You walk into a bustling pub, where you spy a Barbarian, an Elf, and a Mage, who all want to acquire the same object… a critical piece of paper.
What’s going on? Have you entered a fantastical alternate reality? Nope—it’s just a normal day in Chandler High School’s Dungeons and Dragons Club.
Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, is a tabletop roleplaying game, where players create or build their own characters, or avatars, and work together to explore new worlds, vanquish monsters, and complete epic quests, all in the comfort of their kitchen or living room. D&D players may join a group, or party, that meets and plays together for years, where they can build lifelong friendships and family. The D&D Club at CHS, which has running for five years, is open to any Chandler High School students who want to get involved.
Alabastor Golarte, this year’s club president, is excited to grow the club this year. Although D&D can seem intimidating to newbies, Alabastor encouraged anyone who is interested to not be afraid. “The club is really easy to get into as a beginner!” he said. As GM, or Game Master, Golarte will help you create a character that fits your personality and interests while also guiding you along the way to expertise!
Besides the chance to hang out with like-minded students, D&D is a great way to improve your storytelling skills and strengthen your imagination. This school year, the club decided to hold a year-long campaign (In D&D, campaigns, or storylines, can be short one-shots that start and finish in a few hours, or they can run for months or even years!), which will allow players to develop their characters over a longer period of time and tell longer, more complicated stories. Golarte explained that spending more time with your character can make the gameplay feel more meaningful. “You do get an attachment towards your characters if you are going into a long campaign,” Golarte said. Thankfully, a long campaign means your character is less likely to die early and leave you out of the action!
Dungeons and Dragons Club is open to anyone who loves stories, whether you are into horror scenarios or romance plots, and wants to try new ways of telling, developing, and sharing them. The club prides itself on being an inclusive, welcoming space for all students. “The club is really open, really accepting,” Alabastor explained. “We love new members, and we love to see people getting involved in D&D and all of the nerdy stuff. We think D&D is a great way of self-expression!”
