From the days of the "Satanic panic" to selling out theatres for live shows, adventures are now popular, and played by the likes of Vin Diesel and Stephen Colbert. The storytelling tabletop role-playing game has a rich history, and one can find tables of people playing from all walks of life.
One reason for the Dungeons and Dragons renaissance is the proliferation of live streaming actual-play shows online. Fans can watch professional players craft and weave tales of battle and triumph every night on Twitch. One major show is called Rivals of Waterdeep. The actual play live stream's 7th season is underway, and despite social distancing because of COVID-19, the cast seems closer than ever while broadcasting from their homes. The Dungeons and Dragons Twitch stream brings together a talent cast of veteran players, with each one taking a turn behind the dungeon master screen.
Normally streaming from a studio set in Chicago, the all-POC cast was one of the first of its kind when they started streaming D&D games in 2018. The Dungeons and Dragons fandom was previously presented as being very white and very male, and Rivals of Waterdeep's diverse cast turns that representation on its head. One of the newest cast is LaTia Bryant, a long-time Dungeons and Dragons Adventurer's League community manager, and writer for Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond. We talked to LaTia via email about her expectations for the show.
Tell me about the show! What sets it apart from other actual play shows?
I think there are two main things that set us apart from other shows. The first is our rotating Dungeon Master (DM). Every season, a different cast member sits in the DM's chair (if they want to!) and they get to tell their own story and showcase their strengths. It shows how anyone has the ability to run a game of D&D and was one of the things that drew me to the show as a fan. The second is our longevity. It was recently mentioned elsewhere that we are the longest-running of the shows that premiered at the same event. We're by no means the longest-running actual play on the internet, but I think it's a testament to us as a show and a cast that people want to keep watching us!
What about your history in the TTRPG community — how did you get started?
My first exposure to TTRPGs was with building characters in D&D 3.5 right out of high school, but I didn't really play until 4th Edition's sunset in 2013. I picked up the 5th Edition Player's Handbook the day it was released, but like many people, it was Critical Role that got me back to the table in 2016. People will talk about how intense watching them play can be, and I was no different. After I binged the first 50 episodes in three weeks (and have been caught up ever since!) it was time to find my own table. I found a group that was running one of the hardcovers at my FLGS and never looked back. From there, I eventually became an Adventurers League DM and started running games at conventions, which was where I met many of the then-current Rivals cast, who I became friends with before ing the cast.
What is your favorite game to play and why?
I've been pretty heavily into D&D since TTRPGs became my primary hobby, but I'm always looking into new systems and trying new games. I've dabbled in Vampire: the Masquerade and the Star Wars RPG. Most recently I played Keeper of the Cards, a GM-less magical girl-themed game by Jamila Nedjadi, that I enjoyed very much. Telling a good story is by far my favorite part of TTRPGs, and that game was one of the best experiences I've had doing that.
Stepping away from TTRPGs for a second, though, I do love a good board/card game! In this time where it's not so safe to get together with friends, I've been playing a lot of solo Marvel Champions and Magic the Gathering: Arena since COVID-19 hit, but my board game collection has been gathering so much dust.
What is your favorite class in Dungeons and Dragons and why?
I definitely don't have just one. I continuously circle back to classes that reflect my real life ions and strengths, so bards, clerics, druids, and monks probably get the most playtime. I have backgrounds in music, flow arts (spinning hula hoops, poi, staff, and the like), and massage therapy/healthcare, and I love adding that sort of flair to my characters. With D'hani, my Rivals character, I wanted to bring something to the table that hadn't been there before in of both class and race, and I wanted something that I could pull from my own experiences with, so I created a staff-wielding monk. That also happens to be a bird.
How are you all at Rivals coping with the Covid-19 crisis? Has being unable to play around a table changed the atmosphere of the game?
I think it definitely has. It's a lot harder to play off of each other when you're not sitting at a table; facial expressions are more difficult to read and we're always in danger of talking over each other because we don't know when someone wants to say something. For me, personally, I have some difficulties keeping my focus during online games, so sometimes it's a struggle to stay immersed. I'm very bummed to have only gotten one chance to sit around the studio table with everyone before the pandemic, and I'm looking forward to when we can get back to playing in person.
You’re fairly new to the cast, but what is your favorite in-game moment with Rivals so far?
Definitely the first episode of Season 7. We established that four months have ed since the end of Season 6, so my character has been with the Rivals for long enough that I could be as comfortable with the characters as I am with the players and, without giving away too much, we discover that the manor we've been living in might be in jeopardy due to some... shenanigans. Our DM Shareef puts our former cast mate Surena's character into an NPC role that is true to the character, and we get to meet newest Rival Masood's character in a very hilarious way. It had everything I'd want to watch in an actual play game.
What are your hopes for the future of Rivals of Waterdeep?
I just want us to keep going and keep telling stories! I'd love to sit in the DM's chair if we get more seasons. I want more people to see that you don't have to have years of writing experience or an encyclopedic knowledge of every D&D book to tell a good story. All you need is some friends willing to listen and be patient with you and an idea to share.
Rivals of Waterdeep airs at Noon CST on the official Dungeons and Dragons Twitch channel. You can follow LaTia Bryant on Twitter.
