Dungeons & Dragons originally required players to use a completely separate tactical war game called Chainmail just to resolve its combat encounters.

A closer look

Dungeons & Dragons originally required players to use a completely separate tactical war game called Chainmail just to resolve its combat encounters. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson cobbled together the first edition in 1974 with rules so needlessly complicated that you basically needed a degree in advanced mathematics to figure out if your sword actually hit a goblin. Half a century later, adults still voluntarily spend their Friday nights doing complex arithmetic just to pretend they are magical elves, while complaining that doing their actual taxes is too much mental effort. It is the ultimate form of escapism, allowing you to ignore your crushing real-world debt by managing the imaginary finances of a level four bard who just spent all their gold on enchanted ale!