Have you ever played Dungeons & Dragons and wanted to tell the epic to others; maybe go into Tabletop RPG comics. Aside from D&D and a couple of other staples like Call of Cthulhu, TTRPGs still exist in a niche. To broaden horizons, the unique storytelling aspects of TTRPGs appear in different mediums. Comics just happen to be where most of these take place aside from livestreams. What makes TTRPG comics stand out comes from its improvisational nature. Just don’t let the improvisation mean that nothing matters, Kieron Gillen has something to say to that.
What Are TTRPGs
Tabletop RPGs are board games that make use of randomization, character creation, and a Gamemaster for various effects depending on the game. The most famous game being the ever ubiquitous Dungeons & Dragons whose influence extends beyond the medium’s niche. Due in no small part to D&D, TTRPGs reach a large audience. Before becoming a widely acceptable pass time however, like most media TTRPG face struggles of acceptance. At first the games were ostracized for rumors of dark magic involvement and being for the socially inept. Behind the curtains are the formulas for peoples’ favorite shows like Adventure Time. A few celebrities like Vin Diesel also enjoy their time in TTRPGs which might also have helped their acting careers. Why? Because it’s like improv.
Tabletop RPG Comics and More
With various stories and experiences to be found due to players doing whatever they want, no one game is ever the same. So how would anyone want to explain their efforts without sounding trite? Before virtual or livestreaming TTRPGs, the earliest examples are in comics. Naturally having D&D as the frontrunners, since the 70s this unique form of storytelling garners interest. Unlike most boardgames whose mechanics follow a strict formula, there is a narrative simulation players can experience. Through gamification, players can experience a need of accomplishment and further immerse themselves. Because of this immersion, the player becomes an actual part of the narrative the Gamemaster provides. Since anyone can jump in, a player/character’s personality and quirks shine through.
Unlike most comic stories where the writer and artist control the narrative, this depiction is about friends sharing their story with others. It’s why the characters feel so authentic, they’re based on real people and experiences, albeit fictional. With several tabletop RPG comics coming in reaction through self-publishing, hijinks are a guarantee.
Best Examples?
Aside from Dungeons & Dragons, what other tabletop RPG comics exist? If you mean comics that don’t have the D&D title but might as well be, there are several. The most famous of which is Knights of the Dinner Table… but we’ll come back to that. Because for a while other comics like Nodwick take this space in parody.
Webcomics
That is until the internet begins to dominate this entire subgenre starting with Dork Tower followed by Order of the Stick. There are so many TTRPG webcomics with D&D as a base, it requires a whole list. But some of the most notable include: Will Save The World For Gold, Goblins, Delve (NSFW), Looking For Group, 1HP Club, DungeonMinis, and GUL. Almost all of them are on a spectrum from friends messing around to extremely tense action romps. The ones that get caught in the middle in the meantime go into some human dramas. This includes but is not limited to the gatekeeping aspects of TTRPG fandoms; especially how Dungeon Masters can make games difficult for their own amusement.
Comic Books
Now for comic books that use D&D for a base, series that are adaptations of games are a must. The Adventure Zone for example is an adaptation of a D&D podcast from the McElroy brothers. Trying to interpret a campaign from voice is a challenge. Fortunately the art by Carey Pietsch goes right into the absurdities of such a feat. Because where else can anyone create clones of radio personality Tom Bodet? Or how about Critical Role a comic adapted from a YouTube livestream campaign? The dry humor and characters working interdependently of one another allow for various small plots. Each with varying degrees of conflict, sometimes an enemy just won’t attack a character.
Rat Queens is an ever favorite series that features a bunch of free spirits messing around and doing whatever they want. Did you know that Clerics can be atheists? Why are you taking this seriously? Giving no thoughts into something unless it gets personal is what TTRPGs are all about. Just ask Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons where the show’s usual creative chaos meshes well with the game. Of course with all the ways to play, it’s going to clash with some people.
Manga
As for manga/anime, let’s just say that most points invest in the light novel section. Whether it’s Slayers or Record of Lodoss War, campaigns have a way of displaying who is dungeon master. Whether it’s the comedic if formulaic stuff from Slayers or Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail they all have a way of epic questing. Or you can go the grimdark route in Lodoss War or even Beserk where human nature is put into question. For that matter, Goblin Slayer puts special emphasis between the comedic and grimdark. Because for all the epic scales, sometimes the small stuff matters a little more. Just look at Delicious in Dungeon where parties learn a new way to play thanks to a stake in party members.
Tabletop RPG Comics Besides D&D
Now you’re probably thinking this is all about D&D, well now you’re at the point of transition. You can find the likes of Jim Zub’s Pathfinder being good for people wanting to stay close to fantasy. But tabletops are about not limiting oneself to one outcome. So where’s the variety? Knights of the Dinner Table didn’t go on for 30 years by sticking to one game, it included several of different genres. Now if only other games were lenient with their IPs and content, Marvel is certainly trying.
Tabletop RPG Comics By Kieron Gillen
Which is why the company goes to avid TTRPG player (master and adventurer) Kieron Gillen. While You Are Deadpool has Al Ewing at the pen, Gillen did provide the setup to make the comic into a full blown game. A character like Deadpool is perfect for fans to experience Tabletop RPG comics as Deadpool is a very improvisational character. His healing factor and overall resourcefulness are great for trial and error. Deadpool doesn’t even mind that you can ways to cheat the game.
Then there’s how Gillen presents the grimdark settings made famous by Warhammer 40,000. Naturally that includes the Marvel comic he writes which serves as a gateway into the popular franchise. With a setting so deep in lore and unfriendly to newcomers, showing it from an iconic element is essential. Because Marneus Calgar shows just how unfriendly this series can get; the absurdity of adolescence and adulthood is much like a never ending war that goes in any direction. Not all improv is about the laughs, it can be outright nihilistic.
That’s not unlike Gillen’s other work Die where a teenager’s dream game twists people in knots. Escapism and power fantasies are things that get a common critique in British entertainment. If anybody has felt like they wouldn’t be missed or ostracized, it’s common to fall into the abyss. But if these games will flat out tell you that nothing matters, why do anything at all?
Improve Your Improv
To be perfectly blunt, tabletop RPG comics aren’t just about playing games for its own sake. Take a good long look at Up to Four Players for reference. Sometimes it’s getting the chance to explore the worlds for what they are. A few independent game makers take the chance to create their own TTRPGs. Because what better way to enjoy a sharable experience than making things up as they go? Now if only these games could get into media other than just video games.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.