Critical Success: How D&D Levelled Up Interactive Live Storytelling

Following on from last year’s 50th anniversary celebrations for Dungeons and Dragons, Mobius’ Communications Assistant and resident fantasy-lover / all-round general nerd, Eve Myer, explores the rise of this roleplaying game as well as its place in the arts and live entertainment industry.

You are sitting at a crowded table in a dimly lit room whilst vaguely ominous instrumental music from The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt plays softly in the background. You’ve been here for about six hours now but the thrill of chance rises once more as you let the magic polyhedral math rocks fall from your fingers. Clattering to the table; your companions leap to their feet as you announce “Natural 20!” and the figure at the head of the table responds, “How do you want to do this?”

This is Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) or at least the experience we all dream of when playing this fantasy role-playing game. Created in 1974 as the first commercially available tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), D&D sees a group of players guided through a story by their Dungeon Master (DM) and rolling from a set of seven dice to determine the success of their actions. There are a series of rules outlined in three core books but aside from that everything else is controlled by the limits of the player’s imagination.

D&D as an artform is very similar to immersive and interactive theatre experiences with the storytelling adapting with the players' choices. This improvisational "Yes, and" element of the game already appeals to many famous creatives like Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll, Stephen Colbert, Matthew Lillard, and even Dame Judi Dench.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary last year and played by more than 50 million players to date, the continued rising success of D&D is echoed in its cultural impact. As with all art, D&D heavily took inspiration from other sources with the most notable one being Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings. But it has also established its own legacy, inspiring and featuring in various novels, TV shows, video games, and films, including: Community, E.T., Legend’s & Lattes, and Baldur’s Gate (of which Baldur’s Gate 3 won Game of the Year at the 2023 Game Awards). One of the most famous examples is Stranger Things which even depicted the "Satanic Panic" phenomenon that surrounded D&D in the 80s.

D&D’s adaptive nature of storytelling has allowed it to be enjoyed for several generations and the cultural influence has only Bluegrown exponentially with the aid of online streaming. Whether via YouTube, Twitch or in a podcast format, people love to watch groups like Dimension 20, Dungeons & Daddies, The Adventure Zone, and High Rollers play their own adventures.

One of the most popular and successful online D&D groups is Critical Role, made up of a group of seven “nerdy ass voice actors”—Matthew Mercer, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Liam O’Brien, and Ashley Johnson— who began streaming on Twitch in March 2014. Over the past decade, they’ve streamed three D&D campaigns, released sell-out merch, comic books, and an Amazon Prime animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, featuring stars like David Tennant and Lance Reddick. They’ve performed live shows, including sold-out events at Wembley Arena (2023) and The Greek Theatre (2024), with more live tours planned for the US and Australia to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Critical Role’s success exemplifies how there not only is a market for nerd content within the world of live experiences but also how D&D in a live setting can become a communal interactive storytelling experience.

For someone who’s never played or even heard of D&D you might be surprised to learn that thousands of people gather in a room to watch a group of friends roll dice and roleplay fantasy scenarios, but why should it? People gather to watch a film or listen to a book reading. Dungeons and Dragons is as much a vehicle for excellent stories as it is for humour and suspense.

Jess Jewell from Twelve Sided Studios, a UK-based independent production company who create fantasy, sci-fi and nerdy content, shared her thoughts on the liveshow experience:

"There’s no right way to enjoy a live TTRPG show. Some people like the improvisational storytelling and comedy, others enjoy the chemistry between the players onstage and the tension a dice roll brings – no matter what it is, there’s something there for everyone. But 10 years ago, the idea that a bunch of dorks sat around a table playing D&D could sell out some of the world’s biggest stadiums would have been laughable. Technically it still is, because it’s not just dorks playing D&D – it’s professional improvisers, actors, and comedians all working with one another to tell a story with impeccable comedic timing and theatrical flair. These live shows have become an ever-growing celebration of nerd culture and comedy, both somehow niche and broad, able to appeal to almost everyone."

D&D's influence in art and media naturally extends to live entertainment, with shows like The Twenty-Sided Tavern and Bridge Command highlighting the growing popularity of nerd culture in live theatre. As nerd culture becomes more mainstream and reframes from being associated with a people who are “uncool” but instead passionate, Dungeons & Dragons has carved out a significant place in the live entertainment industry, transforming from a tabletop game into an immersive, interactive experience that continues to draw large audiences and redefine the future of live storytelling.

We’d be really interested in hearing your thoughts on how the immersive gaming world and theatre are becoming more closely linked, please do get in touch!

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