Tim Jay
CCBC students looking for an escape into a world of magic and mayhem will find their fill during meetings of the Dungeons and Dragons Club. 
Every Friday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Catonsville Barn, the CCBC Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club offers students the chance to take a character of their own making on a litany of story adventures brought to life by talented and dedicated Dungeon Masters (DM). Be it a Dwarf, Dragonborn, Duergar, or even a Dire Wearboar, just to name a few species that start with the letter D, players start by selecting character basics like class, species, hit points, dexterity, and so much more to flesh out a character that can be exclusive to one campaign or brought across to every campaign they play.
The D&D Club is ever growing, with over 70 Discord members there are no shortage of fellow players to hash ideas off of. At the group's second meeting of the semester players were gathered at two tables working on building their characters for the upcoming campaigns. These sessions, known in the D&D playing community as "Session Zero" allows players a chance to not only create their character, but also to plan backstories and set boundaries for what they want to experience in the campaign.
Ken Rodriguez, a player since his High School gaming club days who will be the DM for a campaign called “Frozen Sick”, took a moment from helping a new player set up her character to explain some campaign basics. “We usually start one (campaign) and keep playing ‘til it’s done... people can be meshed in throughout the campaign though.”
A lot can happen when someone spends time at D&D Club. Anna Folange started as just another player four semesters ago. Now, she sits at the helm as President of the D&D Club. Besides keeping the sessions in order and timely she is always on the lookout for new players.
New player Jacob, was at the right time and place when he heard a call to action. “Anna is in my chemistry class and made an announcement, I love convoluted board games and had always wanted to try D&D.”
Folange also knows the key to keeping newer players intrigued is to offer some incentives, having last week raffled off a set of dice to a new player who did not have some of their own. While getting into the deeper nuances of her character design, Folange did take a moment to give a realistic time window for a D&D campaign. “A true campaign can last a few weeks, to a few months, to a few years, though these campaigns usually last a month.”
It’s not just D&D that can keep a student occupied. The D&D Club shares barn space with the Anime and Game Club, where a lively session of Kingdom Hearts flickered on the television. Beyond official club business, many see these meetings as a chance to hang out with friends and engage in playful banter. From a debate on notorious baboons to a conversation about trains, the subject at and around the playing tables is often varied and intriguing. Being in the Catonsville Barn “hang out” area, club meetings have a loose, casual feeling that many students find inviting.
The most important thing emphasized at the D&D Club's second meeting was an openness to new players. Teacher liaison Charles Shimonkevitz, himself a player for over 40 years, expressed this point briskly and clearly. “If you don’t know, we will help you.”
Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. in the Catonsville Barn marked the third club meeting this semester and the start of two separate campaigns. D&D vets and new players alike are encouraged to stop by any Friday to roll some dice, and hang out and witness an adventure that’s never the same twice.
