Cholla Charger Network

Written by Haley M. Flores

D&D is a fantasy role-playing game where players can make up their own characters and work together to complete quests in an imaginary world, usually created by the dungeon master. Players need to be able to think on their feet and adjust to the storyline as it changes. Each player can use their unique abilities to defeat goblins and ghouls. D&D is like a fun story telling game where you can explore castles, dungeons, forests, and more with your friends.  “It’s a lot like a socially acceptable form of playing pretend,” as Ms. Owens describes it.

“It’s a fun way to get to know each other and to insert yourself into a story. You get to make your decisions within an already written story, so imagine you are reading your favorite book, but you get to go in and make all of your own decisions, and you get to be one of the main characters.” –Ms. Owens

Ms. Owens loves Dungeons & Dragons, so she decided to host the club. “I wanted to get that started and hopefully appeal to those who had hoped to find a group to belong to.”  The D&D club is open to anyone. During an interview with the current club members, Johnathan Timus and Zerek Mendoza, I asked how they would recommend the club to students who consider joining. Johnathan said, “If you want your creative and adventurous side to come out you should come just to check it out.” Zerek said, “I would recommend it if you want like good friends to have a laugh with or just to express your creativity through writing.”

As Zerek mentioned, this club incorporates creative writing as well. The club members will set aside time to write about their characters backstories and what they are going through in the campaign. Aside from that, they must write down what is happening in the story so they can continue the campaign without forgetting anything. Ms. Owens pointed out that writing is a necessity, “otherwise if we go on Christmas break in the middle of a campaign—we might forget what happened before that.”

You do not need to know how to play D&D to come to the meetings. Both Zerek and Johnathan joined the club with little to no experience with the game, and they have grown to love it. During the interview with Johnathan, he recalled when he first joined the club, “Some of my friends told me to come and check it out last year, then after like the first two days I just like fell in love with it.”  

The meetings take place after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Ms. Owens thinks, “It would be really nice to have a few more people and be able to have more time.” Unfortunately some of the group members are seniors, meaning the club will lose members. However, Ms. Owens still plans on continuing the club next year so there will be more opportunities for new members to join! So, if you have spare time or if you are looking for a new club to join, consider stopping by after school to check it out.