Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Myree 08-12-06, 06:53 PM	OK, various threads over time have touched on it, including a couple going right now. We all know the stereotypical negative aspects of D&D in society (or out, as the case may be). But, I wonder how many of us have never taken the time to think about the positive aspects. These are the things that if we can get people to realize, it might help wipe out some of that negative stereo-types. I know I tried using some of these on my parents way back when the whole "cult" thing started up, and had to use some again on my wife (the non-gamer) to convince her I wasn't condeming my son's soul by starting him up. So, I was thinking maybe it's about time for a thread on these positive benefits of playing this great game of ours and being part of this community. Here are some of the ones I've accumulated over the years: - Ability to think on your feet -- if you have had to overcome a riddle or trap before the countdown ends, you know how to meet a deadline. And as it turns out, conversing with an ogre and trying to trick it into helping your party is actually a lot like trying to get a co-worker to help with a project. Then you can get into job interviews, angry customers, system crashes, and on and on, any of which may have parallels in the game-world that you have dealt with 100 times before. - Creativity -- I don't think I need to even offer an example here from the game world -- if you can't imagine one yourself, your in the wrong game. But look how it can be applied to class and work assignments, or even the joy of a real-life outside of gaming - Seeing things from a completely different point of view -- it always amazes me how hard it is for some people to see things from any point of view than their own. But, we have the advantage of having to decide how our characters would see something and how they would react to it, and for us that also DM, multiply that out by a every one of the PCs we are juggling, plus a few thousand NPCs as well. Not too much of a stretch for me to put myself in the shoes of a customer to think about how they see something, or a student that is having a difficult time grasping a concept, and how to present it in a way they will understand it better. - Teamwork -- we have to interact all the time, from not only our own point of view, but also our character's, dealing with other characters and PCs and NPCs and the like, all to accompish certain formal or informal goals. Use those same skills on group projects and you'll more than likely blow away anyone that thinks the group is just there to bring them down. - Social Interaction -- yeah, we all know the bad rap we have (as unearned as it is), but think about it, we are constantly on the look-out for others that might be interested, and yet many times have to be subtle in our approach to not scare off the ignorant. And once the game begins and the walls start coming down, well, few group activities can be as fun as what we do. - Research -- I actually did a college paper on this one once. Think about the sheer volume of time we spent with our nose in such a wide variety of books or web sites trying to gleen new information and figuring out the best way to apply it to what we are doing. In my work-life, it is amazing how much of an advantage that gives us over others who have only done research for boring school work that they could really care less about. - Leadership -- we have all had to lead at one time or other, even if the worst possible result if things went wrong is someone (or everyone) having to mourn a favorite characters and start rolling up a new one. Well, the real world is needing leaders (even if they are just the quiet ones in back encouraging others to do what the "appointed" ones want), and the rewards or consequences can be a little more important to us. - Presenting in front of a group -- we all know the stats on how people fear public speaking over death. Well, we do this on a regular basis without even giving it a second thought. We know what we are good at, and we find a way to present it that others can trust us on. Apply the same techniques to your real world classes or jobs, and the benefits can be amazing. - Dealing with loss, disappointment, and sudden change -- hey, your 10th level barbarian just fell off a cliff into hot lava. Get over it and grab some dice and a blank sheet. We've all been there, right? Well, what about when the report you just slaved away at gets a "c"? Or the project you've been working on for 6 months is suddenly cancelled? Being able to deal with these matters to. As does suddenly being able to adapt when you are suddenly informed the big presentation has been moved up to tomorrow. - Knowing how to teach -- to my knowledge there is no formal school you have to go through to qualify to play D&D (don't start!). That means that sooner or later, we all have to step in and train a newby on how to play. Or, following a session, we have discussions about what we could have done better, giving and receiving feedback on performance and making a plan to to do something about it. Well, I spent a large portion of my early "corporate world" life training others how to use computers, both one-on-one and whole classrooms, and I can tell you, the experience DOES MATTER. Just as mentioned above, learning how to see things from a different point of view allows us to better adapt and deal with those we are trying to help. OK, I've rambled enough. Anyone else want to contribute, or am I just a rambling old man?
Darkuwa 08-12-06, 07:00 PM	I got a B in my college probabilty class even though I only whent 5 times over the year. I attribute it to DnD dice and lots of poker.
Random_Kid 08-12-06, 09:15 PM	Enhanced math skills - After many a session of rolling multiple dice, your brain get's unnaturally quick at adding simple numbers, figuring percentages, and dealing with real numbers that you actually might use in your real life.
swallowyersoul 09-02-06, 11:33 PM	generates interest in history, mythology, literature. plus some of my best friends in the world are folks i met via gaming. it's been 15 years since we met, and other gamers aren't my friends but it's an easy way to break the ice.
