A review by oliviak07
Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D by David Kushner
3.0
*Ratings Note: I would like to give this graphic novel a 3.9 instead of a 3.0.*
Given my life long love of the imagination, mythology, fantasy, adventures, lore and science fiction, role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons have always caught my interest and intrigue. Granted I did not play them when I was younger (due to the ever lovely peer pressure of the kids I felt I NEEDED to be friends with), I can indulge in the perks of being an adult and free to impress no one but myself. Hence I found a local group to join, and had to play a little catch up in order to become familiar with the game and it's origins before I take my first roll of the dice.
Youtube tutorials, and books like Kushner's "Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D" are good/great study tools!
While the GN was nothing extraordinary, I enjoyed the history of the co-creators, and learning about their lives, their methods in making the game, and the aftermath of their creation in all of its glory and horror. I also found the narration of the GN to be smart, since it reads like the narration of the DM in an actual game.
I also found the quote "But your common love of gaming overcomes your differences." (46) to be motivating in a current state of the world where we find more reasons to stay apart from one another, instead of coming together. Differences and all.
It would have been nice to have a little more, beyond the basics, of the game itself. This would help late bloomers or rookies of all ages to the game have a better grasp of the rules, roles, etc. Nevertheless, these missing pieces of the story did not completely hinder the reading experience.
I look forward to taking what I have learned about the origins of the game, and seeing if it will help me and my party when we find ourselves hoping for a 20.
Given my life long love of the imagination, mythology, fantasy, adventures, lore and science fiction, role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons have always caught my interest and intrigue. Granted I did not play them when I was younger (due to the ever lovely peer pressure of the kids I felt I NEEDED to be friends with), I can indulge in the perks of being an adult and free to impress no one but myself. Hence I found a local group to join, and had to play a little catch up in order to become familiar with the game and it's origins before I take my first roll of the dice.
Youtube tutorials, and books like Kushner's "Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D" are good/great study tools!
While the GN was nothing extraordinary, I enjoyed the history of the co-creators, and learning about their lives, their methods in making the game, and the aftermath of their creation in all of its glory and horror. I also found the narration of the GN to be smart, since it reads like the narration of the DM in an actual game.
I also found the quote "But your common love of gaming overcomes your differences." (46) to be motivating in a current state of the world where we find more reasons to stay apart from one another, instead of coming together. Differences and all.
It would have been nice to have a little more, beyond the basics, of the game itself. This would help late bloomers or rookies of all ages to the game have a better grasp of the rules, roles, etc. Nevertheless, these missing pieces of the story did not completely hinder the reading experience.
I look forward to taking what I have learned about the origins of the game, and seeing if it will help me and my party when we find ourselves hoping for a 20.