Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Reading
Date of Award
12-2019
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Delanna Reed
Committee Members
Delanna Reed, Edward Dwyer, Ron Roach
Abstract
This study explores the archetypes, motifs, and stages of the Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey as they are found in the Moldvay revision of the rules to Basic Dungeons & Dragons, that emerge from playing the game using the seven adventure modules printed for these rules. Using narratological concepts, the definition of what makes narrative is expanded to include the narrative that emerges by playing story-based roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. These narratives, based on the seven adventure modules, are the analyzed using Campbell's monomyth as an interpretive tool, showing that these types of narratives are up to similar academic scrutiny as other forms of narrative. Such scrutiny shows that the types of narrative that emerge from playing a tabletop roleplaying game like Dungeons & Dragons need an expansion of the models for narrative analysis. This expansion presents a myriad of opportunities for future study.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Leopold, Robert, "The Player Character's Journey: The Hero's Journey in Moldvay's Dungeons & Dragons" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3679. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3679
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.