“Roll for initiative” the dungeon master says, as she places down a miniature of an ancient white dragon. The table explodes in raucous yells and anxious noises as the party realizes the trouble they have stumbled in.

Dungeons and dragons has been around for a long time now, ever since the fortuitous meeting of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1972. Ever since that day, the lives of nerds have been changed forever.

However, dungeons and dragons has not always been in the good graces of society as it is now. Every wizard and barbarian of the early days of dungeons and dragons remembers the “Satanic Scare” of the 80s and 90s, when every dungeons and dragons player was considered to worship Lucifer.

Those were the dark days of dungeons and dragons, when players had to hide in basements and never mentioned their favorite past time.

Since the 2010s however, it’s as if the world has flipped their opinions on the titular role playing game. Suddenly when people look around you can see live-streamed games, Wizards of the Coast sponsored events, and people spending all their time playing this wonderful game.

Last year alone, a single group of dungeons and dragons players became so popular that when they started a Kickstarter for their own animated series about their game, they managed to raise 11.5 million dollars, breaking the record for a crowdfunded television shows.

As much as the idea of nerds has changed in the past 20 years, it is hard to say that dungeons and dragons has wallowed in its previous anonymity. So roll for initiative everyone, and be prepared for the decade of dungeons and dragons.