Due to years and years of (admittedly funny) jokes and jabs, the classic Dungeons and Dragons has developed a hyper-nerdy stigma. And yes, while it is partially deserved, there’s so much more to it than that. It’s a hobby that can be wildly fun for ENTPs if just given a chance. There’s a few particular traits that can really appeal to us.

A quick breakdown of D&D:

Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game in which a group of people take on personas of fantasy characters. One of the players (most groups are 4-7 people) plays the Dungeon Master role, where they control the world and non-player characters. The group goes on adventures created or just arranged by the Dungeon Master. They fight monsters, get in bar fights, save people from giants, become diplomatic envoys, make stupid jokes, and all other manner of things.

Be something else.

D&D has this power to allow people to be whatever they want. To play with and look at the world from a variety of angles and perspectives. Sound familiar? Yes, much like debate or any sort of brainstorming, the roleplay can allow you to stick yourself in any other shoes. To see and act as if the world was totally counter to what it is to you. For example, I played for several months (meeting once a week with a group of friends) as a cleric, a man of hard devout faith. Now, as that group of friends will tell you, I am an atheist, and have been most my life. I’ve never been a highly religious person, but playing as Mordecai helped me to understand, even if just the slightest bit, what the people around me think about every day. As an ENTP, I found the perspective highly gratifying.

An infinite creative outlet.

On the other side of the table, being a Dungeon Master (or DM) is a highly creative pursuit that can allow ENTPs to flex those muscles. Building a world and creating people to live in it is fun. Having your friends play through it and triumph over created evil (or good, depending on the group) is even more fun. But, the best part is the breadth of it. Plenty of times I get bored with hobbies. But with being a DM, there are so many things I can create that I never get bored. Puzzles, boss fights, characters, quests, dungeons, bounties, maps, planes of existence, even magical snack cookies that turn your character’s hair blue or reverse their gravity. (You’ve not lived until you see someone’s face as they’re told a muffin broke the laws of spacetime.)

Why not try?

So, think about it. A lot of people are turned off by the idea of D&D as a bunch a dweebs around a table, but, I ask you, as an ENTP, to branch out and at least try it. Most people find they enjoy it, even if just to be part of a group every now and then. Watch some videos or podcasts— there’s a million of them. You can find a group online, or, you can be like me and wrangle a group of people to play once every two weeks and laugh over nachos. Happy adventuring.

P.S. – The books are not necessary to play. Here’s a link to the free System Resources Document in wiki form that has all the materials to play basic games, and if you add fan-made (also called Homebrew) content from elsewhere on the web, you can have plenty of fun with pencils, paper, and 5 dollar dice.

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Pete

I like hand drums, good food, dogs, and a weird variety of musics. I speak French and Esperanto for fun, and study languages however I can. Mi parolas ĉar alias mondon estas ebla. (I speak because another world is possible)