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Dungeons & Dragons

A fantasy like no other

By Jason DilanPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
3

When I think about the world of fantasy there are many options and I am a fan. I grew up watching and loving fantasy movies from the 80’s such as the 1982 Hercules movie with Lou Ferrigno and Conan the barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger which I am only now noticing that they both released in the same year. I also remember waiting in line with my best friends at the theater to see the release of the Lord of the Rings in 2001. My proud fandom remains strong even as time passes because I remember waiting eagerly and excitedly every Sunday for the release of Game of Thrones starting in 2011. From movies, to tv shows and even books such as the Warded Man series by Peter V. Brett I have had the pleasure to indulge in many forms of fantasy but for me one form of fantasy stands above them all and that is Dungeon and Dragons.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Dungeon & Dragons as known as D&D, this is a fantasy theme role playing board game where adventurers create a unique character from the world of fantasy that so many have become familiar with. In D&D you will find dwarves, elves, humans, wizards and so much more. The deeper into the fantasy you dive the more unique and complex characters you can create. With a devoted group of friends and a creative dungeon master you can experience an evolving fantasy story where you control the actions of your character, describe their history and forge bonds and friendships both within the fantasy of the game and the real world..

This past summer I found myself alone and in isolation. As time ticked slowly by for me my depression got worse and I remained alone and unwilling to reach out to my friends. This period of time for me was a difficult one as I did not have access to a therapist nor felt the energy to reach out for help. I was becoming lost in my own darkness. It was one of my best friends who reached out and invited me to join a new game of D&D that he was hosting. I was guided through the process of creating my character, establishing their history, physical traits and special abilities. I was surprised to see how complex the process became and how very similar to writing short stories this seemed. Before I knew it I had my own unique character and I was once again excited. Every week I felt the excitement of playing that one day a week. It was the same joy I had watching Game of Thrones from week to week. The action and adventures of my character had me fully engaged and invested just as I was as a child watching Conan the barbarian and Hercules. This fantasy world brought me out of my darkness and gave me a reason to smile once again. Thanks to this fantasy role playing game I was able to create a hero who both represents who I am and carries my passions from the real world into the fantasy . With Indra Moggoth my dwarven archeologist I bring my real life love of History into my fantasy world. Playing with my best friends that I have known for over twenty years and making friendships with others we started off as a bunch of savages. Slicing and bludgeoning every creature we came across. Now we are a tight well balanced group of adventurers who are skilled in combat, magic and the complex lore of the world around us allowing us to battle, negotiate or find unique ways to solve the ever evolving problems of our fantasy world

The joy I receive from playing D&D alone is worth carving out a block of time every Friday to enjoy these moments with my friends but there are more benefits than that. As I had something to look forward to that made me happy I realized that the darkness around my heart was receding even on days when I was not playing D&D. I also could not get over the similarities that D&D was like enjoying an interactive novel as well as excellent practice in character development. The more that I sat and thought about my character and how to evolve them into the hero I wanted the more creative my mind became. Soon I realized that I felt motivated and once again took out my writing notebooks and began working on more fiction. The fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons saved me in the real world and that has allowed me to create many new worlds with the stroke of my pen. It is for this gift given to me that I declare D&D as the fantasy genre above all others.

Archeologist & Warrior

action adventure
3

About the Creator

Jason Dilan

High school educator teaching History who also loves horror and fiction. Writing for me is a hobby and a passion and creating new pieces is a joy in my heart that allows me to express my love or my darkness depending on the day.

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