dungeons and dragons game

My daughter will be 10 at Christmas and has been begging for D&D for months
now. I know nothing about this game, except that the dorky goth kids would
sit in the mall and play it day after day when I was a teenager. Is this a
game a kid can play alone? I have this feeling that it's something that is
supposed to be played by several people in a group, that carries on daily or
weekly or whatever. I'm just not sure it's something she'd really want, she
loves role-playing games but maybe she'd be better off with a game meant for
one person?

Penny Gaines...

I used to play it and similar games: none of the people I knew who
played were even vaguely goth like, and the goths I knew didn't play it.

You can't play it alone, but maybe she hopes to persuade some of her
friends to join in a game. Only one person needs to have the books.

Marie

HCN...

Perhaps you should find out if there are friends of hers also playing. See
if there is someone who has taken on the role as the "Dungeon Master", or if
she really knows what is involved in playing... Ask her if she knows how to
use "percentage dice".

I had friends in college who played it, and still get together every other
Friday night for the last 20+ years. They are not goth at all... some are
lawyers, others are engineers, a couple other things (including stay at home
moms). The thing is that they are perfectly normal (okay, maybe a little
geeky).

I played briefly in college, but I lost interest in it because I needed to
actually study for classes . I also tend to lose interest in card games and
board games... so it is just my personality, I usually call the games "bored
games". So I attended game sessions with my spouse by bringing a good book
and reading, and occasionally striking up a conversation with a complete
stranger.

By the way... these days role playing games are being played online. That
is essentially what "World of Warcraft" is... If I had my choice, I'd go for
the group bit with real human players over a computer online role playing
world (especially one that requires a monthly fee).

Oh... and another thing... my 16 year old son (who used to play World of
Warcraft online) was and is a fan of the "Dragonlance" book series. These
books are D&D adventures put into prose. If you want, you might try getting
her one of those books instead... though I think if you go that route you
might just try giving her Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon (the first
of the Xanth series of books. which is pretty much geared towards
pre-teens). My son read through over 20 books of that series between 5th
and 7th grades.

Irene...

I also grew up playing D&D, although I didn't start until high school.
At first, I was in a school club (which definitely had a geek factor -
I agree with the pp's that you are more likely to get a geek label than
a goth label for playing D&D). Then, I started playing with some
friends, who would get together about once a week to play on weekends.
We later switched over to Champions, which is similarly role-playing,
but more like an X-men world where you make up superheroes /
alter-egos.

It does take a while to learn the game, especially if you want to be
the Dungeon Master. There are pre-made modules you can play, which are
probably the best for a beginner, since you don't have to make up the
entire thing before you can play. I'd say 3-4 people are about the
practical minimum for playing, and 6-8 maximum for regular play - with
too many people, it can get really bogged down. I have a group of
friends who get together annually for a weekend of D&D, which can get
pretty intense. (I haven't been able to go in a while - dh isn't
really into the idea of watching the kids for a whole weekend so I can
go play D&D!)

Anyhow, it can be a lot of fun if everyone gets into the spirit, and
can be great for problem-solving and imaginitive play.

rothemar...

First as stated in prior posts it is not a goth/Ultra Nerd or Geeks
Game. I am 22 going on 23 who rides motocross, is finishing school,
and parties with the best of them; yet I continue to play dungeon and
dragons with my closest friends every other friday. Essentially it is
a group activity comprised of dice, boards, and notes where each player
is challenged by one person (Dungeon Master) to role play as their
selected character determining the most realistic course of action
their character can enact. It challenges a child/adult's ability to
think creatively and if you are a student of game theory; it challenges
a player to deduce inductively what the DM is actually going to perform
before he or she does so.

This game cannot be played by yourself however if that is what you wish
video games on the market (as stated by other commentators) is
available. Unfortunately Ive run both choices and I do not suggest
allowing your child to game virtually. It will make the child
reclusive and put greater stock in the virtual realm than the real.
DnD on the other hand the game ends when you call it a night. The
reason this is so is because a player cannot force activity in the game
just by logging on for the night. A player must wait until their
teammates and their dungeon master are all available.

Another constructive benefit of DnD is the means to communicate their
thoughts effectively. Decisive actions spoken above through rational
decision making can only get you to a marginal victory but speaking
effectively where the entire audience understands can create a more
lasting memory and a means to effectively push forward your thoughts
into other communities.

I think you should do for your child whatever you think is best.
However, I think DnD is an excellent addition to a child's development.
Moderation is the key to everything :P

stasya...

If she wants it, and has a few friends, go for it. It's pretty easy to
learn how to play, and if she loves role-play, its not dark and gothy
like some other role-playing games. (There are gothy role-play, such as
Vampire the Masquerade, and the werewolf one.) Like someone else said,
if she's short on friends who'd be interested, you can hook her up with
online D&D. Back in the dark ages, I used to play text based d&d
online. Although I wouldn't honestly suggest this. The live, with
friends group, is much easier, and less time-consuming than the
internet.