Dear Readers,
This particular treatise was written by one of my teen players. They wish to remain anonymous, so there is no name associated with it. That said, this is the product of another person, and if you cite it or use it, please credit The Daily Dungeon Master Blog.
Lastly, I included some D&D memes for your additional amusement.
Thanks & enjoy!
“Dungeons and Dragons (commonly known as D&D) is a game about working together as a team to achieve a common goal. While you play, it’s important to think critically about every move. You have to communicate with your fellow party members. Most importantly, you have to be creative in how you solve your problems. D&D is a great way to develop critical thinking, effective communication and creative problem-solving skills.
While playing D&D, you have to think critically. Whether you’re talking to someone at a tavern, or navigating a dungeon, you have to think about every move you make. According to Oxford dictionary, critical thinking is defined as “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” During gameplay, you’re constantly making judgments. Is this a person I can trust? If I were in their shoes, would I do this? Is this worth the risk? These are all questions you ask as you play. These questions can easily be translated to the real world. This person has a history of doing bad things, can I trust them? Would I have done the same thing this person did? Should I risk this, or should I play it safe? While you think about your next move, you also should be thinking about how to communicate what you’re thinking.
Communication is a key part of D&D. If you can’t effectively communicate, you won’t get anywhere. Miscommunication is the #1 reason for a party’s downfall. Everyone has their own way of saying the same thing, so if you can’t get your version to line up with the rest of your companions, you can’t get the task done. The same thing happens in real life. If you don’t say what you mean in a way that everyone can understand, you can’t solve your problem. At work, this could mean communicating a plan to meet the next deadline. In D&D, this could mean the plan to sneak into the dragon’s lair. To make a good plan however, you need to be creative in your problem solving.
To be a good player, you need to think outside of the box. D&D puts you into situations you never thought you’d be put into, like smuggling a load of radioactive parrots across a border, or how to convince a band of kids to defend a castle. You really have to think in a creative manner to solve these weird, wacky problems because there are no normal solutions. Same logic applies to real life. To solve a weird problem, you have to come up with a weird solution. Whether it’s the issue of feuding co-workers or feuding gods, creative problem solving is an important part of life. In conclusion, D&D is a great way to build important skills you’ll need for your future. Being able to think critically allows you to make good judgments and good plans. Effective communication allows you to put those judgments and plans to use by getting others involved. Creative problem-solving allows you to solve weird problems and get anything done. The combination of these points is why I think D&D is a great way to develop skills needed for your future.”
So, Dear Readers? What do you think? Personally, coming from a teen in high school, I love her essay. Let me know what you think in the comment section below!
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on each and every awesome blog post about your favorite subject: gaming!
Until next time, Dear Readers….
The Daily Dungeon Master Blog 