Willden 1 Robert Dee Willden Ms Caruso English 1101 04 October 2011

The Realm of Dungeons and Dragons

Welcome to the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, a realm of imagination, fantasy, myths, of legends and lore. This realm is filled with epic legendary heroes, insidious foes, mythical creatures, treacherous and perilous dungeons laden with great treasure, and other dangers that await you. Come friend; sit by the fireplace to warm yourself. Here is some ale and warm food to quench your thirst and hunger. Get comfortable to rest from your travels as the tale of this realm is told. At the end of this tale, will you enter this realm of Dungeons and Dragons? Before this tale begins, look about the room and take note of certain items. Look there at the desk, you will see resting upon it is the quill, a filled vessel of black ink, a pouch filled with dice and blank parchment. Surrounding the desk are volumes of scrolls and books filled with notation, maps, drawings of every kind imaginable. Above the desk, you will see, are shelves laden with well-crafted, in detail, miniature figurines of different landscapes and notable heroes of the past. If you do, it is excellent. Those items may play a part of this tale and yet, at the end of it.

Willden 2 Oh, please, eat and drink to your hearts content as the tale unfolds. There is plenty of food and drink to fully placate a persons ravenous hunger and thirst. You are the guest of honor no less. Fill free to request anything that you require. Keep in mind of what is said so far. Now, let the tale begin! Ah, you are curious to know more of this realm!? Then, it shall be revealed to you. Lets reflect back to the dawn of our ancient past. We, as humans, have a love to tale of tall tales and to enjoy games through various means and modes. Do you see that correlation and the ramifications of them? Our friends, E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, have also seen and marveled this; (the history of our two friends is another story for another time). They thought to themselves, Can we combine the two and make something new and unique? Atlas, through creative inception, the realm of Dungeons and Dragons was born. Since its birth thirty plus years ago, Dungeons and Dragons has become an instant and iconic cult classic with a growing diverse fan base. Dungeons and Dragons have set the bar, standard, and defined its genre of fantasy role-play. Many others have tried to emulate the grand majesty of Dungeons and Dragons. Yet, they have failed on one key point. You will see why momentarily. The realm of Dungeons and Dragons allows you, with a group of your friends, to play a multi-faceted game of creative story telling, fantasy role-playing, and acting. Just like when you and your friends used to play pretend in the backyard in your younger years. Do you remember those items that you saw earlier on and by the desk? You will get to use those items while you explore the realm of Dungeons and Dragons.
Comment [BC1]: Although what you have so far works to get the reader interested in the subject, since it is a page and a half long, rather than a paragraph or a few sentences, your reader will have to make a big jump when they read this next paragraph. Although you like to give these introductions, work on keeping them to a minimum and getting straight to your point. Most of what you have so far would work better in a genre re-creation, rather than in a formal paper on the purposes of the game and how well it works. Comment [BC2]: This is quite a big jump for your reader to make. You havent given any indication so far of the purpose of your own paper, so your reader will not know what to look for when they reach this point. Introduce the game a bit better. Comment [BC3]: Give a year.

Willden 3 You and your group of friends have total control of what you do within this realm. Controlling the flow and ebb of the story, including when and where this story takes place. Can you do that with others like World of War craft? The answer is definitely and a resounding no. Ah, it seems that your mug needs to be refilled with cold ale and your plate to be replenished with a healthy second portion of warm food. Desserts are available when you desire. This realm allows you and your friends, as a group, to go on thrilling adventures and dangerous quests. In order to do so, you must create and personify a character that represents you. You can be a mysterious and wise druid, a strong warrior, a brutish barbarian, a clever and sneaky rogue, or a bard who is guile. You can dictate on how your character looks and acts. You can even choose your characters race. You can be an elf like Legolas or a dwarf like Gimili from the Lord of the Rings. There are other races you can choose from. You can also create a name for your character. As you explore this realm with adventures and quests in either hand, you will come across insidious foes and villains or a horde of rampaging trolls. You might be caught up in political intrigue and conflicts, wars, or other conflicts. You might run into mythical creatures like a sphinx with a riddle or a fire breathing dragon with a cave filled with treasure of gold, gems, jewels, and rare objects. You might discover an undiscovered dungeon with bountiful loot, mysteries, and deadly traps. Thus, this realm was entitled Dungeons and Dragons. Strategy and tactics are important within this realm. Use them wisely.
Comment [BC5]: Why does this matter? How does this influence the purpose of the game? Comment [BC4]: Dont just say that you cant. Show why this answer is no.

Willden 4 How was your second helping of your meal? Here is some dessert and more ale to replenish your mug. After you finish your dessert, here is a pipe filled with the best tobacco to compliment your meal and ale. There is an important role within this realm and your group. That role is the Dungeon Master. That role is filled by one of the players of the group. That role might fall on your shoulders one day. The Dungeon Master, he or she, is a person that must narrate the action, the story, and sets the adventure up for the rest to play. Also, he or she must control and create the creatures, monsters, villains, and all other characters within the game that interacts with you. Basically, the Dungeon Master is the master story teller and guide whom creates and tells the story, including when and where the story takes place. Remember this, the Dungeon Master is also the referee of this world whom follows and enforces the constructs and rules of this world. A very pivotal and powerful role is the Dungeon Master. Everyone wants to be a Dungeon Master and few are able to fill the role without any impediments. It will take time for you to find out if you are really cut out for it. Hmmm, it is getting late. Late into the night is near and sleep is calling to those whom are still awake at this hour. The end of this tale is close at hand. Please finish your pipe as the tale ends. You may rest here for the night. A room has already been prepared for you. Are you enjoying the tobacco? Now, is the time to finish this tale and then heed the call to sleep the night away?

Willden 5 As you can see at the end of this tale, is that the realm of Dungeons and Dragons is important for social interaction. It combines the enjoyment of story-telling and playing a game. It strengthens your creativity, imagination, strategy and tactics, and friendships. It is certain that you love to share stories and games with your friends and creating new friends in the process. When you enter this realm, you and your group of friends are free to bring music to play in the background and to bring provisions of food and drink to aid you and your group. You and your group can meet at various places like a home or a meeting hall of your choosing. The length of time to enjoy this realm is of your choosing with dependency of the storys and quests length. You already have the skills to be in this realm. You just need to bring them out into the fore front. Here is a word of caution that you must heed. The success and or failure within this realm is dependant on the delicate balance of the relationship between the Dungeon Master and your group. It has been observed that if this relationship is ill and sour, then the experience within this realm will be ill and sour. If this relationship is well maintained, then you and your group will have fun while you and your group explore this realm. Before you retire to your room to sleep the night away, a question needs to be asked here is a set of dice for you to take. Will you like to explore the realm of Dungeons and Dragons?
Comment [BC6]: Dee, While you have include some great ideas and features of the game in this paper, this reads as a summary, rather than an analysis, because you give no indication of how well these aspects work to achieve the main purpose of the game. As you work to revise, be sure you are actually stating that main purpose and demonstrating how it is achieved through everything you say. -Ms. C

Willden 6 Works Cited 1.) 2.) Wizards of the coast; Players Handbook core rulebook 1 v.3.5, July 2003 Wizards of the coast; Dungeon Masters Guide core rulebook 2 v.3.5, July 2003 3.) 4.) Wizards of the coast; Monster Manual core rulebook 3 v.3.5, July 2003 Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson