Dungeons & Dragons

Documentary storytelling, 1 on 1 interviews, ethnography

At the start of a new campaign, players immerse themselves into an unfamiliar world, become someone totally new, and embark on a journey driven by chance and the thrill of endless possibility.

What started as a way to indulge my own curiosity through the lens of my friends, became an obsessive study on what it means to live, and die, for the sake of a good story.

This group of friends is playing a campaign called The Curse of Strahd; a gritty, gothic horror story set in the fictional land of Borovia where a powerful vampire lord rules over the land and the people who live there.

What does playing D&D look like?

Every session is centered around a table where the Dungeon Master (DM) leads the group. They steer the story and use music, voice acting, and descriptive language to set the scene as it unfolds. Being a DM requires a deep knowledge of the story, as well as the improv chops to keep up with the players when the story inevitably goes off the rails.

I sat down with Max, the DM for this group, to understand the work that goes into preparing for each session. From memorizing the rules, making up backstories for the towns and NPC characters, and improvising on the fly, he has to keep track of every moving piece in the world they play in.

Dungeon Masters need to stay organized. Max uses a combination of screens and books to stay on track and have information ready when he needs it.

This folding barrier lets him keep track of creatures, abilities, and the stats of each player in the party.

Max spent hours organizing multiple notion boards full of information and important details of what happened in earlier sessions.