Nived 09-02-06, 11:38 PM	Explore exotic lands, meet interesting and exotic people, kill them. All from the comfort of the kitchen table.
RedUncle 09-03-06, 05:13 AM	I may be repeating what's already been suggested by others... 1) encourages abstract thought / employs the right side of the brain... both players and DMs are required to use (gasp!) their imagination - something that most people (for some bizarre reason) feel embarrassed about possessing... D&D is a colorful, exciting, magical game - playing it reminds me of being five years old and pretending to be a dinosaur after watching "Land of the Lost" 2) problem resolution - even though the problems are imaginary, the meat of the game lies in resolving conflicts in an efficient and unique manner - it's strategy in its purest, most realistic form 3) reading! in a time when reading is a grossly neglected pass-time (I fear this will lead to the downfall of modern man), D&D requires hours of reading - not just memorization/academic reading -- but also reading for pure pleasure (fluff!) 4) it's a relatively inexpensive (despite our complaints), delightfully rewarding, extremely sociable hobby... ------ and the community of players! (both online and otherwise) --- it's almost like having been a member of a fraternity! haha... seriously - you guys are really great people - there's no hate/disdain within the D&D community - and this is exemplified here on these boards! we're all enthusiastic, welcoming, and pleasant people --- which is very rare these days... time for my morning coffee! :D
Azezel 09-03-06, 06:25 AM	Er... It's a hobby. It gives one something to do whilst one waits for death's sweet kiss... What more do you want?
thanos_xanathar 09-03-06, 07:14 AM	Azezel, i feel you dont fully grasp the point of this thread. To everyone else...Your all my heros. My best friend and I, (more him than myself) Started a gaming club sponsered by our highschool back in 02/03. The school bought the books, dice, and really all the materials we needed to play. They even let us use the board of education meeting room every other saturday. All of these things were possible for the same reasons being discussed on this thread. We got people who would have normally never be seen with each other, to no only hang out together but enjoy each others company on more than just game nights. Keep up the good fight.
katarl 09-03-06, 07:20 AM	Yep, dnd is truly the sport (hobby) of kings. I can't say it improves your ability to calculate vectors, angles or unknown numbers (or any higher calculations at all), but epic play can be excellent for arithmetic. we're all enthusiastic, welcoming, and pleasant people Yay! Dnd makes formerly broodish people into go-getting sociable members of society. Its the contact with said enthusiasic, welcoming and pleasant people that does it. I've seen some pretty unpleasant people playing dnd, as well as some downright saintly ones. My guess is that the game attracts a polarised audience, the very good, and the very bad, but for different reasons. Suicide rates among dnd gamers are lower than those among the clergy, proof that dnd is better for you than religion (at least your body, any way)!
VrecknidjX 09-03-06, 09:20 AM	Suicide rates among dnd gamers are lower than those among the clergy, proof that dnd is better for you than religion (at least your body, any way)!What studies have produced these results? Dave
Bob Loblaw 09-03-06, 10:58 AM	Dave, check out http://www.rpgstudies.net/ (this site) for a long list of studies. While most aren't specifically for DnD, they all involve roleplaying games in some way (tabletop to computer).
boozerker 09-03-06, 12:23 PM	Dave, check out http://www.rpgstudies.net/ (this site) for a long list of studies. While most aren't specifically for DnD, they all involve roleplaying games in some way (tabletop to computer).Thanks Loblaw Here's the corrected link http://www.rpgstudies.net Next time write it out like this: this site (http://www.rpgstudies.net) and it'll function correctly.
Azezel 09-03-06, 03:08 PM	Azezel, i feel you dont fully grasp the point of this thread. It strikes me that I alone fully grasp the point of this thread. This thread, and other like it (oh so so many others) seem to take it as read that Dungeons & Dragons, and RPG's in general need defending. It's essentially saying 'yeah, our hobby is under attack and is basically a bad thing, but maybe we can scapre together a few little arguents in favour of our horrid little game'. Which is just not true. DnD does not need to be defended, and it is barely under attack (in fact, in my enlightened corner of the world it is not under attack at all). It is a hobby. We play it because it is more fun than sitting alone in a dark room. It needs no more justification than this.
