Some D&D groups are good. Some are great. And some of them produce the kind of legendary tales that are nearly indescribable to anyone who wasn’t actually there.
Today we’re going to find out which kind of group you have.
How to Play
This is the Official Ruckerworks D&D Group Scorecard. Clever, huh? It’s got fifteen yes or no questions across five categories, plus one bonus question at the end that I think likely says more about your group than the other fifteen combined.
Grab a pencil, or just keep a running count in your head, and let’s see how your group stacks up. You’ll see how to score your results at the end of the article.
Category 1, Battle-Tested (playing through adversity)
Remember, these are yes or no questions, and you get one point for every “yes” answer.
1. Has your group ever continued playing after the power went out?
2. Have you ever played D&D inside a moving vehicle, such as a plane, train, boat, or automobile?
3. Has a session ever run so long that at least one of the players fell asleep at the table?
Category 2, The True Believers (investment in the game world)
1. Has an in-game quote from your group ever made it onto a t-shirt or sticker?
2. Have you ever skipped school or work for a day so that you could play D&D instead? Don’t worry, I won’t tell.
3. Does the home of someone in your group have a dedicated gaming room that isn’t used for anything else?
Category 3, The Social Contract (group chemistry)
1. Has anyone in your D&D group met their spouse through gaming?
2. If you run into someone from your D&D group in public, do you refer to them by their character’s name?
3. Were you introduced to D&D by a parent or similar-aged relative like an uncle or aunt? OR, have you ever introduced your child, niece or nephew to the game?
Category 4, The DM’s Burden (what the DM has survived)
1. Have you or your DM ever celebrated a player’s real-life milestone, such as a birthday, wedding or promotion, with an in-game parallel?
2. Have you or your DM ever had a visit to the emergency room because their back or knees went out from carrying a bag of rule books, supplements, minis, dice, and props that weighed more than a pregnant kobold?
3. Does your group have a tradition that every session must include at least one quote from a particular movie or TV show?
Category 5, The Hall of Fame (legendary moments)
1. Does your group have at least one session from its past that still gets referenced by name?
2. Has anyone at your table ever rolled three natural 20s in a row?
3. Has anyone at your table ever rolled three natural 1s in a row? If they now have a nickname because of it, share it in the comments.
Bonus Question
Here’s one final bonus question, worth however many you get: How many goblins has your D&D group tried to adopt?
Remember, you get one point for every “yes” answer. The “Goblins” question is worth, well, however many you got.
Score Evaluation
Okay, got your questions all added up? Here’s what your score means.
If you scored between 0 and 3, you’re the “Fresh Adventurers.” Your story is just beginning. The goblin adoptions, the potential marriages, the sessions that outlasted the power grid, those are all ahead of you. Good luck on your adventure! You’re going to have a blast.
If your score was from 4 to 6, you are the “Seasoned Travelers.” You’ve got real stories to tell. Not all of them are safe for polite company, but this is a good place to be, because you’re not afraid to have some fun.
For those with scores between 7 and 9, you are the “Grizzled Veterans.” Your group has been through some things and you’ve got your share of inside jokes, probably the kind no one outside the table would fully understand, even if you tried to explain it to them.
Okay, now we’re getting into the serious ranking. If your score was from 10 to 12, you are what I call the “Living Legends.” Other D&D groups don’t know your group exists, but if they did, they’d be impressed. Possibly intimidated. They nod their heads in respect when they see you in the game shop or at the CON down at the convention center.
The penultimate bracket is for those who’ve scored between 13 to 15 points. You are in the “Hall of Fame.” Your group is the reason someone, somewhere, is telling their friends they really need to try D&D. You are the standard. Bards will sing of you. Probably off-key. You should start your own YouTube channel.
Finally, if you scored over 15, your group doesn’t need a quiz, you need a documentary. And at some point you’re going to need to officially register your adopted goblins give them your last name.
