Dungeons and Dragons Celebrates 50 Years of 'Critical Hits’

KQED's Forum

You are walking down a dark dungeon hallway lit by torches and covered in cobwebs. You hear ominous squelching sounds. Wait! It’s the GIBBERING MOUTHER. Do you pull out a sword or cast a spell? If this is a scenario you have faced, it’s likely you have been playing Dungeons & Dragons, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The goal of the tabletop game is not to win, but for players to immerse themselves in a fantasy world and go on a heroic adventure. In a time when video games and screen time have proliferated, D&D offers the opportunity to gather with friends in real life to play an immersive and collaborative game that is always changing. We talk about D&D with expert dungeon masters and fans and hear from you: what draws you to D&D?

Guests:

Brennan Lee Mulligan, actor and writer; executive producer, writer and Game Master of the web-series "Dimension 20"

Danielle Radford, standup comedian, Radford has appeared in "Dimension 20," a web-based Dungeons and Dragons series. She is also the co-host of "Tights n Fights," a wrestling podcast.

Jon Peterson, author, "Playing at the World 2E: The Invention of Dungeons & Dragons," "The Elusive Shift" and "Game Wizards"; co-author, "Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana"

Gwendolyn Reza, co-owner, Games of Berkeley