4 Modernization

Fifth Edition was the knockout punch that not only made Dungeons and Dragons easier to play, but easier to get into. With a new player-friendly approach instead of the spreadsheets of Third and Fourth edition, practically anyone could jump in with minimal effort. This new wave of accessibility led to an explosion in popularity that ended up seating Fifth Edition (or 5e, as most people know it now) in the mainstream.

5e’s handbook cover. You may have seen this before.

5e’s greatest feature wasn’t just ease of access, but freedom of approach. Now with mechanics to negotiate, thieve, get entangled in political intrigue and so on, campaigns didn’t have to just be a combat-centric slugfest. And with this opening of ways came a new surge of game masters being able to create a gripping, emotionally-invested campaign exactly they way they wanted to.

Also, as the game carried forward into the modern day, people began making digital tools to save their pencils and paper when it came to making character sheets and taking campaign notes. Sites like 5etools and the popular DnD Beyond make it easy for the tech-centric new generation to get into things quickly and easily.

Oh, and Wizards of the Coast lets you print out 5e character sheets for free. Nice, isn’t it?

This new tech-centric approach, plus a new writer team who understands current sociological and political pressures and creates content playing to the mainstream therein, means that 5e will be at the top for quite some time. After all, when you’re saying what the people like and constantly opening new entrances into your follower base, it’s hard to fail.

Overall, Dungeons and Dragons has gone on from being one man’s passion project, to a globe-spanning cultural icon. When you say “roleplaying game,” chances are people will think of it first and/or only. As someone whose youth was enriched by it and who made some lasting friendships through it, I believe that Gygax really made something wonderful when he sat down with his business partners and conceived of this franchise, all those years ago.