What Do I Like the Most About D&D?

After our first D&D session I saw one of my friends from the group (one of the experienced players). He had overheard me telling our DM that I had a blast. He asked me what I liked the most about it. Funny thing,... I had a hard time answering him. It may have been because we had barely scratched the surface. It may have been because most of us hardly had a clue what we were doing. I basically mentioned a couple quick elements of the game that were fun but I knew it wasn't a complete answer. Throughout the rest of the night and since, I have pondered the question.

I wondered if I merely liked the fact that the game had happened at all. I knew I liked the fact that I had friends sitting around the table doing anything as a group. It's a group of guys that I really enjoy the company of. I liked that we managed to find some combat, established a small quest for the next session and started some role playing in the process. Even after all this, I still didn't have a good answer for my friend on what I liked the best about it, but I had my suspicions.

After two get togethers, I think I may actually be able to answer him and it is not as simple as "combat" or "adventuring/exploring" etc.

What do I really like the best about D&D right now?

I love the fact that the adventure is it’s own fluid entity. It’s not a completely set-in-stone narrative that we are just drifting through like a video game. Now, I know what you’re thinking… It is since the DM has designed the story, setting, quests, adventures, NPCs and monsters etc. I’ll even agree that you have a point but so far, the adventure feels more like something that is unfolding for all of us including the DM. Even though he has done the set up, there are 6 more minds driving the story and contributing actions. Add the fact that we are all at the whim of the dice, it really feels like none of us, not even the DM, has any real control over what happens. It’s a very strange, but interesting concept for me to get my head around and I couldn’t be happier about that.

Of course, you may just be saying "Well duh! That's what a role playing game is" but hey, I am a noob so... :)

Happy Gaming
-TND