Date of Award

4-28-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Jan French

Abstract

Dungeons & Dragons at its core is roleplay based storytelling, which implies the idea that the game is a work of fiction. While the world of Iad and the Free States of Tarvan does not exist on planet earth, the experiences and emotions felt by the players and their characters within the world are very much real. Players use extensions of themselves, their characters, to interact with the world around them, forging relationships and new lines of fate and destiny. Characters are fractals of their out of game personas, attached to one’s base personality and expanding outwards. The development of a character is heavily influenced by a player’s own history and frame of reference, but also the ritual of immersion. Immersion is the core part of this process, allowing players and their Dungeon Master to jump between the two worlds interchangeably. These worlds run parallel and simultaneously with each other during campaign sessions, allowing players to interact with both. At the end of the day, the DnD group Cantrips and Chaos has fostered a subcultural dynamic that functions at two different levels. Players have the unique capability of developing characters that reflect themselves and directly impact a world that is different from their own in meaningful, and sometimes truly chaotic ways.

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