D&D General Why do you play Dungeons & Dragons?

[R_J_K75]

Learning how an RPG system functions is work, therefore I only ever want to do it once; and as I've already done it there's no need to do it again.

Pretty much this for me. I play D&D because its familiar, so going from one edition to another is relatively simple. When I bought, read and then ran a WEG Star Wars campaign I struggled quite awhile with the d6 system until I got the hang of it.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I've been playing D&D since 1994 or 95; it wasn't my first TTRPG and it certainly wasn't my last.

But was and is the only one that ever felt like home. I can do absolutely anything with it with little or no effort, and that's been true of every edition of the game. I can tinker with it, bend it, flip it inside out, whatever; it always works and it's always D&D.

No other system or game, out of the dozens and dozens I've played in the past 25+ years, has ever managed to do all that to my satisfaction.

 

[Shiroiken]

I enjoyed 1E, both sides of the DM screen, playing it through high school and well into college. I played throughout 3E and part of 4E because it was what other people played. I ran Legends of the Five Rings during this time, because it's what I liked. I got into 5E during the playtest, and I find it to be one of the best RPGs I've played (original Pinnacle Deadlands ranks #1). I've looked into a few other active RPGs right now, and I honestly feel that 5E D&D is the best one still in print.

Overall, I think the reason that many people stay with D&D is the same reason people still play Magic: everyone else plays it. Very few other games (CCG & RPG) have had the endurance that these originals have had, despite other games having overall better mechanics. The appeal of D&D is partially that it's generic fantasy, allowing you to use it for a number of worlds. This is also it's greatest weakness (IMO), as a game detailed to the setting has the ability to customize everything exactly as they need it for the setting.

 

[Rabbitbait]

I've been playing for 40 years now. Started with D&D and have played with many other systems, but always come back to D&D - especially now that I have a young family vying for my time and attention. Why D&D:

• It's fun. Not all systems are.
• We all know it inside out, so there is no pain of working out the rules during the game, or looking things up.
• A wealth of materials. I can buy a full campaign or many smaller modules to be placed together to build my own. It's just easier to create a good campaign when you have lots of stuff to use. I don't have time to create games from raw cloth anymore.
• It works very well online - we mainly play via roll20, and the resources there mean lots of stuff is purchasable or easily drag and droppable.
• A great depth of lore and history to draw from
• Eberron

I'm sure at some point in the near future we'll try another system again, but I'm also sure that after we finish with that we will return to D&D. It's fun, we know it, it's easy to set up a game.

 

[Argyle King]

Once upon a time, it was the case that it was what most people around me were playing, so I played because I wanted to spend time with friends. They played D&D, so I played (despite having preferences for other games).

Now, I would say that it's more rare that I play D&D. Anecdotally, most of the groups around where I live have started to play other games more often.

On a personal level, I enjoy a lot of D&D's lore and fluff, but I'm not always thrilled with the mechanics of the game. I would in no way say that I dislike D&D; I don't; I enjoy it when I play. Though, I feel that I get burned out on it much more quickly than I did in the past. D&D and my preferences as I've gotten older have evolved in two very different directions. I'll still play when friends do, and I will enjoy it when I do, but -if other options are available- I'll go with something else.

 

[Zsong]

I imagine I am Cú Chulainn fighting across Ireland defying Morrígan on the battlefield as I smite the death gazing eye of Balor and laugh mercilessly as he screams his last breath.

that’s why i play d&d.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Been playing since 1981, and stuck with AD&D through the 3e and 4e years, finally making 5e my primary game.

played lots of other games. Designed lots of other games. But D&D does what I want in a game. Also, gaming for me is a social experience. Having fun with friends and good food is what’s most important. So having a system everyone knows and likes is a plus.

I also like to talk about gaming, and it’s easier to get my fix in for D&D than finding people to talk about Altus Adventum.

 

[cbwjm]

Beats me, it's not even what I started with, that would be fighting fantasy/advanced fighting fantasy. I guess it is something everyone has heard of and it's what we all enjoy playing.

 

[Dire Bare]

This isn't meant to be hateful, I'm genuinely curious. There are so many new Tabletop RPGs out there that it's crazy to me people still play D&D after 45 years. It's certainly much more popular than a lot of the other RPGs that came out around the same time period. What is it about D&D that makes it stand out above the rest?

This isn't meant to be hateful, but . . . .

Gotta love an opener like that!

There have been "so many new TTRPGs out there" since the 70s. D&D was the first, but it didn't take long for a plethora of other games to debut. We certainly are in a golden age of gaming with the popularity, playerbase, and number of different quality RPGs out there right now.

D&D managed to tap something primal, it was the first, and in many folks experience, remains the best game out there. It's the category originator that, despite ups and downs, remains well supported by it's publisher and the fan community.

Why DON'T I play games other than D&D (that often)? I'm primarily a fantasy fan, and I haven't run across a game yet that does it better than D&D. There are a lot of good fantasy RPGs out there, and I love checking them out to steal ideas from (rules widgets and world-building). I'm willing to play other games if somebody else wants to run them and invite me (and I have the time), but most folks starting new games are playing D&D. When I decide to run a game, D&D is my jam, but I also know that I'll have better luck recruiting players than for just about any other game.

There's also investment . . . I have a lot of D&D material I haven't used yet! The other RPGs that tempt me, are often just as book-heavy and expensive, and I'm not ready to make that new investment. The more "light" games with only one or two books, tend not to interest me.

Ultimately, why do you care?

I've got no issue with gamers who prefer NOT to play D&D, and have some other game they obsess over. I've got no issue with folks who play a variety of RPGs at their table. If you and your gaming group are having fun, you're doing it right! But I DO get irritated with folks who question why D&D remains the fan favorite with the implication that it doesn't deserve to be my favorite game. Your question reads, perhaps unintentionally, "Why play D&D when there are so many BETTER games out there."

No, there are not any BETTER games out there than D&D. There are a lot of very good games other than D&D out there, games that some folks love way more than they love D&D, and all that is cool. Which games is the best is completely subjective. You play what you like, and I'll keep playing D&D.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

There's a lot of reasons for me (listed in no particular order):

• I have learned the rules, bought the books, and don't want to do it again.
• It was my first TTRPG, and I have not played different ones.
• I am happy with this game, why would I change? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
• What works better for other people may not work better for me.
• "Dungeon Master" sounds cooler than "Game Master," IMHO.
• I don't want to divide my attention between two or more different TTRPGs. "Never half-ass two things, full-ass one thing" - Ron Swanson
• My group plays D&D, and it was hard enough to teach them this system, so why would I change to a different system and do that over again just because someone on the internet said something else was better?
• I am very attached to certain parts of D&D, and other TTRPGs would not be enjoyable without them (paladins, the Six Ability Scores, Race/Background/Class, etc).
• D&D was the first, oldest, and main TTRPG.
• Pathfinder doesn't have Eberron.