Pondering...

[Emperor Wilbers]

I have been learning more and more about RPGs and one thing that is VERY confusing to me is one single thing: Dungeons and Dragons.

At first I only knew it as a simple RPGMMO game that you download like LOTRO or something. Then I found a random website basically saying that the writer of the website was designing characters and worlds, using D&D. Then, I got confused. Is it a game or is it a software you get to develop games. I know there's manuals and stuff but I though they were just player manuals, like the thing you can buy with a new game you just bought at a gamestop, but apparently, it's not. I look on  wikipedia and every single source I can find and none gives me a straigtforward answer on what it is. Either it's a game, or its a game developer thingamebober. Please help the cause!

[Throndir]

It's a game. XD

But not in the sense you know it. It's called Pen & Paper/Tabletop.

D&D is roleplaying using pencil/paper, dice, and imagination. Think of playing a computer RPG game but without the computer. There's the "DM", the Dungeon master, who is, in a way, the "computer". The manuals you were finding and know about are the manuals on how to play the game, or campaigns (scenarios in which to have the adventure). The manuals can be thought of as... quests in a computer game.

Here's a vid:
(Start it at 7:00, too much intro stuff in the beginning). Part two has actual rolls and stuff.
PAX Celebrity Game, Part 1
PAX Celebrity Game, Part 2

And here's a Hollywood-atized version, from the TV series Community:
http://www.gorillavid.in/lydi9912aero

[Emperor Wilbers]

Great, thanks so much!

[Throndir]

We're doing a forum version, you can see the roleplay in the Silver Arms section. There's also Dungeon Quester by Hasabushi which would probably be better as an introductory.

[Kazamatta]

The only thing with D&D I've never done it play it with a map its all been writing things down and having books and binders with all the info you needfor you as an adventurer or as the DM that's what I've know pen and paper to be refered to but tabletop I have heard about just never actually tried. I liked to hwole imagine it yourself and keep up way lol guess thats why im liking these forum games but am really wanting to try table top now I even got the software downloaded for it lol.