Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game made by Wizards of the Coast. It is among the most popular tabletop role-playing games out there, as well as one of the easiest for new players to follow. But not only is it a fun hobby to play with friends, it is also an amazing way to build social and reasoning skills, as well as being the perfect outlet for creativity. This is why I, along with other Castaic students, have decided to start a club for Dungeons and Dragons here on campus.

A tabletop role-playing game, or TTRPG, is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative. In most tabletop role-playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons, players create their characters within a fictional setting, often created by their dungeon master. A dungeon master is one of the players, but instead of taking the role of a single character, they take the role of every character not being played by the other players, including but not limited to the allies, rivals, and villains that the player’s characters will encounter.

We spoke with Hannah Dowaliby, the vice president of the D&D Club, who had a few things to say to those interested in Dungeons and Dragons.

Dungeons and Dragons is more than just a board game like Monopoly or Settlers of Catan. In Dungeons and Dragons, you get to work cooperatively with your other players through role-play. “I definitely love the roleplaying aspect,” Dowaliby said, “it really applies your social skills and it challenges you to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, and to empathize.” But that isn’t all. Dungeons and Dragons also helps to test the reasoning skills of its players, with deadly fights and traps that test your reaction timing, as well as complex decisions and moral questions to challenge your resolve. And all of this is through the lens of imagination, where you can build these necessary life skills without the stress of being affected by the outcomes in real life.

And of course, what most people enjoy about Dungeons and Dragons – the creative investment.  “I joined because of my overall investment into D&D and RPGs as a whole.” Dowaliby said. “I’ve just always been a really big fan of them because it really challenges you creatively.” In Dungeons and Dragons, you create your own character with their own story, and you get to act out scenes as these characters going through a world entirely different from your own. Dungeons and Dragons is a goldmine for those with a passion for acting, and storytelling, not to mention the amount of artwork that can be and has been made of characters and landscapes from these worlds.

“I would say that D&D may seem challenging or intimidating at first,” Dowaliby explained. “It may seem like there are a lot of rulesets.” The idea of slogging through mountains of books is a daunting and in some cases impossible task – but it’s entirely unnecessary. You can easily learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons without any reading, though it is suggested you read at least a little from the Player’s Handbook, just enough to get a basic understanding. In fact, learning to play is easier than ever, with the latest edition being made specifically with new players in mind, and with so many people already playing who would be happy to teach. “I know for sure that at the D&D Club, we are open to new players who are interested in D&D.” Dowaliby added.

So, with all this said, there really is only one question left to ask: why shouldn’t you play Dungeons and Dragons?