They Came to Slay
The Queer Culture of DnD
Published on 1. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
128 pages
978-1-912489-98-5 (ISBN)
Description
Grab a sword and roll for initiative a queer DnD adventure is about to begin.
Since its inception decades ago, the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons has offered an escape from the real world, the chance to enter distant realms, to walk in new shoes, and be part of immersive, imaginative tales as they unfold. For its LGBTQ+ players, it is also a vessel for exploration, joy, and self-discovery.
Journey on, adventurer, as Dungeon Master Thom James Carter invites you into DnD's exciting queer and utopian possibilities. Traverse its history and contemporary evolution, discover stories from queer players and the homebrewers making it their own, and unlock DnD's power to explore and examine identity how people want to lead their lives in real and imagined worlds alike.
Since its inception decades ago, the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons has offered an escape from the real world, the chance to enter distant realms, to walk in new shoes, and be part of immersive, imaginative tales as they unfold. For its LGBTQ+ players, it is also a vessel for exploration, joy, and self-discovery.
Journey on, adventurer, as Dungeon Master Thom James Carter invites you into DnD's exciting queer and utopian possibilities. Traverse its history and contemporary evolution, discover stories from queer players and the homebrewers making it their own, and unlock DnD's power to explore and examine identity how people want to lead their lives in real and imagined worlds alike.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 111 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-912489-98-5 (9781912489985)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Thom James Carter is a Scotland-based staff writer and researcher at DIGIT, and a frequent contributor to In the Works. He has contributed to WIRED, The New Statesman, Current Affairs, Dirt, Insider, Metro, Wellcome Collection, and many other publications.
He holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Creative Writing, both from Goldsmiths, University of London.
He holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Creative Writing, both from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Content
Contents
Introduction
Part One: Here be dragons and queers
Chapter 1: A potted history of Dungeons & Dragons
Chapter 2: The contemporary realms of D&D
Chapter 3: Queerness at the source
A short rest
Part Two: Queer play, exploration, joy and creativity
Chapter 4: The character sheet is more than a character sheet
Chapter 5: The magical effects of roleplay
Chapter 6: The Dungeon Master's world
Chapter 7: Raise a tankard to the homebrewers, creators, and community
Another short rest
Part Three: Queer D&D's past, present, and future
Chapter 8: Problems and Hope
Conclusion: As one journey ends, another begins