If Stranger Things was the first time you heard about Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), then, oh boy, strap yourself down, kiddo, because you’re in for one hell of a ride.
Originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and published in 1974, it took the world by storm. And it’s not just a table-top game for nerds. It’s a way of life that has created the roleplay game genre and spawned numerous projects.
Everything from more table top adventures to video games to cartoons to that one old school TV game show for kids that lasted 8 seasons between the '80s and '90s. And that’s just the beginning
So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that we’re now featuring a wholesome story about it: a school teacher organized a D&D club for kids at his school, and the deputy head, who was really into sports and really not into D&D, was kinda sorta trying to ruin it, but failed. If you love DnD memes, this story will resonate with you even more, showing the enduring charm and community spirit of the game.
More Info: Reddit
Not everyone has to like table-top games like Dungeons and Dragons, but that doesn't mean they have to "preach" to those who do
Image source: mrwynd (not the actual photo)
The story goes that u/Catlord_Rexfelis, an educator with whom Bored Panda got in touch, founded a Dungeons and Dragons club in the school he works at. He’s the Dungeon Master for a group of seven brave 8 to 12 year old adventurers who, two or three times a week, seek glory, fame, and gold pieces because sweet gear costs money.
Rexfelis works in an international boarding school. Things like excessive computer usage, lack of social skills, social disorders, the pandemic, and other issues are common among students. So, this in turn prompted the creation of the D&D club.
“D&D encouraged communication. It gave face to face interaction, something which we have all been missing over COVID lockdowns. It helped the pupils have fun, and it was pure escapism,” said Rexfelis.
One teacher, who's been hosting Dungeons and Dragons for school kids, shared a story of how said "preacher" was challenged by one of his players
The story goes that OP gets permission to host D&D to school kids to help them on a social level, but there's one deputy head who's against it
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
“I was also hoping it would provide a mirror for some of the pupils too. They know their character has a reputation. And if they damage that reputation, NPCs (non-playable characters controlled by the Dungeon Master) will treat them differently. Maybe they would start to see that in real life too.”
So, OP suggested this little club to the school’s counselor, who blessed it, and even got support from the senior leadership, who were all for it… except for the deputy head (DH).
You see, the DH is a retired pro sportsperson and believes that physical activities are king. But they end up largely ignored by everyone else after OP and the counselor break down the benefits. The Persuasion D20 (the 20-sided die for skill checks and whatnot) roll was low, you see.
So, when the deputy head decided to—incidentally—crash the teacher's session, nobody was having any of it
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
So, several sessions in, OP is hosting a game in the school library. There are 10 students there, 7 of whom are playing, and 3 are… libraring. The DH comes in, starts persuading kids to invest their time in sports. Several failed Persuasion checks later, not only are the 7 kids who were supposed to be there playing, but also the 3 who were not even going to have joined in on all the dungeoneering action.
So, the DH doesn’t back down and starts ‘supervising’ the club.
“When the deputy head crashed my D&D session, I thought they were there just for a few minutes. Initially, I had planned to give them the ‘enemy’ cards to make my life easier,” explained Rexfelis. “I was going to answer a few questions and recommend that we have a conversation when I was not so busy doing my co-curricular activity and try to send them on their way, that was my plan.”
The deputy head, being a sportsperson, had a lot of doubts because he didn't see the point in the roleplay, prompting one 11-year-old to start explaining
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
Image source: Joshua Rappeneker (not the actual photo)
But, back to the narrative:
“You’re walking down a corridor. Everyone roll your D20,” says OP. Wild rats appear! And the DH butts in, asking what’s the point. Before OP can reply, one of the girls at the table—one foot in the dungeon, the other “off table”—explains it’s fun, but is also worried the sewer vermin will gnaw their heads off.
DH ruins the immersion again by pointing out there’s no game board. The same girl, still juggling two realms in her head, starts explaining that they’re fighting rats and showing her character sheet, all the while getting the brilliant idea to ask “Brian the Druid” if he could possibly do an Animal Handling check or use their Comprehend Languages spell. Or something!
DH isn’t getting it. And this goes on for a while. The back-and-forth culminates in DH’s remark that it’s all made up. This is where the girl drops some wisdom on the deputy’s head.
The back-and-forth culminated in the 11-year-old dropping some mad knowledge on the deputy's head
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
“You know, if you think about it, so is all sport [made up]. It doesn’t really matter who can swim 50 meters the fastest. That’s not how anyone gets a job. My dad is so fat he never does exercise anyway” […] “It’s not about completing it, have you completed basketball? It’s about having fun and right now smashing these rats up as Brian FAILED his roll!”
For the record, Brian, you didn’t fail. The dice failed you.
“I most certainly did not expect [the DH] to be challenged by an 11 year old pupil,” elaborated Rexfelis. “When I was that age, I don’t think I even spoke to members of senior leadership, nevermind challenge them on their view. I was actually shocked at the level of insight she gave. Comparing D&D to sport as it is all made up was completely surprising on so many levels.”
Finally, the boss man was defeated, so you can say the team were celebrating two victories that day
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
The DH invited all the kids to go outside for some “real games” one more time. Persuasion check: natural 1 (critical failure). So, they left, briefly returning to take a pic for the school's newspaper, and left for good.
The Dungeon Master Rexfelis, however, was a good sport. He made sure the rats were hiding in a chest that the adventurers found and unlocked, looting a selection of snacks as a reward. Now that was a D100 roll on a Treasure Hoard: Challenge 17+ if I’ve ever seen one.
Well, three, if you count the kids having fun and actually showing great social improvement, meaning that the counselor was also happy
Image source: Catlord_Rexfelis
Image source: dooley (not the actual photo)
But the journey was only part of the fun. First off, the girl who was defending the whole game was 11 years old, yet spouted wisdom like she had a PhD in Philosophy. Second, the kids on the spectrum managed to learn absolutely all of the rules of D&D. And, as for the kid who refused to speak in front of others? He loves the game. He’s comfy with talking to the group, but, in all D&D spirit, in character.
The counselor was happy. And so was the r/DnD subreddit as the post went viral with over 20,300 upvotes and 80+ Reddit awards.
“I think this post touched a nerve with many of us as we have all met someone like the deputy head. Yet, very rarely do we have such answers for them. I know that as the boss of my boss I would not have answered those questions the same way as [the girl] did for fear of repercussions,” added OP.
Folks online praised both OP and the 11-year-old—so much, in fact, the post went viral with over 20K upvotes
We asked Rexfelis to speculate what the deputy’s intentions in crashing the party could have possibly been. And he explained that it was quite likely more than just the “sporty vs. nerdy” cultural clash at play. In the early days of D&D, some saw it as a satanic cult. Who wouldn’t when maw demons are a thing.
Hence, when the deputy head entered the room, they did so with this preconceived notion of what could be going on. And they immediately didn’t like it. Whereas kids enter there not knowing what to expect, and seeing that they have real control over their characters in a world that allows for imagination. And that’s without anyone telling them it’s “bad” or “geeky”.
But it has been quite a rewarding experience for Rexfelis, as he recalls how he is often approached by kids during breaks with questions like “I’ve been thinking, can I create my own spell?” or “can we have an extra session with more cats please?” or “can you teach my dad how to do this so we can play in the holidays?”
“It’s good because they’ve been thinking about the campaign, the team dynamics, and how they work together. It has adjusted the frequency at which some friendship groups speak to other groups and in a good way,” said Rexfelis.
So, roll a D20 Wisdom check and share your thoughts with everyone else in the comment section below!