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Dungeons & Dragons & tables, oh my!
Dungeons & Dragons has had a wild ride. From its release in 1974, to the ’80s moral panic, to its Stranger Things-fueled pop culture resurgence, D&D (or DnD as some refer to it) has long-term staying power.
Dungeons & Dragons has been a fixture in popular culture for decades, and its influence can still be seen today. It has inspired countless video games, books, TV shows and movies and has provided a way for gamers all over the world to escape into an immersive fantasy world to battle villains, dragons, and their own fears. D&D allows us to step out of our day-to-day lives for a moment and explore a realm of possibilities that would otherwise be impossible.
Many people embraced D&D game night virtually during the pandemic and the fantasy escapism sure helped us all (unless your very cruel Dungeon Master killed your character). Alongside the classic pen-and-paper battles and the virtual game play available through free apps, having the perfect D&D gaming table makes your experience even better. What do you need? What type should you get? How much will it cost? Well fear not! We’ve traversed across the map and have conjured info on how you can get a D&D gaming table to make your gaming campaign complete.
So grab your character sheet and dice, because we’re about to take a deep dive into everything Dungeons & Dragons gaming tables have to offer!
Spoiler alert: We will NOT be discussing at this time the Marlon Wayans-Jeremy Irons Dungeons & Dragons movie from the beginning of this century. We just won’t go there.
D&D Explained in 5 Minutes
First, for the uninitiated or casually familiar, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, or DND) is a role-playing game (RPG) where players take on the roles of fictional characters in a fantasy setting. Players use their characters to explore and interact with an imaginary world, either through dice rolls or story-based decisions. D&D is often used as a recreational activity and provides an opportunity for social interaction, problem solving, and imaginative storytelling. While it originally began as a paper-and-pencil game, D&D has since been adapted into video games and other digital formats.
Dungeons & Dragons is a game that is played by two or more players. Each player creates a character and is given the ability to make decisions in a fantasy world. The game uses dice and other tools such as character sheets and rulebooks to determine how characters will interact with each other, the environment, and any encounters in their adventures.
The main goal of D&D is to create an enjoyable story that everyone involved can contribute to, with each player's choices influencing the direction of the story. Players can use imagination and creativity when making decisions about their character’s actions or interactions with other players and NPCs (non-player characters). During each game session, the Dungeon Master (DM) serves as the referee and storyteller while also providing guidance on how all of these elements should combine together.
To play a game of Dungeons & Dragons, you will need the following items:
As you can see, that's a lot of stuff! And if you're playing a game of DnD with a large gaming group, you'll probably want a dedicated surface to play on, ideally with some quality of life improvements (like storage, cup holders, heirloom quality craftsmanship, and other accessories) that make the gaming experience more enjoyable.
D&D gaming tables play a critical role (hey, that’s the name of the show!) in the Dungeons & Dragons experience. (If you don’t get our reference, Critical Role is a popular web series—you may have heard of the animated version of it called The Legend of Vox Machina on Prime Video, which we would highly recommend.)
Why do fish need water? For the best D&D experience, you’ll want a dedicated RPG table so your friends can carve out countless hours in person and really immerse yourselves in a world of fantasy. To really build camaraderie, you want your fellow adventures seated around your tavern-worthy D&D gaming table comfortably so there’s less distractions. A good, comfortable setup helps build consistency in the group, a sense of home. It’s also a great place to store all your D&D essentials and add ons like character sheets, maps, and dice. Plan on also getting comfy seats that can support your butts for hours on end—and not stink after. Nobody likes dungeon ass.
When it comes to RPG games with friends, you need an RPG gaming table that can A.) fit everyone, B.) have room for future expansion (as in more people or age-related weight gain).
36-48 inches is a good length for a D&D table, but we’d always say go bigger. Square or rectangle tables are good, but we prefer a hexagonal, octagonal, or hey, maybe a 20-sided table.
There are many D&D table designs out there, and there aren’t as many “needs” outside of chairs and a tabletop. But more important than anything else, you need room for the map! Bonus points if you can find a table that has a compartment inside the table that you can store your map, tokens, dice, and character sheets in. Some DIY and custom table builders even find ways to build digital map displays into the table itself, bringing a whole new level of immersion to your gaming experience.
Drink holders are also a plus, as you will need liquid sustenance during epically long sessions. That mead your character drinks isn’t going to hold itself!
You can get a custom D&D table design (which will cost more but is awesome), go portable with a folding D&D table, or even more portable with a table topper that you can roll and easily take with you wherever you go.
Wanna know something cool? You can even go hard and get a D&D table with TV included. Not included on the side—actually built INTO the table! Talk about impressive technology.
Know this: your D&D table does not have to be solely dedicated to D&D, even if that may be its primary purpose. After all, if you're an avid Dungeons and Dragons gamer, there's a pretty good chance you enjoy other tabletop games, too, which brings us to our next point.
We just told you yes! You were in a fantasy world instead of listening, weren’t you? Silly halfling.
You can use your D&D gaming table as an RPG table or for Settlers of Catan, Red Flags, any kind of game you and your friends enjoy. Hell, you can also use it for catching up with your drinking buddies—just make sure those barbarians use coasters.
A solid D&D game table can cost you anywhere in the range of the high $500s to the low $1,000s.
Custom D&D tables are going to cost you a lot more, though you do get what you pay for—especially if it’s a Lord of the Rings-inspired elven table. Maybe you’re that lucky person who already has the perfect D&D table sitting in your basement right now… though we’d bet you it’s hexed.
Gnomes, of course! Just kidding. There are many great vendors specializing in fantasy RPG tables, as well as the usual suspects for your crafting needs. To help you on your mythic quest, here are a few sites we recommend for finding your dream D&D table:
Looking for a more generic board game room table? Check out our article here on buying a board game table for your game room (no wisdom roll required).
Brian is a writer here at Kineticist. He grew up playing arcade machines at the minigolf place near his home in New Jersey and considered Title Fight by SEGA a suitable replacement for the gym (spoiler alert: it was not). Brian enjoys gaming spots that have good craft beer, '90s songs, and Skee-Ball. Currently living in Los Angeles, Brian writes TV pilots, screenplays, and children's picture books—all while his puppy Pabu whines for attention. You can follow him on Twitter (@briansaa) and/or Instagram (@throughawineglass) where he takes pictures of movies & TV shows through, you guessed it, a wine glass.
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