Following a request from pupils who were keen to play, Dungeons and Dragons was introduced as an activity last term. This has quickly grown in popularity with two sessions running each week – Junior and Senior groups. Daniel, Year 12, gives us an insight into this new activity.
What made you choose Dungeons and Dragons Activity and how long have you been doing it?
I was the co-founding member of the Dungeons & Dragons club two terms ago, and have been playing since. I decided to start this club because I had read and heard about D&D in many places before, but I had never really had the opportunity to play. I had heard from Mr Kerswell during rehearsals for the school play that he had played before, and so I asked if I could give it a go, and hence the club began.
What do you do each week?
D&D is a tabletop RPG (role-playing game). Each week, our party of adventurers bands together to act in the world of our characters. The game is continuous until the Dungeon Master (Mr Kerswell) ends the game, and our current game has been going on since the club started. The game works as you the player roleplaying a character in a world with a setting.
Your character has stats and equipment which give you a higher or lower chance to succeed in your attempts at performing an action. The successes and failures are determined by rolling dice, often a die with 20 sides (a D20). The story is created by us, the player, while the Dungeon Master guides us toward specific quests and plot points to discover.
What has been your favourite thing about it/what do you enjoy most about it?
What I enjoy most about D&D is the freedom it gives you. Everything in the game is created by your imagination, and so nearly everything is possible, subject to the game’s limitations and Dungeon Master’s discretion. Whether you wish to follow a righteous path or an evil one, live a lawful or chaotic life or be a great warrior or powerful mage, the choice is always yours.
Why should someone choose to do Dungeons and Dragons Activity?
D&D is an experience that can only be understood when played. It is a game that supports creativity, teamwork and problem-solving. It can take you from the highest of fantasy realms to the most simple of encampments or towns. You can face hideous beasts and overcome them or search the lands for more than action, and the experience is like no other. It builds bonds between both players and the Dungeon Master and is an experience that is rooted in camaraderie, so whether you are simply looking for a way to spend an activity period, want to learn to play one of the most popular TTRPG games of all time or wish to make new friends, do think about joining.
