<p> First created in 1974, the largest table-top role-playing game (RPG) <i> Dungeons & Dragons</i> (D&D) started out as a war game where multiple players could join in and fight monsters. Grounded in fantasy conventions and as a way to explore fantasy genres, <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> popularity continued through new editions and add-ons. In addition, <i> Dungeons & Dragons</i> legacy has lived on in the gaming world as the father of most RPGs and fantasy games with a large fan following across various editions and over multiple decades. The fan following is still evident today due to D&D's foundations in high fantasy. An exploration of the ways in which fantasy narrative plays a role in the fan culture of D&D is necessary to understand how the aspects of fantasy affect gameplay and how players view D&D. By conducting a study of <i>Dungeons & Dragons </i> players which focused on close game play, players' relationships to other fantasy genres, and how players interacted with game conventions, I explored the ways in which <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> introduced players to fantasy and how they participated in a fandom. This paper will present the findings of the study as well as situate <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> in relationship to other fantasy and gaming subcultures. </p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10809137 |
| Date | 30 June 2018 |
| Creators | Strickland, Klaira |
| Publisher | Western Illinois University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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