Whether it’s due to the Netflix hit show Stranger Things or the gaming hit Baldur’s Gate 3, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has gained increasing popularity. It’s evident when you enter one of the classrooms that hosts the Senior School D&D Club at Calgary Academy.
Here, students embrace their creativity and teamwork as they delve into (imaginary) ruins, temples, and villages in their (usually) fantasy world. A popular club at the school, students continue to flock to play, providing a space for them to make memories and flex their problem-solving skills.
An Epic and Collaborative Tale
Dungeons & Dragons is arguably the most famous tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) of all time, with decades of history. The game can have several variations in how it’s played (mini figurines, online, homebrewed rules, etc.), but its core gameplay is strong.
You don’t technically need to spend any money to play D&D. All you need is a copy of the rules, players—at least one player and one Dungeon Master (DM)—and imagination. Theatre of the mind (imagining a scene based on the DM’s description) is the main way many players enjoy the game.
It’s also how you will primarily see Calgary Academy students playing together in D&D Club, huddled around a grouping of desks as soon as lunch begins. Together, the DM and participating players create a story, rolling dice to make attacks and decisions.
Senior School teacher Paige Stoffregen, who has helped run the club for several years alongside other teachers, sees the collaborative nature of D&D as one of its greatest strengths. Students get to create a story from scratch together.
“You are building something from the ground up with your friends, and no one knows how it’s going to go. The game always seems to end up where it needs to be in terms of themes and cohesive stories.” – Ms. Stoffregen
During play, the DM makes the situations, while the players devise solutions catered to their characters’ skills (strength, wisdom, intelligence, etc.).
This respectful partnership helps ensure that all students have a positive experience, regardless of the campaign they join.
Learners can be a part of a Lord of the Rings-esque high fantasy adventure, a thrilling political story of rivalling kingdoms, or hunt monsters in a haunted forest. The possibilities are endless, and Ms. Stoffregen has seen many different campaigns evolve.
“The students are all doing something different. Some of them are running pre-made modules. We also have some resources from D&D Beyond that they can use. Some have homebrew games, where they invent everything from the ground up.”
D&D = Creative Problem Solving
It may not seem like it at first, but the hijinks and hilarity that happen in Dungeons & Dragons can benefit a student’s learning, particularly with problem-solving. The 
adventuring party can encounter many different obstacles and scenarios, and they may not have a direct “best option.”
Ms. Stoffregen says that when students can make anything happen at the table, you see students flex their brains and creatively problem solve.
“Your imagination is kind of the limit… Because it’s such a narratively driven game and it’s so storytelling-based. The whole thing is about problem-solving, really—stories grow from conflict.”
Students like Lyndon S. enjoy creating stories with their classmates at lunch.
He joined the club after becoming interested in D&D through his brother. He had played a few one-shots (single-session D&D campaigns) and figured the club would be fun to join, liking how the campaign’s story could potentially play out.
“I like the freedom to be foolish at school. I like making characters and stories.”
Whether students are trying to infiltrate a local Thieves’ Guild or fight a stone golem in a fiery lake, the game provides the adventuring party with adversity. Just like in real life, when faced with a problem, it’s important to figure out how to tackle it one step at a time.
Ms. Stoffregen notes that she has seen many students’ confidence rise in this area.
“D&D is a great place to build that skill—leaping forward to try and think of, ‘okay, what is the starting point? How do I actually proceed from being at a standstill?’ I think that transfers into student skills in the classroom—we just see more confidence in their own problem-solving and their ability to figure things out on their own, in creative ways.” – Ms. Stoffregen
If students are interested in Dungeons & Dragons, a chair is always available at the D&D Club. The club typically meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, and is available to all interested Senior School students in HW20.