Danielle C is a high school art teacher that has been running a school D&D club for the last 4 years at her school in Germany.
DanDMadeEasy ran an interview with Danielle about her experience setting up and running a school D&D club.
If you’re looking for support setting up a school D&D club, there’s lots of free support out there, both from DanDMadeEasy and other creators. If you want to get in touch with other school club facilitators, there’s a dedicated channel for this on the DanDMadeEasy Discord server.
Dan: “Thanks for taking the time to share your story, Danielle. First up, can you please tell me why you decided to set up a D&D club in your school? What is your experience with roleplaying outside the school, if any?”
Danielle: “Of course! I decided to set up the club for a few reasons. I had a few students that played, I had been interested in learning and I had never played before. Our school has a plethora of sports but only a few after school clubs. I wanted to make a space for students to come and play the game.”
Dan: “Wow, so you jumped in at the deep end with no prior experience, that’s impressive! Can you tell us what the experience of setting the club up was like? What was involved?”
Danielle: “My experience setting up and running this club has been a very positive one. When I initially had the idea to start the club the first thing I wanted to establish was student interest. Was I going to have enough students to make this happen? I first asked the students in my classes if there was a desire and the ones who were interested not only told me yes, but also mentioned their friends that would want to join. Once I knew I would have enough members, I went to my administration to figure out the logistics of starting a new club. It was fairly straightforward, though I know every school is different. I filled out the paperwork, got approval from my administration, and was able to set the dates and times for when the club met.
Because I had never played before, I relied heavily on a student that was an experienced player and DM. With his help, I knew what questions I needed to ask. Did I have enough kids for a party, will I have enough DMs to accommodate the players? But first, I needed to get a headcount of exactly who was going to join.
At the beginning of every school year, I hold an informational meeting after school for anyone who is interested in playing. I advertise this meeting in the morning announcements and by word of mouth. I also make it very clear that all are welcome regardless of experience! Teenagers are awkward enough, and if you put them in a situation they have no background in, that intensifies. My goal is to make them feel as comfortable as possible so they will want to come and learn something new, be a part of our community and know they won't be judged for knowledge they don't have yet.
During the informational meeting, I work out details in a large Q&A. I find out which day or
days of the week the majority of us will be available, the length of the sessions, hours that will work for myself and the students and a start and end date. I find out who is willing to DM and how many parties we will have. One of the biggest obstacles I have in scheduling is competing with the sports programs. The attendance will possibly ebb and flow depending on any sports the students participate in.”
Dan: “Ah, scheduling, it’s always a challenge - that seems like a great way to do it! Can you tell me a little more about the group - what age range are the kids, and how many are in the club?”
Danielle: “The kids range from Freshman to Seniors, ages 14-18. I have between 15-20
members any given year.”
Dan: “That’s really impressive! How did you get so many kids interested in joining?”
Danielle: “I am very proud to say I have the largest club in the school, and have maintained this title for the last 4 years! Considering we have multiple sports running year long and our school has less than 200 students, I think that’s pretty cool! I don't think I can take all the credit for the kids' interest, though. Yes, I promote it like crazy, but honestly I think Stranger Things being such a mainstream and popular tv show helped with some of the stereotypes surrounding the game. But also the majority of my students don't know what TTRPGs are. Once I explained the game, some became more willing to try it. Knowledge is power!”
Dan: “While TTRPGs are so great for so many reasons, it’s easy to have misconceptions about them - so those explanations are really important! Speaking of explanations, how do you help kids understand the rules? Did you find any resources helpful?”
Danielle: “I am very fortunate that my school librarian saw I was starting the club and ordered the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide for me. She is also open to stocking the library with any other written materials I need. I also purchased my own copy of the Player’s Handbook.
We don't have access to D&D Beyond on school computers, so we make pencil and paper character sheets. During the first official session, everyone creates their character sheets together - it’s quite chaotic! The experienced players walk around and help newer members, and we have the Player’s Handbooks spread out. A few students also bring their own copies.
Once the students break into their parties, the DMs take over facilitating rules to the players. I have been incredibly fortunate with the high caliber of students that join my club. They are not only helpful to the other kids, but they do it with kindness and patience. I am so grateful for them!
Since you (DanDMadeEasy) and I have been acquainted, we have also been using your resources on the tables. The Reference Cards have been outrageously helpful, especially for newer players, and we will be printing out Character Journals this year.”
Dan: “It’s so great to hear that the kids have been so awesome, such a blessing! Can you share a little about how your games run – how long is each session? How many players are in each group, and how many groups do you have running? Do you have separate stories in each session (a series of one-shots), or do you have some kind of ongoing campaign?”
Danielle: “For the last 4 years, we’ve had sessions on Thursdays right after school for an hour and half. Students volunteer to DM and then the students divvy themselves up amongst the available DMs. We've been very fortunate to have enough DMs for all the kids that sign up. I tried my hand at DMing this year with a party that had never played before – thank goodness, because we were all novices! Thankfully, they were super patient with me. Each campaign lasts for the entirety of the club in that academic year, with the same DM and players in each campaign. The club runs from November-February. When we pick an exact end date for the club, the DM wraps up the story, the players level up and they either use those characters the following year or make new ones.”
