(Caption: A game of Dungeons and Dragons, Photo Courtesy: Mitaukano, pixabay)
Dungeons and Dragons is one of those classic games that you either play or have heard of. In a gist, Dungeons and Dragons, or better known as just DND, is a fantasy table-top role playing game that was first created in 1974 designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It is a game of interactions and choices, with many twists, turns, and different outcomes that are ultimately decided by the players themselves. I don’t know much about DND other than Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will play it during the first season of Stranger Things. I wanted to really dive deeper into the world of DND, and when a student decided to start up a club here at Wright, I was intrigued and wanted to know more! I sat down with the club’s president, Ronald “Al” Alvarado, and see what inspired him to start this club here on campus.
So tell me more about Dungeons and Dragons, what it is and how it works? “Broadly speaking, DND is a cooperative role playing board game, which doesn't really tell anything much, but to sum it up it's like a video game where you act out with other people. The most fun aspect of DND is creating their own characters where they can choose their own class, race, gender, background, and their own story. The fate of their characters falls on how the player plays the game.”
(Photo Credit: Adrian Panopio)
When did you first start playing D&D? “I first started playing D&D around 2019, right before the pandemic. I didn’t know what it was until I was invited by some of my friends from the previous Table Top Club a few years back to come and play. I really enjoyed it, and I quickly got into the game. And the rest is history”
How was it establishing the D&D Club here at Wright? Did you have an easy or hard time finding people to join your club? “So the creation of the club itself was surprisingly quick, I just out of curiosity floated the idea of starting a new club. The first person I asked immediately got me started on the process of creating the club, and 2 weeks later D&D was on the list of clubs to be approved during the SGA meeting. While originally I thought about finding enough players to start the club, it wasn’t long before that I was completely swamped with an overwhelming amount of students who wanted to join the club. To this day, we now officially have 17 active members who attend weekly sessions.”
What are some of your plans for this club in the future? “Given how long a single campaign can last, our current one will stretch into the next semester. After that, it will be a matter of deciding what campaign we would like to do next and go about finding new DM’s. A campaign is a story that is being played, just to be clear, there are many campaigns, both official and player made. Although as a new DM, I have been sticking with official and premade ones. A DM is short for Dungeon Master, or Game master. They are the person who runs the session. The voice of the narrator, non playable characters, they present choices, the story and everything else. In short, the DM is the author of the entire story that the characters play in.”
(Photo Credit: Al Alvarado through HeroForge)
What are some of your thoughts on the new D&D Movie? Have you watched it? “I was lucky enough to get an early viewing of the movie. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, especially so for people who are familiar with D&D. The story and characters seem like something straight out of a campaign that players would play, including every little interaction and goofy moments. While there are some small artistic liberties taken in the movie in portrayal of rules, it is overall a faithful retelling of what a D&D story, even without being familiar with D&D, it’s still an enjoyable experience for the general public who might not have any idea about what even is D&D”
What time do you guys meet and are you open to new members joining DND? “We meet Mondays or Thursdays (depending on the player’s availability) from 4 to 6 pm in the Student Lounge in S128. We are always open to new members coming in to join our club and play.”
Do you have any other words to share? “To anyone who might be curious about playing, I promise it is a lot simpler than it appears. Character sheets, dice, and books might be intimidating at first, but it is just a tiny dot in the overall experience of D&D. The portrayal of D&D as a game just for nerds is simply inaccurate. You get to act out your character and all that fun things. For someone who might be intimidated by the nerdy or technical jargon, I implore you to give it a chance and see for yourself.”
(Photo Credit: Adrian Panopio)
Besides speaking with the president of D&D, I wanted to hear from the other members of the club and hear their insight on how the club is. I spoke with Adrian Quijano, a member of D&D and Pickleball Club.
What made you join the D & D Club? What was your first impression of the club in general? “I’ve always wanted to play D & D, but I just never really found a community that really played it in either high school or the first few semesters here at Wright. Then I found out that Al started a club and invited those he knew to come and play. The first day (of D & D) was very relaxed, where we all got to know each other and what everyone’s experience with D & D is.”
What are some things that you enjoy about the club? “I like that the club is not very strict, and how the club has flexible times. Everyone in the club is really fun and really chill. There really isn’t much formality in comparison to other clubs. And Al isn’t very strict on the rules either, so if I need anything or help, he’s really open. Overall, it’s pretty much fun and I get to spend time with my friends and peers. And I wanted to just say that D & D is awesome. It’s really a club for everyone, especially for people who really enjoys their imagination and creativity”
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