Roll for Communitas: Examining Intersections of Ritual and Play in Dungeons & Dragons
Faculty Sponsor(s)
Hillary Crane
Subject Area
Anthropology
Description
In the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, players have the freedom to be whoever they want and do whatever they want. Although most definitely a game, Dungeons & Dragons also exhibits characteristics suggestive of a ritual. This study examines how intersections of ritual and play (“ritualized play”) manifest within the context of Dungeons & Dragons. In testing Matan Shapiro’s theory of “ritualized play” (that play experiences and ritual experiences can be enacted within the same event), I argue that this concept applies to Dungeons & Dragons. Through engagement in a ritualized play space, D&D players yield rewards of both play and ritual, namely the ability to reject/subvert the social order, the ability to ratify/uphold the social order, and a sense of communitas. However, rituals aren’t always enacted perfectly, threatening the “ritual” aspect of Dungeons & Dragons, and resulting in a failure to produce the rewards promised.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Katie, "Roll for Communitas: Examining Intersections of Ritual and Play in Dungeons & Dragons" (2024). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event. Submission 16.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2024/all/16
Roll for Communitas: Examining Intersections of Ritual and Play in Dungeons & Dragons
In the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, players have the freedom to be whoever they want and do whatever they want. Although most definitely a game, Dungeons & Dragons also exhibits characteristics suggestive of a ritual. This study examines how intersections of ritual and play (“ritualized play”) manifest within the context of Dungeons & Dragons. In testing Matan Shapiro’s theory of “ritualized play” (that play experiences and ritual experiences can be enacted within the same event), I argue that this concept applies to Dungeons & Dragons. Through engagement in a ritualized play space, D&D players yield rewards of both play and ritual, namely the ability to reject/subvert the social order, the ability to ratify/uphold the social order, and a sense of communitas. However, rituals aren’t always enacted perfectly, threatening the “ritual” aspect of Dungeons & Dragons, and resulting in a failure to produce the rewards promised.