Dan: “Wow, so each group remains the same throughout the full club year. That’s really impressive! I think in many cases school clubs tend to run shorter campaigns or one-shots because DMs or players often drop out. Does this tend to happen in your games?”
Danielle: “The kids look forward to our games every week and we rarely have students that don't show up. I also have a policy within the club that if a party member or DM isn't going to be able to come they have to contact their party and let them know. I set up a group chat for us in Gmail so communication is easy. Plus if I have announcements I can send them through that.”
Dan: “That consistency in player turnout is a real blessing! So you have kids running games - how do you support them?”
Danielle: I’m quite new to DMing games - I only started last year. Because of this, it’s important that I have experienced players in the club, and I've been very fortunate on this front. Last year, I had 2 experienced DMs that led their campaigns no problem and even helped the rest of us (mostly me) if we needed it. Previously, I would make a character and join one of the campaigns so I could participate as well.
I have a few campaigns that I have collected over the years that are available for the students to use, but all the DMs I've had make up their own.
Dan: “It’s nice to have a bank of materials available, especially if someone wants to try DMing for the first time [you can find links to free resources for school clubs on this webpage]. Speaking of materials, you’re an art teacher. Do you encourage crafting and design in your club?
Danielle: “I encourage students to make their own maps from supplies I have in my art room. I have large pieces of paper and anything they desire to illustrate it. But if the kids don’t want to make them, I offer to print them on my poster printer. I bought a few maps from Yarro Studios that I’ve been using with my party. I love them - they’re huge, detailed and fun!
We have a 3D printer in our school so I print minis for the kids, then we set aside a chunk of time to paint them. I tend to print minis from Thingiverse, or Hero Forge if the kids want to buy a custom mini 3D print file.”
Dan: “Custom maps and minis sounds so awesome - I find that having props and other things to touch can help improve games so much! How about other materials - do you use any resources to support kids in making and playing their characters?”
Danielle: “As we all know, Dungeons and Dragons can be super complicated, especially if you're a new player. I've made characters using both pen and paper and digital methods, and the best approach really depends on the time you have available. If you don’t have long, you can get playing quickly using D&D Beyond. Going for the pen and paper route can help explain options to kids, and leave them more comfortable navigating their character sheets, but it takes a lot longer! I spent a good chunk of time one weekend making a cheat sheet for the character sheet to explain in detail and steps how to go about making a character using the pen and paper method. It helped me too!”
Dan: “Yeah, I’d recommend that everyone makes a character by hand at least once in their adventuring career as I feel that gives a much broader understanding of the game. Let’s talk about the wider benefits of playing D&D for the kids. Have you seen any benefits in social behavior or other areas?”
Danielle: “The benefits I have witnessed running this club are numerous. It lets my students
that aren’t very social express themselves in an environment where they will be accepted, having a space where they can be themselves, and helps them to navigate other social situations. They form bonds with the other players and it nurtures their social emotional wellbeing. That's huge! At its core, Dungeons and Dragons is all about imaginative storytelling. I see my students come alive in the characters and narratives. They weave stories and obstacles, thinking on their feet and creating scenarios outside of what is possible in reality. I see them quickly adapting and pivoting in their decision making. And beyond that, there’s critical thinking and collaboration. They are learning and applying valuable skills that they utilize outside of the club. This club has extraordinary benefits and I see it every week.”
Dan: “It must be really great seeing the kids develop every week! Let’s switch our focus to how you’ve found the experience. First up, what’s your biggest highlight from your time running D&D in schools?”
Danielle: “Having the opportunity to run the club as a whole, really! The club means so much to me and my students. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to supply a space for them to come play and socialize. They look forward to it each week, which is obvious with the energy they bring to the club. The success of the club is completely due to my kids and their excitement and dedication to the game. I love running the club, the kids love being a part of it, and I'm honored they keep coming back every year!”
Dan: “Your love for the club really shines through, and it sounds like it all goes amazingly
well, but I guess there must have been challenges, too. What has been the biggest challenge when running D&D in schools, and how have you handled it?”
Danielle: “My biggest challenge is scheduling conflicts with sports. I have found talking with coaches and getting approval for a student to miss part of practice on club day has worked. Most of the coaches are willing to work with me on that.
A challenge I ran into last year was that I had 3 rowdy campaigns going on and because I am the club sponsor I have to keep my eyes on the kids at all times. We have two groups in my main classroom and then a smaller group in my computer lab. The lab has glass walls, so this helps with the noise and I can still keep my eyes on them.”
Dan: “As we’re reaching the end of the interview, let’s look at how we can support other club facilitators. If you could share just a single piece of advice or resource, what would it be and why?”
Danielle: “Ask for help! I have had so many parents offer to help that play in their own time. Take advantage of people with more experience if they offer it!”
Dan: “Wow, you even get help from parents? It’s great that you have access to such a supportive community, and it seems that your experience has been pretty stellar throughout! If a potential facilitator were on the fence about setting up a school D&D club, what would you say to them?”
Danielle: Even if you have never played, just go for it. The kinks will work themselves out with time and experience. The important thing is to just start playing! Get those kids who need an outlet and (friends) into a space and start.
Dan: “Thanks so much for your time, Danielle, I’m sure it will help others that are interested in setting up and running a school D&D club!”
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