How do you explain DnD to nonplayers?

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I'm trying to explain to a friend of mine what tabletop DnD exactly is, but I'm having difficulty of getting her to understand it. I thought about using the famous "I cast... Magic Missile" stuff, but I think that somehow, that be more confusing

Anyone have experience with this?

 

Just bring it down to the essence of the game. Tell her it is a roll-playing in which you use your imagination to beat monsters etc. You play the roll of another person in a world with dragons, unicorns and trolls. It is kind of a medievel setting in which you experience all sorts of adventures.

That is as simplistic as I can think of it, but you often get strange looks when you tell this. You could also use references like the Dungeons & Dragons animated series or explain it is like LOTR, this often helps people understand it better.

 

I tried the LotR thing, but that didn't really seem to quite hit it. She asked if I could tape one of the sessions I think that would make her go even more

I just saw that the DMG has an example of play in it, on page 130. I'm going to try that as well...

 

I always thought that the example of play on page 130 of the DMG was kind of boring and only displayes a game of a very serious group (maybe all D&D groups are very serious, but with mine it sometimes seems like we tell more jokes than beat monsters). It shows how the rules work, but it doesn't really show the best thing about D&D: having fun with your friends.

 

True enough. My group isn't that seriously either. Perhaps it's a 'dutch group' thing

 

Nah, I am from Sweden and my group is sillier than Jan and Boo together.

 

I normally end up saying something like this:

It's a social get-together to have some fun. There is one person who is in charge and applies the rules of the game, like a referee. He/she also has access to a story and tries to describe settings, places and characters to the other players. The other players assume a role and interact with each other and the situations being described. They also use their skill and judgement to work through any puzzles or problems encountered. Dice are also used to introduce an element of luck and variation.

It's a bit like working through a book together where one person knows the rough outline of the plot but the others are free to react to developments as they like. Most games are based on medievil fantasy type settings like Lord of The Rings.

Oh, I don't know, just give it a try

 

I've always thought of it like a play or a movie.

The players are the principal actors.

The DM is the director, narrator, and he sets up scenery and action.

The movie takes place in a fantasy world, where magical is real, monsters live, and anything can happen.

 

I would say "Role-playing game", but ironically, that has been more frequently associated with computer games like Final Fantasy and Diablo, which hardly have the potential for one to role-play.

 

Here is what I do...

I tell the person to pick some well-known (at least to her and I) fictional fantasy character from books, movies, etc. This tells us what kind of equipment the character has without even consciously working that out. Plus, since the character is well known, her personality is as well. This way, she can play 'as' the character without much thought.

Once she does that (we'll say she picked Red Sonja), it goes like this...

Me: Okay, you 'are' Red Sonja. You decide her actions as if you were her. Ready?
Her: ...yeh...
Me: Alright, you are standing outside a cave, it is raining outside and your are at least a days travel from the nearest town. You are worn out from a hard days walk. What do you do?
Her: Um...go into the cave.
Me: Why?
Her: Because it is raining outside and not in the cave.
Me: Okay. You move towards the cave and the relative warmth and dryness it promises. As you find a comfortable spot, you hear a noise further back in the cave. What now?
Her: Stay still and wait, ready to pull out my sword.
Me: At first it is silent, but then you hear the noise again. It sounds like something is sniffing.
Her: Pull my sword out.
Me: As you unsheath your sword, the source of the sound appears. It is a bear and judging by the slobber from his chin, you must look like a tempting meal.
Her: I wait. If it comes at me, I attack. If it leaves, then so do I. I don't want to get eaten in my sleep.

Now usually, I have them there. But some people need more. I just continue until they 'get' it. I've brought a few people into game this way. Give it a try.