Fantasy Worlds with Quests and Wizards (Ep. 234 - Dungeons & Dragons/David Gaider)

This weekend, I'll be attending The Descent, a Dungeons and Dragons live event in Los Angeles. And so for this week's episode, we're diving into the Sewers archive with a conversation from 2016 featuring game writer David Gaider. You may recognize his name as one of the co-creators of some of the most popular sci-fi and fantasy stories in the world -- his work appears in Baldur's Gate 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights, and many more. Though he's been telling stories his whole life, David never planned to become a professional game designer. He didn't think creative work could ever be practical, and even went so far as to turn down the job that would eventually change his life. For years, he operated under the assumption that nobody would be interested in the kinds of stories he really wanted to tell. Until one day he included a piece of himself in his work and found that it didn't just open a door for him, but unlocked new possibilities for everyone around him. And if you like hearing about queer game creators, you might also like Sewers of Paris episode 177, where I chat with Jeremy Crawford, lead rules designer for Dungeons and Dragons. Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to Sewers and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.