This year, Linganore has embraced fantasy by starting its very own Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) club.

The club was founded by juniors Asher Granger and Seven Deuto and is advised by English teacher Angela Smith.

“Ms. Smith does not need to do a whole lot. She leaves us up to our own little world, and I think that is pretty perfect for a game like D&D,” said Jackson Smith, member of the Dungeons and Dragons Club.

Dungeons and Dragons is a roleplaying game first created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. While it gained mass popularity in the 1980s, D&D died down throughout the beginning of the 21st century. Now, it has skyrocketed back into popularity.

At Linganore, “most of the players in the club are relatively new, having …never [played] or [only played] a few times,” said club member Jackson Smith.

D&D owes most of its renewed popularity to a vast amount of media representation in newer shows such as “Stranger Things.” There is even a D&D movie being released in 2023.

Jackson Smith’s interest in D&D began with its rising popularity within social media.

“It’s absolutely a good thing. I would not have gotten into it otherwise. [However,] I don’t understand why so many people dislike it,” said Jackson Smith.

Another major reason for D&D’s newfound popularity is the release of its newest version, the 5th edition, which features a simplified set of rules entirely focused on making it easier for new people to begin playing.

“My friend just got me into it, and I played until I understood [the rules], it wasn’t hard at all,” said Jackson Smith.

Linganore’s D&D club plays once a month with one of the many club members acting as Dungeon Master. This is the person who organizes and oversees play during the game. They often narrate the details of the story that are not controlled by the players.

The student in this role changes depending on which campaign the club is playing; they are concurrently playing several campaigns.

D&D often has scenarios that can be detrimental or helpful to the players. Players become vested in the story lines created.

“I mean I burnt down a whole frickin’ island! It can be crazy,” said Jackson Smith, recounting his favorite moment playing D&D.

With the D&D club just beginning but still flourishing at LHS, a niche has been created for a bigger spectrum of clubs, such as fantasy-inspired clubs, that students may want to establish.