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First created in 1974, the largest table-top role-playing game (RPG) Dungeons & Dragons (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, Dungeons & Dragons popularity continued through new editions and add-ons. In addition, Dungeons & Dragons 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 Dungeons & Dragons 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 Dungeons & Dragons introduced players to fantasy and how they participated in a fandom. This paper will present the findings of the study as well as situate Dungeons & Dragons in relationship to other fantasy and gaming subcultures.
Advisor: | Buchanan, Rebekah |
Commitee: | Baird, Neil, Morrow, Chris |
School: | Western Illinois University |
Department: | English |
School Location: | United States -- Illinois |
Source: | MAI 57/06M(E), Masters Abstracts International |
Source Type: | DISSERTATION |
Subjects: | Language arts, Cultural anthropology, Social research |
Keywords: | Cultural study, Dungeons and Dragons, Fandom studies, Game studies, Game theory |
Publication Number: | 10809137 |
ISBN: | 978-0-438-08061-4 |