Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It

About this book

The Hobbit meets Moneyball in this definitive book on Dungeons & Dragonsfrom its origins and rise to cultural prominence to the continued effects on popular culture today. HERE THERE BE DRAGONS. Ancient red dragons with 527 hit points 44 to attack and a 20d10 breath weapon to be specific. In the world of fantasy role-playing those numbers describe a winged serpent with immense strength and the ability to spit fire. There are few beasts more powerfuljust like there are few games more important than Dungeons & Dragons. Even if youve never played Dungeons & Dragons you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974decades before the Internet and social mediaDungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures and is still revered by millions of fans around the world. Now the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player. In Of Dice and Men David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the games roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the games origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&Ds profound impact Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history journalism narrative and memoir Of Dice and Men sheds light on Americas most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.