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Dungeons and Dragons Club aims to spread enjoyment of tabletop gaming

Every Wednesday afternoon, starting at 3:30 p.m., loads of cheering can be heard outside high school chemistry teacher Victoria Conner’s room as the Dungeons and Dragons Club members join together to socialize and play the tabletop role-playing game. 

To play, a group of students work together to complete different goals, such as discovering a lost city or taking care of a dragon that is burning down a village.  

 The Dungeon Master creates a story and leads the group through the adventure. 

Junior Kasmer Conner, the founder of the D&D Club,  started the club because of his passion for D&D. He originally started playing after hearing his mother tell stories about playing D&D with her friends. Conner started the club last year with her help but made some changes this year with the support of the new high school humanities teacher James Comer. 

“It’s a very open-ended game because it’s not railroading you down on one path. It’s not set in stone; we have to go for it,” Conner said. “If you have a good story, the game can basically go anywhere.

 “For example, one of the most common stories include killing an evil monster that’s terrorizing a town. Say there is a lich king that’s raising the dead. You would want to go defeat him because he’s upsetting the citizens.”

The D&D Club is a good way for quieter students to interact with other students with similar interests. 

“Lots of students have had online gaming experiences that have not led to positive socialization,” Comer said. “One of our goals is to get people away from their screens and into socializing more in person. Students with learning differences or people on the lower end of the social spectrum end up making lots of friends in this club.” 

Club members can also take away life skills from tabletop gaming. One member, sophomore Jordyn LaPlaca, highlighted new organizational tactics.

“I learned how to strategize and how to use what we’ve got. For example, if we have none of our weapons and now we have to break out of a dungeon, we have to plan how we will do that. I saw resourcefulness strategies while playing D&D,” said LaPlaca. 

The D&D club helps students show their inner selves and lets them meet new people. 

“I chose to join this club because I can express my creativity and make some more friends,” freshman Dylan Donohue said. 

Along with strategizing with new friends, the D&D Club leaders have their own priorities for the club.

“Our main goal is to help others gain interest in the game,” Conner said. “And most importantly, to have fun!”

— By Anisha Mondal

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