Drodain 09-03-06, 03:18 PM	Azezel, the thread is to convince others, you are lucky people around you don't care. I live in the center of the bible belt. DnD is not generally accepted. It took me a while to convince my own parents it wasn't such a bad thing. Like other threads this is to help people collect thoughts in one place for their use in things related to DnD. I do agree with your views on it, however people outside the gaming community don't.
renren 09-03-06, 04:03 PM	Nice post, Myree.:D My husband and I are both avid gamers and have struggled with the stereotypes also! I hope some day our 2 girls will be active in a campaign!
boozerker 09-03-06, 04:48 PM	Which is just not true. DnD does not need to be defended, and it is barely under attack (in fact, in my enlightened corner of the world it is not under attack at all). Ha, no wonder. You're from Isle of Wight. It's amazing in this age how much countries don't know about one another. Every free country probably takes something for granted, that in another free country people have to fight for (especially in those countries that claim to be most free). Yes, D&D has problems is certain parts of the free world. But to help continue this thread's point, D&D can help develop one's sense of balance -- when adding to the game's ruleset, you realize that to gain something you might have to lose something, or risk it all falling out of whack. These lessons sometimes carry over in real life to remind us to look for weaknesses in a plan that might not be readily evident because it affects something down the line. Because in D&D, we learn to anticipate an unforseen chain of events. On a related note, some of us walk away from the experience with a feeling that even when another race or culture has perceived weaknesses, they could very well be strengthened in other areas -- possibly a benefit from playing and customizing D&D races, and world-building.
fatal error 09-03-06, 10:08 PM	Teaches you how to argue and debate. I can't count the number of times I've had to defend game mechanics by use of real world analogy and swift quoting of various rules to succeed. It also can teach you how to read. First book I ever read was a Star Wars roleplaying book. In fact, I played the 2nd SWRPG, and taught all my friends how to, before I could read a children's story.
anki 09-04-06, 03:42 AM	Your minds creative and social sides get developed better.Ever since i played DnD my imagination has run amok (which could be a bad thing,especialy when your in class) plus im generaly shy,but since i DM nearly every session i tend to "open up" more often. And most the best positive side is D&D brings people 2gether!!! ...Unlike shot guns.hehe
Bob Loblaw 09-04-06, 09:42 AM	Thanks Loblaw Here's the corrected link http://www.rpgstudies.net Next time write it out like this: this site (http://www.rpgstudies.net) and it'll function correctly. Thanks, I was using the new hyperlink button and didn't realize that it was slightly different than before.
babysamurai 09-04-06, 10:00 AM	Which is just not true. DnD does not need to be defended, and it is barely under attack (in fact, in my enlightened corner of the world it is not under attack at all). Totally, but then again I now live in London (UK), whereas previously I lived in L.A. (USA), and the Europeans have a much more sophisticated/accepting attitude towards peoples choice of lifestyle/sexuality/interests etc.
frasmage 09-04-06, 01:05 PM	-Gives you good vocabulary! you need to learn really off-center descriptive words to make describing the dungeon and actions more interresting. I must say though, I sometimes annoy my friends saying things they don't understand :bored:
Jodjod 09-05-06, 12:56 AM	It's the only way to remain 100% safe...[/obvious]
Beavisfett 09-05-06, 04:26 AM	Lets see, it can help math, reading, and social skills just to name a few things
xlivid 09-06-06, 08:19 AM	Yesterday I started writing a column for my website on how Dungeons and Dragons is just another game next to Tic Tac Toe and Doom, but with a little bit more variables taken in to account. Ultimately I want to break the stereotypical image of nerdom associated with RPGs in general. This thread is a good resource of the pro's and very inspirational :D
boozerker 09-06-06, 08:35 AM	Yesterday I started writing a column for my website on how Dungeons and Dragons is just another game next to Tic Tac Toe and Doom, but with a little bit more variables taken in to account. Ultimately I want to break the stereotypical image of nerdom associated with RPGs in general. This thread is a good resource of the pro's and very inspirational :D So list -plug:)- your website.
Dhaise 09-06-06, 08:43 AM	My organization skills went up drastically when I started playing. Also, my small town (population 4000) elementary school that did not have the funds to justify extra ciriculum for a school band, chess club, or more than one commodore 64 computer did find the funding for one DnD old school boxed set when I illustrated the small group communication skills, problem solving,reading comprehension, math skills and creativity available for the very low price of 12 bucks (back then). I had a 20 person game twice a week that we got graded on- in the earliest onset of the 'mazes and monsters' era.
xlivid 09-06-06, 03:51 PM	So list -plug:)- your website. I'll have to complete the column first ;-)
katarl 09-06-06, 04:12 PM	It helps me in my physics work, for example- if a 1.5 ton cart carrying Kaarnathi ale is carried by a magebred steed at a speed of 10m/s around a roundabout of radius 25m, and a goblin suddenly was flung by an angry bugbear with the fling enemy feat, what damage will the goblin take, assuming that telekinesis moves objects 30ft/round? I agree with my Isle of Wight-ian friend. Here in England there is no attack on dnd. It's mostly ignored, overshadowed maybe by warhammer. The christian fundamentalists here are too busy with harry potter. Dnd is probably of greatest benefit in history and english, where facts, style and debate are most richly rewarded.
