Dungeons & Dragons at 50: the collaborative fantasy role-playing game that builds you up

‘It’s collaborative escapism – the world I’ve built goes where the characters want to take it.’ Rose Herden runs a game of D&D each weekend at the Fortress gaming centre in Sydney. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Brock the barbarian is a 2-metre (6ft 6in) tall loveable gruff. “He’s an idiot, but he wants to do well,” explains 25-year-old Zach Anderson, who is 12cm (5in) shorter than Brock. “He’s very extroverted and I’m very introverted.”

Via Brock, Anderson has broken out of his shy nature to go on all manner of adventures. Once, he slew a dragon.