Summary
Dungeons and Dragonsstarted out, and remains, a tabletop game that sees friends huddling around a table or Zoom call to tell a story of fantasy, danger, and heroism together, creating their own character, determining their origins, and fighting for their future. Such a game was ripe for the video game format, and as of now, there are hundreds of games based on or inspired by the pen-and-paper classic.
Gamers might only be familiar withD&Dthrough the lens of video games, and learning the analog game can be a bit daunting because of the number of rules and supplement books. Thankfully, there are games out there that can help players familiarize themselves with the rules, making it easier to transition to the tabletop format.
Before they releasedDragon AgeandMass Effect,BioWare was the company behindthe excellentBaldur’s GateandBaldur’s Gate 2, two brilliant connected RPGs based on AdvancedD&D, telling the grand tales of heroism that are necessary for the tabletop game.
Along with giving someinspiration to DMsfor their own stories of heroic adventures and emotional depths, players can also pick up tips and tricks for character creation, such as class, race, and even alignment, as well as meeting some of the factions they can join, and how they operate in Faerun.
Demonstrates How Combat Plays a Key Role
Icewind Dale
The legendary RPG you know and love returns.Originally released in 2000, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition is the legendary Dungeons & Dragons RPG— freshly updated for modern adventurers. Customize a party of up to six heroes and venture across the icy tundra to battle monsters, plunder dungeons, and uncover secrets of the frozen wastes. There are 30+ new character kits & adventuring classes with dozens of new spells, magical armor, and weaponry for your heroes. you’re able to even upload characters from previous play throughs.Original Campaigns & Unseen QuestsThe Enhanced Edition includes the classic campaign, two official expansions, plus quests cut from the original 2000 release. There’s an updated interface and quick-loot bar now, too. But you’ll get the same classic 2D isometric gameplay with real-time-pause combat following 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules.Ice Wind Dale Enhanced Edition is cross-platform multiplayer capable for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
A forgotten entry in the library ofD&Dgames thanks to theBaldur’s Gategames,Icewind Daleis still a worthwhile RPG to play, and one that will impart some basic lessons regarding the IP it is based on.
Not only is it set in Icewind Dale, which acts as a key location in the Forgotten Realms and follows the story of Drizzt inthe popular novels, but it also places a focus on combat, a key aspect of the tabletop game. While stories and characters are also important,D&Dis a game that thrives in combat situations, as backgrounds, classes, and race can all determine where a character might shine in combat. The tactics players learn during combat inIcewind Daleare ones they can apply should they try the analog game.
One of the most important aspects ofD&Dis teamwork. At its heart, it is a cooperative game where friends must work together in order to overcome the challenges and obstacles they face, as well as strengthen the bonds between the characters to facilitate quality RP. This coop element is sharedwith MMORPG’s, as most dungeons and bosses are nearly impossible to solo, and must be done with friends or other players who share the server.
As such, playing theD&D-flavored multiplayer gameNeverwinteris a good way to learn this lesson, as well as how to effectively coordinate their attacks and efforts with other players to overcome the challenges ahead of them. It can also help gamers learn how to create a balanced party, as bothD&Dand MMOs need a balance of tanks, healers, and damage dealers for the most effective party composition.
Based on 3.5e
Neverwinter Nights 2
Everything you do has a meaningExplore the rich, magical world of Neverwinter Nights 2, featuring a dynamic and rewarding storyline, 9 new sub-races, new prestige classes and more!The best PC RPG of all time is back!
Neverwinter is another key location inD&Dlore and a setting heavily used in the eponymous game series. Not to be confused with the MMO, this single-player RPG provides an excellent adventure set in and around the titular city as the protagonist and allies against antagonists such as the King of Shadows.
Not only does it borrow tidbits of lore, it also successfully implements the 3.5 edition ofD&D,incorporating the rulesfor character creationoutlined in that version ofD&D. Although this edition is mostly obsolete with the creation of 5e and One D&D, it is still a good place to start for players who want to learn character creation rules regarding class and race. Plus, some tables still champion 3.5e as the best edition yet, so they might still get some use from knowing this rule set.
2Temple of Elemental Evil
Adapts a D&D Module with the Rule Set to Match
Temple of Elemental Evilis not only the name of aD&Dvideo game but also a module from a previous edition of the game. As such,ToEEstands out with a strong plot centering around a temple only a few miles away from a peaceful hamlet, the peace shattered by evil creatures drawn to the temple.
The game has received high praise for the faithful implementation of the 3.5e system, giving gamers a very close experience of aD&Dgame, with a fleshed-out customization system for the player character and companions and the turn-based combat system. Players will not only get to experienceone of WotC’s modulesbut one ofDungeons and Dragonssystems.
Baldur’s Gate 3proves itself as a masterclass inD&Dthemed RPGs, praised not only for its enthralling storylines, intriguing characters and impressive range of interactions and reactions, giving video gamers a good peek into what playingD&Dcan be like.
Incorporating many familiarfaces such as Volo and Elminister, as well as creatures, locations, and more lore than players could roll a d20 at, players will learn much of the lore and rules of D&D purely by playing the game. Though there have been some omissions, such as certain classes or spells, the clever implementation of the d20 system, which is used for nearly every interaction, teaches players the importance of the 20-sided die and how roll bonuses work.
