By Erika Coffey
Dungeons & Dragons, the titular RPG created in 1974, has seen a recent uptick in players thanks to its ability to be played online. Originally a tabletop game rife with rules and heavily male-dominated, Wizards of the Coast, the creators of the game, have made a number of changes to encourage new players, make gameplay easier, and diversify its accessibility for those who cannot play in person. This is especially helpful in wake of COVID-19.
The Dungeons & Dragons website has introduced many helpful resources for players looking to get into the role-playing game, including virtual play weekends, free play resources, and even resources for parents to teach their children.
Curious about D&D resources? Check out the gallery below for a step by step!
Dungeon’s & Dragons guidebooks are used by the game’s “Dungeon Master.” In each book are details about adventures, and written instructions for mechanics of the game. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
The world of accessories is alive with D&D players. Dice, dice holders, spell cards and Dungeon Master’s screens are just a fraction of the game’s retail products. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
D&D “mini’s” are used by players to denote their character’s position. They come in a number of races, sizes, colors, and styles. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
The inside of the Dungeon Master’s screen contains a cheat sheet, for easy reference during play. The Dungeon Master juggles many tools and story aspects while leading the campaign. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
Dungeon Masters often go above and beyond. Pictured are dice made to roll when healing in-game. Each one contains a label defining what kind of potion it holds. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
The guidebooks that Dungeon Masters’ use when leading campaigns contain rich, detailed maps and storylines. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
D&D Players keep track of important information in any number of ways: personalized notebooks, simple paper notebooks, loose-leaf paper. The Players Handbook contains rules and information for players. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
Dice play an important roll (ba-dum-tsh) in Dungeons & Dragons. Players use them each turn to determine how well they perform their desired actions. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
Player boxes vary widely, but have this in common: stacks of dice, spell cards, pencils, and a soft surface for rolling. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University 
Spellbook cards contain information about every kind of spell the various classes can use. Details include their length, components and area of effect. Photo by Erika Coffey/Texas State University
Citing their hope that their players remain safe, Wizards of the Coast writes on their website, “We believe the social connection playing games, including D&D, can continue to be helpful for those of us who feel isolated or alone in our homes in order to stay safe from transmission. As social distancing impacts our ability to get together in person, we wanted to offer resources and advice for more remote play.”
Wizards of the Coast are not the only ones revolutionizing the way Dungeons & Dragons can be played. Players use a multitude of resources in order to play while quarantined: Skype, Discord, and Roll20 are all popular options for parties who meet completely digitally. Skype and Discord provide audio and visual access to the other players, while sites like Roll20 keeps track of maps, player sheets, movement, and spells.
Roll20 reports in their ORR that 50% of campaigns on their site are Dungeons & Dragons based, while 55% of their total user accounts play Dungeons & Dragons as of 2020.
Parties who really enjoy Dungeons & Dragons may even move to Twitch, a streaming website where anyone can watch them play. Statistics include 4.3 billion minutes of gameplay viewed on Twitch.
Listen here to an interview I conducted with a virtual DM, Corey Abate, to get an insider’s look at DM’ing during a pandemic.
Erika Coffey is an English major and aspiring editor, who graduates from Texas State University in December 2020.
