Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” Explains Dungeons & Dragons

Love story, or beginner’s guide to D&D? You be the judge. Roll for initiative.

totallytaylor-gifs.tumblr.com

You miss seeing your friends, only to find out later that they've started a campaign.

“Nice to meet you/Where you been?”

s1277.photobucket.com

You're curious: what is this game all about, anyway? The DM (Dungeon Master, the leader of the game) tells you what you're in for.

“I could show you incredible things/Magic, madness, heaven, sin”

tumblr.com

To get started, you'll build a character. You can revisit your favorite characters from books and movies or search sites like Pinterest for inspiration.

“Saw you there and I thought oh my god/Look at that face, you look like my next mistake/Love's a game, wanna play?”

media.giphy.com

You'll choose your character's race, which is like their species, and class, which is like their vocation. You'll also put together stats that show what your character is good at. Your character will look and act how you think they should based on these attributes and any back story you create.

“New money, suit and tie/I can read you like a magazine”

media.giphy.com

People make fun of D&D, but generally those people suck and/or don't know what they're talking about. Lifelong players like Vin Diesel know better.

“Ain't it funny rumors fly/And I know you heard about me”

media.giphy.com

You decide to try it, and you build a character you'd like to play. Really, what have you got to lose?

“So hey, let's be friends/I'm dying to see how this one ends”

mtv.mtvnimages.com

And it's not like you'll be riding off to storm the castle/dungeon/countryside alone. Even in the face of monsters with high stats, your party (the other characters played by your friends) and the DM will be right there with you.

“Grab your passport and my hand/I could make the bad guys good for a weekend”

tumblr.com

Game campaigns can go on for years or be short adventures. Games can even be set up to play out in just one session.

“So it's gonna be forever/Or it's gonna go down in flames/You can tell me when it's over/If the high was worth the pain”

http://rack.0.mshcdn.com

DMs tend to be very creative in coming up with the perils of your adventure. Think you're safe? Out pops an irritable beholder librarian with a thick Scottish accent who gets annoyed when people stare.

“Got a long list of ex-lovers/They'll tell you I'm insane”

media.giphy.com

But a lot of the best games come from facing that kind insanity as a party. In the end, the DM is building this whole world for you out of love of the game.

“Cause you know I love the players/And you love the game”

media.giphy.com

When it comes to playing, you'll roll dice to see if your character succeeds or fails at what they try to do. The more reckless the action, the more your character's stats and bonuses will matter. Swinging on vines to escape a forest full of monsters usually takes a little more luck than trying to climb a tree. Usually.

“Cause we're young and we're reckless/We'll take this way too far”

i.perezhilton.com

The effects of dice rolls in battle or in role play can have lasting effects on your character and the party.

“It'll leave you breathless/Or with a nasty scar”

reactiongifs.us

Roll playing games like D&D are perfect opportunities to try out reacting to challenges in different ways – especially if those reactions seem a little nuts.

“Got a long list of ex-lovers/They'll tell you I'm insane”

media.giphy.com

Don't worry about trying to play "perfectly" or staying aligned with your original character idea. If you really don't like the character you've got, you can always create a new one on a blank character sheet. It's always best to play a character you enjoy.

“But I got a blank space baby/And I'll write your name”

media.giphy.com

Non-player characters (NPCs) are characters that your DM creates and plays. They might promise you the world, love, or seedy deals.

“Cherry lips/Crystal skies/I could show you incredible things/Stolen kisses, pretty lies/You're the king baby I'm your queen”

cdn1.theodysseyonline.com

But players beware: much like everything else you see in a game, NPCs aren’t always what they appear to be. Beautiful princesses can be sadistic sorceresses. Half-orcs can be passionate about knitting.

“Find out what you want/Be that girl for a month/But the worst is yet to come/Oh no”

tumblr.com

Happy walk through the forest? Pleasant meal in the high court? Everything can change in a heartbeat. If you've got a bad feeling about something, let your DM know you want to investigate your situation with spells, tools or abilities from your character sheet. Don't wait till it's too late!

“Screaming, crying, perfect storms/I could make all the tables turn/Rose garden filled with thorns/Keep you second guessing like oh my god/Who is she? I get drunk on jealousy”

media.giphy.com

Sometimes the party splits up during the adventure, giving the players independent side adventures. This can be a risky move – it’s dangerous to go alone. Even if you don’t always get along, your fellow party members will almost always have your back.

“But you'll come back each time you leave/Cause darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream”

gifrific.com

Some players love the role-playing. Others love the fighting. Most love both. Working through personal and literal demons can be great for character development, even if it hurts.

“Boys only want love if it's torture/Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn you/Boys only want love if it's torture/Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn you”

media.giphy.com

So... start playing! You'll learn a lot about what kind of character you want to be, how you enjoy playing, and what sort of party you want to be in. There's infinite diversity in infinite combinations of players, games, and monsters to face.

blogger.com

So why wait?

You've got every reason to find that blank space on a character sheet and write your name. Taylor would want it that way.