PROGRAM
Expanding the Realms: D&D and the Evolution of Culture and Storytelling
Fifty years of Dungeons & Dragons mark a milestone that invites us not only to look back but also to project ourselves into the future. In this panel, Jon Peterson, renowned historian and author on D&D, Jeremy Crawford, lead designer of the fifth edition, and Alex Kammer, dungeon master, author, and director of Gamehole Con, will guide us through the metamorphosis of a game that is much more than a simple pastime: it is a cultural phenomenon, a storytelling platform, and a meeting point for millions of people.
Dungeons & Dragons has always been a game of expanded and ever-expanding worlds, but today more than ever, it faces challenges and opportunities that redefine its very essence. What new scenarios are opening up for the players of today and tomorrow? How have communities—from historic conventions like Gamehole Con to social media—reacted to the evolutions that the game has undergone over the past decades? And most importantly, how can storytelling and inclusivity intertwine in a way that not only respects the past but enriches the future?
Together with our guests, we will explore the tension between tradition and innovation, examining the impact that design choices, spaces of dialogue, and community expectations have had in shaping a game that never stops evolving. Dungeons & Dragons is now a shared heritage, an experience that belongs as much to its creators as to the global community. But how do we expand the boundaries of this world without losing sight of its core essence: a game as a space of inclusion, hospitality, and collective creativity?
This is a unique opportunity to reflect on how, in the vast realms of D&D, stories, worlds, and visions interweave, shaped by those who, for fifty years and counting, have rolled the dice and told new tales.