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The thing is, D&D is a gas. It fills the space you give it.
You know this.
You've seen this.
You tell your dentist you're a #ttrpg designer.
"Oh, like D&D?"
Now you're sunk—the chat's going to be about D&D because your dentist can't conceive of a rpg outside of this context.
You know this.
You've seen this.
You tell your dentist you're a #ttrpg designer.
"Oh, like D&D?"
Now you're sunk—the chat's going to be about D&D because your dentist can't conceive of a rpg outside of this context.
I mean, the conversation was sunk anyway because your dentist had a fistfull of picks in your mouth.
But nonetheless your dentist has a room in their mind with "Roleplaying Games" painted on the door in faded letters.
And right now, D&D permeates the air in that room.
But nonetheless your dentist has a room in their mind with "Roleplaying Games" painted on the door in faded letters.
And right now, D&D permeates the air in that room.
You have no trouble conceiving of rpgs beyond the context of D&D. Because long ago, you did a little housekeeping in that mind room of yours.
You gathered up all the D&D in the air, shoved it in a bottle, jammed a cork in it, and labeled it "D&D."
You gathered up all the D&D in the air, shoved it in a bottle, jammed a cork in it, and labeled it "D&D."
You may have done a little more organizing than that, but you get the basic principle.
Now you can visit that room and peruse the shelves for some game to think about, and D&D will be sitting there along with the others—behaving itself.
Now you can visit that room and peruse the shelves for some game to think about, and D&D will be sitting there along with the others—behaving itself.
It was a neat & fruitful trick that allowed you see, play, imagine, even create games that weren't D&D. Something you'd do again in a heartbeat, if you could.
Well, folks, I've got good news for you!
Well, folks, I've got good news for you!
D&D is not just a roleplaying, it's full-blown a genre of fiction!
And there's a good chance you've been letting that gas fill up your entire "Fantasy" and "Sword & Sorcery" mind rooms.
And there's a good chance you've been letting that gas fill up your entire "Fantasy" and "Sword & Sorcery" mind rooms.
D&D is such a wee little subgenre compared to the staggering breadth of fantasy as a whole.
But it looms large due in part to the stranglehold it has on the gaming industries. Mainstream rpgs, boardgames, & video games seem to have a tough time seeing past the fog that is D&D.
But it looms large due in part to the stranglehold it has on the gaming industries. Mainstream rpgs, boardgames, & video games seem to have a tough time seeing past the fog that is D&D.
Pretend for a moment that I'm asking you—and to be clear, I'm not really—to provide me with example game or book with a low-magic setting and one with a high-magic setting.
Don't answer!
Just ponder on it for a bit before reading this next tweet.
Don't answer!
Just ponder on it for a bit before reading this next tweet.
Whatever your answers were, you probably found them using the D&D.
It most likely wasn't the midpoint between low & high magic, but it was almost certainly the landmark you navigated by.
You positioned your low & high magic settings in relation to D&D.
It most likely wasn't the midpoint between low & high magic, but it was almost certainly the landmark you navigated by.
You positioned your low & high magic settings in relation to D&D.
Now, I'll admit to some sleight of hand there. Low & high magic is kind of nonsensical in many parts of the fantasy genre.
But within the D&D genre, they make a certain sense.
I was like, "Think of a game with a ball & one with a net. Ha! I bet you thought of sports!"
But within the D&D genre, they make a certain sense.
I was like, "Think of a game with a ball & one with a net. Ha! I bet you thought of sports!"
But if you honestly engaged with the exercise, and it felt like you were ranging over the entire fantasy genre in search of your examples, then I have some thrilling news for you!
There are yet more worlds of wonder out there for you discover!
There are yet more worlds of wonder out there for you discover!
And you only have to do what you did so diligently before. Gather up all the D&D in the air, shoved it in a bottle, jammed a cork in it, and labeled it.
Just make sure you label it "D&D" so it doesn't get mislabeled as "Sword & Sorcery" or something cutesy like "Appendix N."
Just make sure you label it "D&D" so it doesn't get mislabeled as "Sword & Sorcery" or something cutesy like "Appendix N."
