'Dungeons & Dragons', now 50 years old, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity

In 'Dungeons & Dragons', you can start an adventure in the Forgotten Realms on the exciting Sword Coast, home to the cities of Baldur’s Gate, Waterdeep, and Neverwinter. Photo: The Star/William Gary

Get out your 20-sided dice and graph-paper maps – Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the tabletop role-playing game of fantasy adventure, is 50 years old.

Though the exact date of the game’s release has been lost to the mists of time, Wizards of the Coast, the company that currently owns D&D, selected Jan 27 for the official date, although the celebration continues all year through special events and product releases.