A celebration is being held in the Kingdom of Solana, called the Days of Salvation. Silas, a warrior,  watches the boat carrying the future queen, Princess Zaria. Everything is going according to plan. Just before the crown is placed on her head, an explosion occurs on stage. A masked man sarcastically bows before taking the future queen. Townsfolk begin to flee. Swiftly, Silas draws his sword. What does he do? 

It’s up to the player to decide.

Dungeons and Dragons (DND) is a tabletop role-playing game where anything is possible, and that is not an understatement. Think of it as a video game, but the player can do whatever they want at any time; there’s no forced story or programing to limit what the player wants to do.  

DND is a game where the player doesn’t have to just “hold on for the ride.” Rather, the player can be Sialis, Princess Zaria or anyone else they pleased. The only limit is the players’ minds.

The game has been very popular all around the world ever since its debut in 1974, Air Academy High School is no exception with its Dungeons and Dragons Club.

Dungeon Master: Creator of Worlds.

When playing Dungeons and Dragons, one player is the dungeon master (DM). The DM is the creator of the world. They describe the scenery and what actions occur. For example, the DM can decide whether the other players end up fighting a pack of wild dogs or befriending them.

AAHS freshman Alta napkins said, “I personally think it’s just being able to integrate your own ideas into something that wouldn’t be possible in real life. Unlike the real world, in DND there are no rules you can make whatever rules you want.”

Players: Warriors of Worlds.

The other players are the ones who engage in the world the DM has created for them. They create their characters and personalities with character sheets. The players have complete control over their character’s race, social class, occupation, and personality. For example, a player can range from a simple human who is a hero of the village to a small goblin who keeps treasures to himself, trusting no one, or even an elf who is a blacksmith and hopes one day to avenge their family. 

Sophomore Matthias said, “My character name is an audit, he is a level seven war ranger. Basically, he’s a gunslinger that has no mute button.”

The player can choose everything about themselves…except for their actions.

The Weapon of Choice: Dice

Dice are used heavily in this game. There are many different dice used such as a twenty-sided dice (D-20), a 4 sided dice (D-4), and even a one-hundred sided dice that counts by tens (D-100). Players’ fates are often decided with these dice.

If one wanted to cast a magic spell to open a door, the DM would tell them to roll a certain number. If they succeed in rolling a high enough number, they succeed at opening the door.

However, if the dice lands on a one (or lowest number), it is deemed a critical failure and the consequences are dire. 

 “Basically, my team was fighting an ancient dragon god named the Karmapa and I was the only one who ended up not passing the different roll and I almost died,” said AAHS freshman Garrett Sullivan.

DND has organically been labeled as the “nerdy” or the “geeky” type of game. However, that is inaccurate, as a result of all the different types of people who like to play the game, including celebrities like actor Vin Diesel and Late-Night talk show host Steven Colbert, who has admitted to playing the game regularly. 

Additionally, playing DND could help with building creativity. Since the possibilities are endless, a player’s mind can expand to various realms of creativity while playing the game. It can also boost activity when it comes to teamwork and leadership skills, as players need to work together to go through tough situations.

“Creativity is one of the main things about dungeons and dragons, you can get starter characters but you need the imagination to get through tough situations,” said AAHS freshman Josie Wyman.

If the roaring creativity and endless possibilities interest you, join the DND club in playing every Thursday after school in room 403.