While many associate it with a group of friends gathered around a table, there's a large number of ways to play Dungeons and Dragons completely digitally. With the ongoing coronavirus, playing D&D digitally can be a great way to pass the time, though it can be difficult to get started. However, Wizards of the Coast is making it a lot easier for librarians and educators.
Today, Wizards of the Coast announced it will be distributing 2,000 Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering digital kits for schools and libraries, along with the resources to play the games while practicing social distancing. Wizards has been periodically releasing other free Dungeons and Dragons content on its website, so there's no shortage of D&D to go around.
The kits include the "Legendary Bundle" for Dungeons and Dragons on D&D Beyond, a digital storefront for content from the game, and resources to create characters and run campaigns. The bundle will unlock "all current rules and adventure content" for Dungeons and Dragons, as well as grant a 15% discount on future purchases through the store.
Those eligible for the kits are able to apply from the Wizards of the Coast support website, though they'll need to be over the age of 18 and an employee or volunteer for a recognized organization. The kits should serve as a great way to distract oneself from the current COVID-19 pandemic, and it's a great way for Wizards to give back to the community.
With the kits, fans should be more than capable of designing their own campaigns or running a pre-written adventure. The current published adventures for Dungeons and Dragons 5e amounts to years of content, so it should keep fans entertained well into the future, and probably even beyond that, assuming players keep engaging with the content.
Playing Dungeons and Dragons remotely can be a bit of a hassle to set up, but there are few better ways to spend time during the coronavirus pandemic, as it offers a way to escape the real world and connect with friends. Hopefully, the pandemic ends soon, but at least Dungeons and Dragons is here to pass the time.
Dungeons and Dragons is available both physically and digitally.