The year is 1974, and American game designers Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson have invented a new narrative-driven, role-playing game: Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). 51 years later, a new generation of players at Trinity have maintained its relevance. Through a series of adventures carried out over multiple sessions, known as campaigns, Trinity’s D&D club brings dungeon masters, elves, wizards and other fantastical creatures to campus.
As religious fundamentalists weaponized the past-time as fuel for the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s, this table-top, role-playing game once fell under immense scrutiny: accusing D&D players of promoting witchcraft, demon worship and suicide. However, through mainstream debunking and acceptance, players have since established it as a space for creative expression and community building.
Joseph Cangemi, senior computer science and business double-major, is the president of Trinity’s D&D club. He said that people put advertisements out for campaigns that they are running on the club’s official Discord, and some advertisements provide options for those that have limited time for involvement.
“An even lower bar option is something called a one-shot, which, these little games that are advertised, are intending to only meet one to two or three times. And that’s it. That is the entire game,” Cangemi said. “Joining D&D and having a D&D game doesn’t have to be a commitment that you were going to say is long-term.”
Kyla Bruns, first-year mathematics major, said that D&D has allowed her to explore the essence of fantasy. As a member of the Trinity D&D club, Bruns expressed that D&D has played a significant role in her life.
“It’s just been a way for me to get more confident in myself,” Bruns said. “Not only giving me a group of people who I feel comfortable with, being myself, but also just help[ing] me be more open with my interests.”
When discussing her experience with the D&D club, Bruns said that the organization serves as a resource for those interested in D&D to find other players, games and groups of people they play well with.
Melissa Gonzalez Perez, first-year computer science major, is not involved in the club but has taken note of their presence on campus. Despite not being an active participant, Gonzalez Perez said the Trinity D&D club is good for new or curious players and is accessible for all students.
“The fact that there is an established club just means that there [are] so many opportunities for community, so even though I’m not a part of it, I think it’s really valuable,” Gonzalez Perez said.
As for her own connection to the game, Gonzalez Perez said that D&D is a fun activity to look forward to. According to her, it helps balance the unpredictability that comes with student life.
“Being a freshman in college, it’s already very overwhelming because there’s so many changes, and it can be very scary when you don’t have a support system, per se,” Gonzalez Perez said.
Gonzalez Perez recommended D&D as a space for people to step into a role and express themselves. In addition, Cangemi shared how the D&D community allows members to hear each other’s ideas. He said that Trinity’s D&D club consists of a community of people who are fostering different creative beliefs through storytelling.
“It means getting together. It means being creative. It means learning about people in a way that you can’t anywhere else,” Cangemi said. “You get to see how people wish to be creative and how their creative outlets can collide or interact.”
For those interested in getting involved with Trinity’s D&D club through campaigns and being a part of their official Discord server, Joseph Cangemi encouraged contacting him at [email protected].