DarkNick 09-06-06, 04:39 PM	It helped me pick up chicks ;)
frasmage 09-06-06, 04:42 PM	Dnd is probably of greatest benefit in history and english, where facts, style and debate are most richly rewarded. I fully agree. though it helps in just about any subject in some way. english (or whatever language you play in) and history are obvious (just be careful not to confuse DnD fiction with stuff in your history book) It also helps in: -physics: though game scale and mechanics are rounded it still helps to build up mental images of scenarios -math: when you start having to take into account many dice and modifiers you get good at fast calculating -computer studies: well, at least this site can teach you basic stuff about comps (formatting, coding, etc.). Comp studies teachers tend to be impressed when you can do everything through hotkeys or manual formatting -Drama: HELL YA, is there any debate here? -Art: DnD provokes the imagination, which is something art requires -Geography: like physics, with the addition that DnD teaches you names and basics of many geographical structures and features... of course it won't help your grades knowing what the movement penalty of those features are ;)... Any other subjects I forgot?
Optimator 09-06-06, 06:07 PM	It helped me pick up chicks ;) Pfft.
boozerker 09-06-06, 06:15 PM	Geology Weather or climates Population needs Food chain awareness (dungeon/wilderness ecologies, or "dungeon logic") knowledge of herbs
MrPiskie 09-08-06, 04:46 AM	Some more benefits: -Builds decision-making skills: Do I want feat X or feat Y? Which stat should I pip when I get to level 4? This requires the same sort of cost/benefit analysis thinking that other decisions more pertinent to the real world do. -Builds planning and organizational skills: DMing goes a lot more smoothly when things are plotted and statted in advance. Never have I been more organized than when I'm planning my session. Yet at the same time, it's impossible to foresee with certainty what exactly the PCs are going to do, so one learns when and how to improvise and depart from established guidelines.
dnddreamer 09-08-06, 05:19 AM	I'd like to relate a conversation between my mom and me the other month that touches on the OP's topic. First off, I'm 36 and have been playing D&D since I was 12 (6th grade). My son is 11 and has just started at the beginning of this year. So, my mother was over visiting and noticed my son reading the new PHII and asked if he was playing D&D. I told her of course...he enjoyes it. Then after a pause I asked my mother this question: "Back when I started playing D&D I'm aware that you know of all the negativity that was surrounding D&D but you instead of fighting it encouraged me to play though you never wanted to understand or learn about the game yourself. Why?" My mother's answer was simple and mind opening. She said, "Back in the 6th grade you strugglied with Math, english, and reading. Strugglied so bad that your dad and I though about keeping you back a grade. Then by the end of 6th grade your grades improved after playing D&D for a little while. And in the 7th grade your grades drastically improved. I contributed alot of that to the math, problem solving, and reading that you did while learning and playing D&D. Of course, I was concerned with the negative aspects that I was hearing but at the same time I let you embrace it because you enjoyed it and seemed to be improving your grades from it." Then, being the joker I am, I told my mom, "Mom, it wasn't the D&D, remember it's Satan's game and he blessed me with more intelligence to do better in school." She just laughed and walked away. For what it is worth...that was my 2 cents.
jokei 09-08-06, 05:24 AM	I've recently gotten back into D&D and found everyone in the community to be very helpful, especially on here. As an aside I work in a tattooists and when I came back from a break with the Monster Manual, I got a lot of "ribbing" about my new hobby; it still continues, with guys at work asking me if I'm pretending to be an orc this evening etc. However, I've got some miniatures on display at work and my boss' son wants to get into the hobby now, so he's been "forced" to take an interest - he doesn't want to admit it, but he's getting hooked.
Golden Zealot 09-08-06, 06:03 AM	See, this (thread) is why I think all dnd materials should be government provided, free for everyone, everywhere. It's a wonderful game, but if I listed all the good it's done me, I'd just be repeating what others have already said.
DmMagnus 09-08-06, 09:05 AM	The most positive thing aspect with D&D is the fact that you earn friends for life.
boozerker 09-10-06, 05:49 AM	...an award-winning and prolific writer (of novels, short stories, poems, and screenplays) and occasional comedian who lives in Seattle, Washington. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a modern Native American (he is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian) in the United States. Sherman Alexie headed a seminar (http://ww2.wizards.com/books/Wizards/default.aspx?doc=main_genconschedule2004&o=dnd/books) presentation for Wizards titled "How D&D asved my life". Would've been nice to see that.
boozerker 09-11-06, 04:35 AM	Found this in Generic Fighter's sig: The Escapist (http://www.theescapist.com) A very good gaming advocacy website.
Geoste 09-11-06, 08:45 AM	OK, various threads over time have touched on it, including a couple going right now. We all know the stereotypical negative aspects of D&D in society (or out, as the case may be). (...) Here are some of the ones I've accumulated over the years: (...) Anyone else want to contribute, or am I just a rambling old man? You know, every RPG I have played does all these things, not just D&D. RPGs (not just D&D) build character as well as the ability to think. Period. -