen and paper tabletop game that has been the gold standard of the hobby for decades. 

Dungeons and Dragons was invented by Gary Gygax in the 1970s. The game is divided into two roles, the players and the dungeon master. Each of the players is tasked with developing their own fantasy character based on a series of basic rules. The dungeon master’s role is to use these characters to craft compelling scenarios for the players to interact with. Players can respond in any way they see fit, though they are encouraged to roleplay their encounters. For example, a warrior is more likely to rush into battle, whereas a thief is more likely to sulk in the shadows. The story that results can be very simple, to highly intricate and detailed. Murder plots, huge battles, political intrigue and mysterious artifacts are all fair game. One can even take these mechanics further, and design scenarios to fit different timelines, such as a sci-fi universe or a western. Your imagination is truly the limit here.

Benefits of Playing RPGs

At first, role-playing games (RPGs) just seem like a fun past-time and a unique hobby to do with friends. While both of those statements are true, there are actually several positive reasons why one should go get a set of dice and start creating a cool fictional character. A large part of any role-playing game is the use of the player’s imagination to create an inspiring hero or fantastical world. This heavy use of imagination helps to inspire the creativity within players and allows their mind to grow not just in the game, but in life too. This creativity also helps build a person’s problem solving skills. In a game such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), there are so many ways to handle a situation like a horde of zombies. Similarly, there are many ways to handle a situation at work such as a frustrated customer. Role-playing games also couldn’t have come at a better time with the COVID-19 pandemic causing mass boredom as people stay home and keep themselves and others safe. Some games, such as D&D adventures, can take anywhere from hours to multiple game sessions spanning weeks to complete. Boredom can be unhealthy, but with so much time inside with a creative mind that boredom can be vanquished with some D&D with friends. 

Speaking of which, role-playing games can’t be played alone and players need to work together to triumph over evil and solve whatever problems get in their way. Role-playing games help people learn how to not only work with others, but also understand others and rely on other peoples’ strengths to counter their own weaknesses. For example, in D&D a barbarian is a savage warrior who leaps into battle, but after receiving so much damage they are unable to heal themselves. This is the perfect opportunity for a player to take the role of a cleric, a healer that can fix a person’s injuries with divine magical energy. The different roles that people can choose to fill also teach players the importance of different boundaries. In role-playing games, it is important to have a well-rounded team and embrace differences because a diverse group of players leads to a diverse set of tools, skills, thoughts, and perspectives that can help overcome any challenges the party faces on their journey. While at first it seems silly to compare battling goblins to sitting in on your daily business meetings, the reality is that both require similar components (teamwork, creativity, variety, etc.) in order to not only succeed, but go above and beyond and save the village from a goblin invasion or develop a new product for your company.

How to Get Started with RPGs 

Fortunately, role-playing games are not hard to find, especially now that many people are indoors and looking for something to do during this COVID-19 pandemic. Many role-playing game companies, such as Wizards of the Coast, have prepared their games for a situation where friends couldn’t meet in person to play. There are sites, such as Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds, that help people find both role-playing games and RPG players to play with. Also, certain games such as D&D can simply be played with an online set of a dice and a word document for notes, with everything else being provided by the imagination and creativity of the players. So if you want to try out an RPG, gather some friends, create a Zoom meeting room, and let your minds take you on an amazing journey.

And for those that don’t think they have friends that are interested in RPGs, there are many people out there that are interested, and even more people that are huge fans. There are groups all across social media platforms that are passionate about RPGs and there are always people looking for more players to join them on wondrous adventures. Even this USA Today post says, “In an age where screen time is synonymous with free time, tabletop gaming surrounded by friends is making a comeback,” and games such as D&D are appearing on podcasts, live-streaming services, celebrity endorsements and more. The popularity of role-playing games are increasing, so come join in on the up and coming trend of going on imaginary adventures with friends. 

There has recently been a resurgence in the popularity of RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons, especially since they are a safe and fun way to fight boredom during this pandemic. Furthermore, these games create valuable team-building experiences that allow you to spend time with others and work together towards a common goal. And what better time to come together than when a global pandemic is affecting everyone's lives. 

Interested in the intersection between games and innovation? Check out our Game Design Thinking Mini-Course taught by Stanford University Professor, Chris Bennet here

Written by: Jake Lieberstein & Raaghav Seth