Game Masters of Dungeons & Dragons have always faced the challenge of creating exciting worlds and stories for their players. Some also draw significant inspiration – and not infrequently, as a thread on Reddit shows.
What has the player discovered? In his thread, user Brilliant-Flame2599 shares on Reddit his discovery. For the game master of his long-term campaign is seemingly drawing noticeably from a popular gaming classic to shape his story and the setting.
He feels that his Dungeon Master (DM) is heavily inspired by the popular action classic Metal Gear Solid 3, as several story aspects and quests show clear parallels to the game. He is especially reminded of the bosses and NPCs they encounter, which are reminiscent of equivalents from MGS3, even the soundtrack is used at suitable moments and the game master uses literal quotes.
Nevertheless, he enjoys the campaign and also has the impression that he is the only one in the group who notices these parallels. Still, he considers whether to address the whole matter and turns to the community with his observations. And they not only offer tips but also show that his case is not that rare.
“Honestly, that sounds damn cool, and who cares if everyone is having fun?”
What does the community advise him? In the comments, many users find themselves in similar situations or have been in them. Many are also game masters and confess to similar practices as the DM of the thread creator. Several report on campaigns that are inspired, for example, by popular Disney movies, World of Warcraft, Bloodborne, or Star Trek.
Generally, most believe: As long as everyone involved is having fun, it does not matter whether it is their own story, inspiration, or a copy. For in Dungeons & Dragons, all stories are, after all, unique due to the influence of the players and would naturally differentiate themselves from the original. And even if not, that is perfectly fine, as long as it doesn’t become boring.
Additionally, many advise him not to disclose this to the group beforehand, as from their perspective, there is a valid concern that such knowledge could ruin the magic for others. They therefore suggest incorporating subtle hints that would signal to the game master that he knows about the inspiration from MGS3. This way, the DM can decide whether to discuss it with him or even address it at all.
Some users also argue that it is better to draw inspiration from successful stories and perhaps even to “borrow” rather than ultimately creating a story that is uninspired due to being currently or generally less creative and having strengths elsewhere. From their viewpoint, there is little wrong with misleading the players.
Thus, an unknown user aptly summarizes (via Reddit): “Honestly, that sounds damn cool, and if everyone is having fun, who cares? Originality in D&D is somewhat overrated in my opinion, if the game is fun, everyone wins.”
Many players and game masters also draw inspiration for their adventures from streams of other groups on Twitch or YouTube. Especially Exandria, the world of the streamer group Critical Role, often serves as a setting for campaigns. The second campaign of the streamers is one of the most popular and will soon receive an adaptation as an animated series, following the successful adaptation of the first campaign: The best campaign of a popular group for D&D is starting soon with a new series, aiming to engage newcomers even more than their first hit Vox Machina
