Distinctions and Definitions

Utopia – The Oxford English Dictionary defines “Utopia” as “An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” DnD allows the participants in the game to create a world that adheres to their version of a Utopia, that values the ideals and moral codes that they deem most important. This definition also insinuates that it is up to the one doing the imagining to define what would be “perfect” allowing individuals to tailor the game to their beliefs.

 

Religion – Clifford Geertz once defined religion as “a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.” DnD makes the symbolic ideas of right and wrong concrete and tangible using rewards for the decision players make. If a player adheres to what is deemed to be the correct path, they are given experience points (XP) that will lead to an increase in level their character’s power and abilities.

 

In DnD, players control “player-characters” (PCs) of their own design, usually choosing from the races and classes released as part of the game’s official content. However, unlike in a video game, players can create what is referred to as “homebrew” content. This involves players creating aspects of the game themselves, and is present in almost every long set of connected sessions, known as a campaign. These campaigns can last years, with weekly sessions lasting hours on end.

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The Dungeon Master (DM) is the person running the game’s non-player characters (NPCs) and driving the storyline. The inclusion of homebrew allows the players and DM to change the environment of the world in which the game exist. By customizing the world, the players and DM can invoke their own values in a real and concrete way. If one believes that all humanity should be treated equally and wants to incorporate and promote a wide spectrum of gender, cultural and sexual options, then they can. If, on the other hand, one wants to incorporate the Five Pillars of Islam into their session, they can do that as well.

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The flexibility of DnD allows the game to function as a Utopia for different religious beliefs. It is left up to the game’s participants to create the symbols and systems of their beliefs in game, rewarding or penalizing characters for the choices they make.