Rolling the dice
The DnD club takes Norwin by storm
DnD club works on campaign.
February 7, 2023
Over the past several years, Norwin High School’s Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) Club has established itself fairly well, only growing as time has gone on. DnD, which rose in popularity during the 1970s and 80s originally, and has gained more recent attention following the popular Netflix show Stranger Things, is a fantasy role playing game where players use quick thinking skills to come up with solutions to the problems within their game, or campaign. Nearly every aspect of these campaigns are controlled by the players, with a main campaign manager, or Dungeon Master (DM) to move things along in the game.
“These Dungeon Masters, or DM’s, essentially create the basic outline of the story that is acted upon by a small group of Players, sort of like a choose-your-own-adventure book,” said DnD Club President, Ethan Hall (11). “What’s unique about this format is the ability of the DM to react to the players’ actions in a fluid and genuine manner, allowing for the story to progress in practically any manner.”
The DnD Club has been meeting sporadically through the week in several separate groups to best fit their members. Each campaign works to the players specific needs in order to make sure everyone is included.
“Students game in my classroom, room 213,” said faculty adviser Mrs. Funk. “When they meet is different for each group, depending on members’ schedules and availability. Most groups meet at least once a week.”
At a regular meeting, players would focus on moving forward in their gameplay with various team related activities and player driven moves. Each player makes their own game, and decides where they want to take their character and plot.
“The average meeting usually consists of us all meeting up and making sure we remembered where we left off,” said member, Ash Maizer. “Next, we continue our campaign. Since it’s more of a role play/fighting style board game, you get to choose your own actions, but you have to roll for your actions every now and then. Whenever we start a fight, we roll initiative. Whoever rolled the highest out of a D20 goes first. Then we fight from there, but you still control your own actions. When we’re all done, we pack up and, if needed, reschedule for next week if someone can’t make it.”
Norwin’s DnD Club offers a creative environment for all members interested in fantasy and role playing games (RPG), as well as practical skills that will carry over into the professional and academic world.
“I believe that this club benefits our Norwin students in that it develops skills that are eternally useful in life,” said Hall. “Specifically, being a player in a DnD game allows someone to practice working together in a team, engaging in an activity that requires commitment, and respecting other people’s decisions. Moreover, acting as a DM provides experience in preparing for future events, planning around people’s various desires/needs, and improvising to unexpected events. However, what’s more important than all of these factors is that the Dnd club allows for people of all different views and personalities to come together and have a great time, with everyone pitching in to enhance the experience.”
Outside of the fun gameplay and practical skills DnD Club provides players with, many students join and continue to return to the club for the relaxed and welcoming environment that members uphold.
“I cannot speak for other DM’s, but for the games I run, the atmosphere is reasonably laid back,” said Hall. “While there are a few basic expectations for a member of the club, the intent of this organization is to provide a safe space for expression without worrying about conforming to specific expectations or dealing with severe deadlines.”
