The Best War Games recently spoke with Jacob Pauwels, creator of the viral TikTok series Roll for Sandwich, where he uses the unpredictable and chaotic nature of D&D-style dice rolls to determine the ingredients in his sandwiches. Rapidly earning nearly 1.7 million followers on TikTok in less than a year and inspiring countless other content creators, the series highlights one of the most exciting elements of tabletop roleplaying games while serving as a compelling story of culinary experimentation.
Of course, Roll for Sandwich is largely inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and similar tabletop roleplaying games that Pauwels has long been passionate about. The core mechanism that makes those games interesting is the potential for things to develop in unexpected ways thanks to a random dice roll, which leads to emergent storytelling that video games often can't replicate with their limited scope. As his series has introduced lots of people to the world of tabletop RPGs, Pauwels offers some advice for players about to step into their first game.
Dungeons & Dragons Can Be Intimidating, but It's All About Having a Good Time
Everyone has probably seen the stereotypical know-it-all tabletop gamer depicted in movies or television shows who boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of the rulebook, but Pauwels insists that this isn't generally what's expected of Dungeons & Dragons players. The Systems Reference Document for Dungeons & Dragons is several hundred pages long and it exists to be referenced, not memorized. It can be intimidating stepping into a social game with so many systems at play, but that shouldn't stop anyone from having a good time among friends.
It can be intimidating, especially if you're playing in person or playing with people you don't know very well. No one expects you to have all the rules memorized. I DM and I don't know all the rules, I have to look stuff up. That's not the point. We're not machines, we're just people getting together to have fun.
Pauwels also says that once players have grown more comfortable in the setting, they'll eventually begin finding ways to make the experience more enjoyable. One thing he suggests trying is to use a character voice in order to really immerse oneself in their character. It can feel a little strange at first, but it's a great way to strengthen the sense of escapism. Other recommendations from D&D players often include using props like mock weapons or even dressing up in fantasy attire. Of course, comfort is equally as important as immersion, so players should experiment to find the right balance for them.
There Are Other Tabletop Games Worth Trying Besides Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is just one of countless amazing tabletop games, and it's a good idea to explore and discover other games that provide unique experiences. Pauwels has several favorites depending on the occasion and group size. He recommends Star Wars: Imperial Assault since it can be played alone thanks to a handy app that controls enemy characters, although it also works well with a group of Star Wars fans. Pauwels also recommends Mysterium for larger groups.
Mysterium is a really fun game. One person plays a ghost that can only communicate by showing you abstract pictures. It's kind of like Clue, as you use those abstract pictures to figure out which suspect committed the murder of this ghost player. So one person plays the ghost and the other players play trying to guess the clues that the ghost is giving.
Wingspan is another favorite for Pauwels and his wife, having played the game multiple times nearly every day of the month last December. Wingspan is an interesting strategy game that's based on bird watching, and its soothing, low-pressure gameplay and beautiful avian card art are perfect for capping off a rough day when there's not much energy left for something more intense.