Longtime gamers fight to save Dungeons and Dragons

New rules and new books are just some of the changes made by Renton-based Wizards of the Coast to spur sales of the iconic Dungeons and Dragons.

A battle for the soul of geekdom is being fought in basements all over our area, as major changes in the classic role playing fantasy board game Dungeons and Dragons is threatening to tear apart the kingdom.

The uproar is over a new version of the game that’s created a schism between traditionalists and what Renton-based Wizards of the Coast, the creator of the game now owned by Hasbro, hopes will be a new generation of players raised on video games.

“There’s been a total alteration of the rules, a total alteration to the feel of the game,” says Seattle-area engineer Rick Janecke, a longtime D&D fanatic.

Janecke says hardcore players invest hundreds of dollars in books and accessories (not to mention hundreds of hours playing) and serious players have little desire to simply toss aside decades of time and money to jump to what is essentially a quicker, faster version of the game.

At its core, D&D is a board game where each player creates a character that takes on various skills and traits that allow it to navigate a fantasy world. Players use their imaginations, a board and dice to create an alternate universe and move around that world to accomplish specific tasks.

“It’s a little bit improvisational acting, a little bit war game,” says Tim Morgan at Gary Games and Hobbies in North Seattle. He says the biggest appeal is the gathering of players around a table spending hours interacting rather than staring at a screen.

The cult classic was primarily the purvey of young men (okay, geeks,) but over the 40+ years it’s been around has broadened its appeal, according to Morgan.

“Men and women play, people who played back in the 70’s are now playing it with their kids or their grandkids,” Morgan says.

But it doesn’t have enough fans for Hasbro, its Renton-based subsidiary, which is why the company made such dramatic changes to its version 4.0 hoping to lure a new generation of players.

But is it too late? Janecke insists there’s still unique appeal to the game because of its ability to stimulate imagination and real interaction, as opposed to video games.

Wizards of the Coast is responding to the backlash over version 4.0 by working up another upgrade. And the company is soliciting feedback from gamers, in hopes of bringing peace to the kingdom and a few shillings to boot.