The Dungeons and Dragons club requires the littlest bit of imagination to relax and be yourself in an embracing community.

“[The atmosphere has] been very embracing, we are very much all-inclusive and that hasn’t always been true of the Dungeons and Dragons community,” sponsor Jerome Strode said. “It started as the ‘nerd game’ for a long time, but in the rise of fandom it has found a lot of acceptance.”

Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy roleplaying game with an objective set by the dungeon master. The dungeon master is the storyteller that creates the world in which the players are in. Depending on what the players do, the dungeon master might have to change the story.

“At first [I joined because my friends wanted to do it] and I already knew someone who was going to be the dungeon master,” freshman Charisma Mize said. “I was just going to go to the first meeting to see what was up, but it was actually really fun.”

Dungeons and Dragons includes both luck and strategy. The luck aspect comes from rolling a die, with the strategy aspect coming from making the character and deciding what it will do.

“[What I enjoy the most about Dungeons and Dragons is] mostly the different minds, different people, and it’s a place where you can be closer together [with others],” senior Matthew Strode said. “If you’re inexperienced or if you’re experienced, it doesn’t matter, we’re just glad to have you here and have you play the game.”

There are different ways to create a character, including how to respond in situations presented by the dungeon master.

“We’re one of the few clubs that hides the academics in the fun because you don’t think about the math you are doing or the writing that you’re doing or the creative thinking and problem solving that you’re doing, while you’re busy just reveling in the success and failures of your characters,” Jerome said. “We have students of all ages, from all different paths.”

Club meetings are every Tuesday and Thursday after school in the collaboration room. Attendance is optional and everyone is welcome, even just to be a spectator.

“[I was hoping to] just have a better time in high school because I didn’t join a lot of clubs, but I feel like I can be in Dungeons and Dragons and not have a lot of pressure on me,” Mize said. “It helps with coming up with things on the spot, and it helps you get used to talking in front of a bunch of people.”

Dungeons and Dragons can be a great way to unwind after class. It is also a great way to hang out with friends as well as make new ones.

“If you have even the slightest hint of imagination or if you have ever dreamed about being something more or something else, give [Dungeons and Dragons] a try,” Jerome said. “To be able to step into someone else’s shoes and live in a world where you can be almost anything is very liberating.”