Approximately 50 million people have played D&D. D&D stands for Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy tabletop role-playing game, first published in 1974. Some players create custom characters in the game, and a game creator known as a Dungeon Master, aka DM, creates the fictional storyline. In this game, players roll dice to determine whether their actions have an effect.

The newly added D&D Club at Woodbridge High School meets every Tuesday in room 123. During the first meeting, 18 students made an appearance, making the club’s premiere a grand success.

Ms. Garcia is the club’s advisor. She also runs the Gay Straight Alliance (Wednesdays) and Art Club (alternating Thursdays). We asked if she felt stressed about running three clubs in addition to her classes. “I enjoy the clubs,” she reflected. “It’s where I can look forward to the end of my day, a lot of times.”

People discover D&D through different means, but there was a majority of reason when all interviewees confessed that friends got them to try the game. However, in addition to this information, students did say that D&D mentioned in media was their original exposure.

Brendon Lopez was new to D&D at the time of his interview. Lopez stated, “I didn’t really know how to get into it, though. Subconsciously, I knew what it was. I just never pursued it.”

Jake Carbone is a current and first-time DM at the D&D club as well as an experienced player. Carbone opened up about what he loves most about the game, saying, “There’s no rules…want to throw a tomahawk at your friend that you just met? Sure.”

Players and DMs alike love the creativity that the game brings, so why not try it yourself? You can pick up a permission slip outside of room 123 and join a meeting.