How to Start a D&D Club in High School or College

Garlick the Gnome, ever protective of his money, found clever ways to keep down the costs. First, regarding materials the club may need, he said, “Reach out to companies for donations because you never know.” Sound advice for anyone trying to fund an adventure… look for benefactors. Even if donations can’t be found, Garlick said, “...for anyone starting a club, don’t let money get in the way. The most expensive thing is the dice, and you only need a few sets or to have a few people bring their own.”

Sometimes as we head into a new adventure, we are plagued by doubt. When it comes to reclaiming treasure from a dragon, we might get visions of being flash-fried in our armor. When it comes to starting a D&D club for students at our school, we get visions of nobody wanting to join. If you’re wondering whether or not you would have students at your school interested in roleplaying, Stenephous the Scribe had some thoughts, especially regarding recent popular culture, including shows like Stranger Things: “[that show] seemed to bring the game back into the public eye … Star Wars, comics, and gaming culture, in general, have become more socially acceptable. I feel like D&D is finding new popularity as a result.” Young people are primed to play D&D and are in fact looking for an outlet, which is exactly what your quest for a D&D club can provide!

Of course, placing fliers around your school alone might not be enough to draw the group you need. Some students who could benefit the most from the social interaction might require an extra little push from you. Manathalian the Mentalist offered this advice when it comes to advertising your club: “Personally advocate. Become a spokesperson for the group and activity, reaching out to those you think could benefit from it.” Reaching out to individual students directly can go a long ways toward guaranteeing the success of the club. If you think someone at your school would enjoy the club, tell them as much. Their smiles will light up like mithril at the attention… and at the invitation.

As with any adventure, there might be challenges we didn’t anticipate. For instance, what to do if there are too many people or scheduling conflicts? Stenephous said, “For a new group, or an old group, really any group it seems that the biggest stumbling block is scheduling.” Stenephous suggested offering multiple times and choosing the time that accommodates the most players. What if you have too many members and they all show up? Stenephous offered to limit the size of your group or consider having multiple DMs for the same campaign. Some adventures require out-of-the-box thinking, and the idea of two Dungeon Masters running a world sounded cutting-edge to us!

Of course, young hormones can make it seem like you’re in a room full of werewolves. You never know when that full moon is going to cause havoc. Conflict will rear its head at some point with your club. The healer, Heliana Shemran, explained that D&D offered a healthy environment for students to learn how to work through their disagreements. It teaches them diplomacy skills, but also offers an environment where they can stand by their principles. Heliana said, “I remind them constantly to speak with each other instead of me, and I am tailoring the campaign to solve problems.” She also said, “With conflicts I settle everyone down and make them take a look at the situation and let everyone get a say – make it more diplomatic.” Adventures bring unexpected treasures, and the opportunity to help young people work on healthy conflict resolution sounds like a gem!

The way Heliana talked about conflict resolution just served to reinforce the many benefits of Dungeons and Dragons for young people. Whether driven by nostalgia; the desire to draw out some students who have difficulty socializing; or taking advantage of the benefits of roleplaying, you should definitely follow up on your desire to start a D&D club for your school’s students. It’s all about setting out on new adventures! With everyone we spoke to -- from elves to dwarves to halflings -- only one offered anything that seemed negative. Glunth the orc said, “Yeah, I started a stupid club, but then everyone left when I served raw unicorn meat. Nothing’s good enough for kids.” Glunth’s curmudgeonly words aside, if you are thinking of embarking on the adventure of bringing a D&D club to your school, we endorse your quest heartily.