4

 

and Style and Humour sections. This is in
no small part due to the high percentage
of D&D players on the writing staff.

“I used to think D&D was too complex and
had too much math before I started playing,”
said Greg Waldock, one of our staff writers,
when asked about his D&D experience.

“Now I think it’s basically drama class.”

Davie Wong, our Sports Editor and dungeon
master for several members of the Other Press,
holds a very special place in his heart for D&D.

“Playing D&D offers me an opportunity to hang
out with my friends when I normally wouldn't
have time,” said Wong. “It’s my weekly escape
from the grit and grind of the college life. D&D
allows me to express myself in a creative way, and
in a way that I normally don’t get to do... D&D
has-the potential to be so much bigger than it is.
There are a lot of therapeutic uses for the game,
and I absolutely think those should be explored.”

This is an alluring idea, and one that has caught
on in the mental health community. According to
an article by the BBC, therapists are starting to use
D&D to help patients, especially children, access
emotions and process trauma in a safe and even
fun environment. The use of roleplaying in therapy
has been a well-respected practice for decades,
allowing patients to walk through scenarios in the
safety of a therapist’s office. The addition of fantasy
elements and a combat system does not detract
from the benefits; if anything, it gives one a sense
of distance from whatever is causing them pain.

D&D provides a space for the imagination to
let loose. It helps lift barriers—in the space of a
session, a person who is shy might play a character
who is bold and outgoing. Someone who feels
helpless and. powerless in the real world might
find strength and courage in a battle against
a necromancer. It gives people the power to be
themselves in entirely new and exciting ways.

It allows me, an uncoordinated and decidedly
unmagical giant, a chance to kick ass as a tiny
gnomish powerhouse. At least once a week, anyway.

 

Eh
Onis