“Life is stressful and our busy lives sometimes isolate us. D&D offers a way to feel connected to a great community in a fun and creative environment,” said Krystal Bush, Vice President of Dungeons and Dragons club and student majoring in Psychology at UVU. Dungeons and Dragons club, also referred to as D&D club, meets bi-weekly on Fridays to receive trainings, play the game, and ultimately network with other players to create their own playing groups.
“D&D is a game where you create a character and then you, with a group of people, create this world and use your imagination to go on [crazy] adventures. You make a lot of friends and it’s- it’s just a lot of fun, ”said Christopher Tanner, President of the D&D Club and junior majoring in Psychology.
Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy roleplaying game that was first published in 1974 by Gary Gygax. It has since then become popularized through pop culture, making appearances on TV shows such as Community and Stranger Things and has a growing internet community.
For the mechanics of how to play, each player has the opportunity to create a character and be led by the Dungeon Master, or game leader, through adventures that can last a few hours or span over a year in length. These adventures consist of exploring fantasy locations, battling with enemies or monsters, rolling dice to determine the outcome of character decisions, and player to player interaction.
“Good friends are really good for people. I’m part of a research group right now that’s researching how narrative therapy, which is a type of talk therapy, is very similar to D&D. You’re overcoming certain obstacles and leveling up your character, but at the same time, you are gaining experience in real life from these fictional situations,” said Tanner.
“The D&D club is a safe place for people who have been curious about D&D but feel like they don’t know enough about it to be able to play. This club is a place where you can come and learn how to play and just have fun enjoying a world that is your making,” said Hunter Davis, club member and student here at UVU.
The Dungeons and Dragons holds bi-weekly meetings on Fridays in CB 510 at 1:30-3:00MDT. The Club can be contacted through uvu.dndclub@gmail.com or through their Discord at https://discord.gg/gtMwxWD. More information about D&D can be found at the Dungeons and Dragons official website.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PEt5RdNHNw
Dear Ysabel, thanks for the story … I am interested in learning more about the research project that Christopher Tanner describes here. Is it possible for you to give him my email address? I work for Dulwich Centre in Australia. Thanks.