For students and fans, the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) club is more than a game, it is a form of expression. “It’s an outlet for creativity,” Jesus Manuel Lopez, president of the D&D club, explained. “It lets people explore themselves in a creative sense where they’re not really restricted to mind or body.”
The D&D club at Eastfield was an on-line group, but now they meet in Building G, Room 226. Though it has been a challenge to get comfortable with the in-person setting, after resolving some issues, the president said, “Everything just kind of seemed to ease itself [out].”
He added, “It’s getting a lot more busy now.” Six months into his presidency, Lopez is proud that D&D’s officers are really enthusiastic about the club. The club now occupies room G227, too. “We’ll go ahead and have one game running in this room and another game running in [that] room, also.”
Lopez explained the expansion allows the club to do more than in previous years. The goal is to introduce more people to D&D.
D&D, the fantasy role-playing game, is fascinating to players because of its rich characteristics of freedom and detail. When starting out, D&D players can either roll dice to create their character or use the point-buy system. The D&D club uses the point-buy system, where players can choose how to allocate points across various characteristics.
Players also get to pick their race. In his book “Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It,” David M. Ewalt says players often choose races that align with their desired play-style or character goals. For example, his friend — who he refers to as a “professional clown” — chose a bard race. Bards have the ability to cast spells through singing or playing music, which is great for players who are also performers.
The president also said students have a chance to become a “dungeon master.” Dungeon masters create the settings, formulate certain plot lines and traps, and control the non-player characters. They are in charge of calling people out, basically a referee, ensuring the game runs smoothly and everyone has a good time.
The club hosted a fundraising event to raise money for future growth. The event occurred in tandem with a Veterans rally on Nov. 4 and National Election Day on Nov. 5. The fundraiser came with carnival-style games and a mini D&D adventure booth. By far the most popular game during the fundraiser was a gambling station in which participants would roll a 20-sided dice for prizes, with the higher numbers correlating to higher prize values up to a 6-inch plushie on a 20 roll.
When calculations were made, the final total was $417.50 overall, with $147.50 as profit for future event money or D&D-related content and merchandise.
The D&D club aims to continue its efforts to recruit more members and is looking for more ways to raise funds.
Lopez added: “This place is really accepting. [And] I think [it’s] really important if they [students] want to go ahead and pursue this as a real hobby.”
For more information about Eastfield’s D&D Club, visit room G-226 or join their discord server at https://discord.gg/WjCw8XVw6w.
