Dungeons and Dragons, also known as “DND”, is a popular choice for school clubs everywhere, including Arlington Career Center (ACC). Every week, DND meets for about an hour, and it’s growing in popularity: In the 2021-2022 year, the member count was under twelve, but during the 2022-2023 school year, there were close to thirty members.

So… what exactly is D&D?
Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG). You can find several single-player role-playing games (RPGs) as well as multiplayer ones (MMORPGs) online, but tabletop RPGs (like D&D) are also a great option (especially if you want to log off screens for a while!). The game consists of a group of players and one Dungeon Master, or “DM”. Players role play as created characters, changing their voices and even acting out scenarios, while the Dungeon Master keeps the game going and helps keep the storyline consistent. Dice are used to determine several different aspects of the game, such as how much damage a character did in combat or if an attempt to trick an NPC (non-player character, played by the Dungeon Master) will work.

Sounds fun, how can I get into it?
There are several resources online, including YouTube videos and podcasts. Podcasts are longer, as the story can be slow-moving (especially if there’s combat involved), but oftentimes you don’t need to listen to the entire podcast in one sitting. DND Beyond is the main website for the game and includes an online character-building tool with options to explain the different aspects of the characters for beginners. And, of course, you can always join ACC’s club, which meets on Thursdays after school in Mr. Hines’s room.