Look, I’m going to be pretty straightforward with you here. Before I do, though, just promise you’ll at least finish this paragraph. Promise? Okay, good. This post is going to be about tabletop roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Wait! Wait, don’t go! You promised! Okay, so either you’re now incredibly interested (probably because you play these sorts of games) or incredibly uninterested (probably because you don’t). I’d like to talk about the ways that these games are perceived, and often played, as opposed to what is the core idea (at least for me) behind them. I’d like a chance to illustrate how play can be used to teach, how social games encourage cooperative problem solving, and how using our imagination and telling stories is an important part of what makes us human. So please put aside the preconceived notions for a moment and let me see if I can explain why I find these games so fascinating. Also, your promise is up now, so you can stop reading if you want to.

First, let’s deal with some of the negatives. It is hard to talk about these games without conjuring the image of some unwashed trolls crammed in to a tiny basement or apartment, rolling dice among thousands of discarded Mountain Dew cans while they argue about if the fighter gets +1 or +2 on his attack roll against a specific opponent. If I tried to tell you that it is never like that in reality then I would be lying. Those types of players do exist, and you’ll find them stinking up your local game store on a regular basis. There is also the religious opposition to these sorts of games, though not all tabletop rpgs involve elements of magic or the supernatural, which has been debated a thousand times on the internet. I invite you to use your Google-fu if that aspect of the argument interests you; I have no intention of inviting religious discussion here.

To frustrate every teacher that reads this (sorry Mom!) and my English major wife, I’m not going to cover my points in the order of how they were listed in the first paragraph. Humans, in general, love a good story. In all fairness, Dolphins or pandas might, as well, but I really can’t say. Most of us love telling them and hearing them. This idea to imagine something interesting, exciting, or important is part of who we are. These stories can be as outlandish and fantastical as Lord of the Rings or as simple and true as the tale of Apollo 13. I think we can all relate to the kid in the back yard, picturing his team down by 2 with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th. We use this exercise to picture things in ways that are contrary to our own internal logic and experiences; we picture what it is like to be in another situation. Tabletop games let a group of people get together and tell a story as a group. Each person contributes their piece, their characters, their views, and thus a fresh perspective. At its best, it is guided improv storytelling where each person has an important role in the narrative. This isn’t just a healthy way of exercising the creative parts of the brain, but it helps with the next part.

Learning through storytelling involves removing yourself from your existing perspective and trying to see things from another angle. Presenting challenging moral choices makes us think about why we make the decisions we do, and why certain moral beliefs resonate strongly with us. We can use fantastical elements to mirror real world problems and examine them without some of the biases that exist by theorizing in the real world. Crafting theoretical societies, and deciding how a “good” or “bad” character would act within them grants insight in to how important certain moral choices are, and what we value. For instance, the warmongering heir to the throne is kidnapped, to be murdered and replaced by a clone that would strive to avoid war. Placing characters in this situation lets us examine the morality of murder, lying, and war. When we think about our choices, and how we decide what is good or evil, we begin to make more sense of the grey areas in our personal views.

A huge factor in this is the social aspect. We don’t confront these decisions alone, but rather with our friends. We mull over our decisions, and talk about what’s right or not. We communicate with each other, examine viewpoints we wouldn’t otherwise consider, and (hopefully) attempt to cooperate for the best possible outcome. Playing games cooperatively with people helps us learn to come together to problem solve, which is a skill that is incredibly important in the real world. Not only is it important to keep the brain active, but being able to practice working as a team is something that we don’t get enough time doing. In school, group projects generally consist of doing something we aren’t interested in to begin with. So adding conflicting views and different work ethics to the mix certainly isn’t going to be enjoyable. However, in a tabletop scenario the players all want to succeed as a team; there is excitement and motivation behind penetrating the mysteries of puzzles and coming out on top. The environment promotes this sort of growth, rather than presenting more obstacles to overcome.

These are all arguments that only hold up when all the people involved in the game agree on the importance of imagination, cooperation, storytelling, and having a good time. For me, that’s how these games should be played. The rules provide a guidance for resolving specific scenarios, or tools for dismantling challenges, but the real value and worth of tabletop games comes from the people involved. Much like most activities, surrounding yourself with a social group that promotes personal growth, critical thinking, and supportive optimism is going to make all the difference.

There are loads of different tabletop RPG systems out there, from fantasy settings to modern day to science fiction. Finding the one that works for you and your friends or family is the trick. If this post has made you interested, and you’d like help getting started, post your questions in the comments below.