One ambitious Dungeon Master (or DM), overseeing a dozen other DMs, has taken on the monumental task of bringing together 12 separate but connected Dungeons and Dragons campaigns for what he refers to as a mid-season finale. For those who don't know, an average game of Dungeons and Dragons consists of one DM and around 3-6 players. Anyone with DMing experience can attest that that alone is a lot of responsibility.
For the past several years, the most well-known tabletop role playing game in the world has enjoyed a surge in popularity. Part of this renaissance is certainly thanks to shows like Critical Role and the many references to Dungeons and Dragons in Stranger Things, but it's mostly due to the excellent game design by the team at Wizards of the Coast. Dungeons and Dragons conventions and tournaments have become much more common, and occasionally, enormous games are held that involve what would normally be considered an unwieldy number of players.
A California comic book shop recently put on such an event, and it may well be one of the biggest yet. The massive game was hosted by TC's Rockets, which boasts the largest game room in San Diego – a necessity for an event like this. The business hosts weekly games of Dungeons and Dragons and even provides DMs for the players. The store's TikTok account recently shared a video that showed off the proceedings in full swing, as 12 separate, ongoing campaigns merge into one epic battle. Twelve active tables are spread around the room, and the players at each are engaged in a separate encounter, all of which have a bearing on the final outcome.
A TC's Rockets employee is seen describing the challenges that several of the tables are facing, calling out a party that's "atop a warship battling a host of mind flayers and dark elves" and another that's endeavoring to rescue as many allies as it can, presumably NPC's. Later in the video, the employee, who appears to be the DM overseeing the whole affair, narrates the fall of an ancient dragon, one of the most terrifying monsters in Dungeons and Dragons. The clip closes with a cliffhanger, as a rising horde of undead descend upon the collected heroes.
The rising popularity that made a massive event like this possible is showing no signs of waning. What was once a niche hobby is now finding its way ever further into the public sphere, and this huge game will not be the last of its kind. More likely, players will continue to push the game's boundaries. As its notoriety continues to grow, events such as this will be hosted on even grander scales and with greater production value. And depending on the success of the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film, which could bring the game further into the limelight, those events could be coming sooner rather than later.
However, many people thought that the Dungeons and Dragons film trilogy from the early 2000s was less than stellar and did little to make the hobby more mainstream. With many fans understandably apprehensive about the new film, the community can only wait and see if it moves the needle in the right direction.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves releases in theaters on March 31, 2023.