Editor’s Note: This poetic tale about Dungeons and Dragons is written by Playboy Club model Griffin Maria.
A miraculous thing happened in the tabletop gaming community a few years ago. Something wholly unexpected. Something out of a fever dream.
The world started talking about Dungeons and Dragons.
I don’t mean just the people playing the game or the 6 o’clock news fanning the fires of a Satanic Panic (thank you conservative ’80s era Karens). I mean everyone.
Dungeons and Dragons: Everyone’s doing it
Due to mainstream shows like Stranger Things, Community and The Big Bang Theory, D&D entered the common household. To double down, Hollywood came out of the woodwork. Do you watch The Late Show? Stephen Colbert is a gamer. Fast and Furious more your speed? Vin Diesel rolls with the best of them. Parks and Recreation? Aubrey Plaza gets her game on. Remember that vampire show True Blood? Hunky Joe Manganiello and Debrah Ann Woll both nerd out with their dice out. It seems no matter where you look, you’ll find a familiar name sitting around a table with fistfuls of dice.
The hobby emerged from the basement and what was stereotypically believed to be the sole province of awkward teens and middle-aged neckbeards is revealed to be…as anyone already in the hobby could have told you…cool.
So, let’s get to it.
If you’re unfamiliar with the scene, it’s probably best to drop any preconceived notions. And although what I’m going to be discussing is a tabletop role-playing game, we’re not even specifically talking about Dungeons and Dragons.
Dungeons and Dragons: Infinite diversity, infinite combinations
Today there are hundreds of story-based role-playing games available in just about any genre you can imagine. Sure, fantasy is sort of the go-to, but you’ve got Old West, Sci-Fi, cyberpunk, war gaming. Typically, dice are used to determine outcomes, some incorporate miniatures and elaborate terrain, most have some collective story-telling component, and all engage our imagination. For many, D&D is a term as well as a game in and of itself. It’s a catch-all. Groups gathering together to role-play might call it D&D when in fact it’s something else entirely. It’s sort of like excusing yourself from a movie to grab a Coke, when in fact your plan all along was to drink a Dr. Pepper.
The game I personally play is called Laughing Moon Adventures, and it, like many others out there, offers an express ticket to another world.
Read More: Enjoy Griffin Maria’s Entrancing Slave Leia Cosplay
The great thing about tabletop role-playing games is that they appeal to such a broad range of people and interests, and Laughing Moon is no exception. Different ethnicities, different ages, different backgrounds. It crosses political lines and bypasses polarizing beliefs to create a fun and safe environment for those involved. Right now, the gaming community is strife with arguments over inclusion, what it means and what it looks like, but the truth of it is actually simple: when you take out the corporate suits, the internet trolls, and the online engagement farming, most tabletop tables are a welcoming place. I’ve personally attended many gaming-centric conventions and have sat with old-school veterans and late teen newbies and watched them all get along just fine. And just in case there are some antiquated stereotypes still floating around, yes, girls like to roll dice and get into character, too.
Even Playboy creators.
In fact, it was just over two years ago that I invited my friend Kristina ( Kiss Kris here on Playboy) to join me in an adventure. Like so many others, once she dipped into the story, she was swept away with the moon in her eyes.
Those who get involved quickly begin to understand the allure of this hobby. There’s hacking and slashing, there’s loot, magic, mystery, fantastical races, fearsome monsters. Oh, and a ridiculous amount of fun crammed in there as well.
All of that covers what the hobby entails, but that’s not the heart of what I want to actually discuss here.
The thing that brings everyone back to the gaming table isn’t the “what.” It’s the “why.”
“It’s more than just a game.”
Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons why people enjoy a tabletop role-playing game is for its pure escapism. For a few hours, you’re invited to shelve your concerns, your problems, your stress…your “real” life. You’re transported to another world where you get to become another person—one of your own creation where the sky’s the limit. Within the context of the game, (if the dice are kind), you get to be the hero! But the real joy isn’t just the fantasy of it all. The fun comes because you’re not doing it alone.
This hobby is more than just a game. It’s a social outlet. It’s a place where people who might never otherwise meet or spend time together get to share in some fun. The game offers suspense, mystery, danger, and above all, it offers adventure. It reminds us of our younger, imaginative selves. Suddenly we’re all kids again sitting in the sandbox, ready to build castles together. Games can be won or lost, but this is a place where friendships are forged.
In our collective imaginations we’re a part of epic stories, heartbreaking tragedies, ongoing mysteries, and magic that gets in the very blood. I’ve seen gamers get so involved that they’re literally jumping out of their chairs, high-fiving, fist pumping, and dancing with joy by the table! I’m personally guilty of all the above.
It’s the Friday Night Lights of tabletop gaming.
And that, dear reader, is why we game.
Griffin Maria is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.
