MHS rolls a nat 20 with their very own Dungeons & Dragons Club

Once a week at Morgan High School, students undertake a quest that not many people would dare to attempt: a quest with dungeons and dragons. Will their journeys lead them through elvish forests inhabited by magical wonders, or will they trek through desolate caverns only to find themselves face-to-face with fire-breathing dragons?

Katrice Maples, the history and government teacher at MHS, is the advisor for the D&D Club. Maples has enjoyed hosting the club meetings in her classroom every Friday after school since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. “The group that comes to my classroom to play D&D are some of the nicest students ever,” said Maples. “The members are very respectful and grateful; they always clean up my classroom when they are done playing.” Maples has heard of the game for years, and she even has friends that play. In fact, her husband is currently putting together a D&D campaign for her siblings, and they plan on starting their adventure next summer. “I absolutely love the atmosphere D&D Club has brought,” said Maples. “It has created many new friendships among students of differing ages and grades, which is awesome. The majority of these kids play exclusively with their families and don’t have the opportunity to play with their peers. Often, they are the only person who has played in their friend group, which makes D&D Club the highlight of their week.”

The President of the D&D club, Jeremiah Peterson, a junior at MHS, serves as the main Dungeon Master during their weekly sessions. The role of the Dungeon Master, otherwise known as the narrator, referee or storyteller, is passed on among members week by week. Peterson has been playing Dungeons & Dragons with his family for as long as he can remember. He founded his own D&D party as early as sixth grade, which consisted of long-established players Quincy Carter, Preston Johnson and Ethan Hoffmann. “It’s extremely important to find a group that is committed and enjoys the same things you do,” said Peterson. “The members look forward to these club meetings because they give them an inclusive hub in which they can explore their nerdy side.”

For those who may not know, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game originally created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. The game’s popularity grew in the late 1970s and 1980s, but it has since become a referenced subject in popular culture. The game itself soon became a complement of multiple games and films by the end of its golden age. Stranger Things, the critically acclaimed science fiction horror drama, featured scenes involving the game and even a similar high school organization. In turn, this provided the roleplaying game with a much needed comeback. This newly resurrected interest in the game would pave the way for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons comedy “Honor Among Thieves,” which is scheduled to hit theaters on Mar. 31, 2023.

Calling all adventurers: come join the party at Morgan High School. Sit down, roll some dice, loot dungeons, slay dragons... in other words, simply have a fun time!