This undergraduate thesis attempts to investigate the role of the player’s identity during the play of modern table-top role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. It begins with a definition of play and role-playing games, then continues with a short history of the creation of Dungeons & Dragons, the first table-top role-playing game, and finally describe table-top role-playing game players, how and why they play these games, and what their experiences during play are. Special attention is dedicated to the border between the identity of the table-top role-playing game participants as people, as players and as the characters they play. During the play of table-top role-playing games, participants must simultaneously be aware of the rules of the game and their actions as players, such as dice rolling, and immerse themselves in their character, who must follow the rules of the fantasy world they inhabit. This undergraduate thesis also investigates the experiences of members of marginalized groups, and how their identities affect their play and their experiences in the wider community of table-top role-playing game players. Both the community and the creators of these games often have unfriendly attitudes towards these groups.
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