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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.
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.
“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, 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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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!
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Robertas, nicknamed the Comma Inquisitor by friends, is a Bored Panda writer and content creator. After his studies at LCC International University, where he got a BA in English Language and Literature, Robertas went on to do freelance teaching, translation, and copywriting work, primarily specializing in IT. He spent nearly three years writing about all things Wi-Fi, eventually being picked up by Bored Panda. Whenever there’s free time, he spends it playing Gwent, or hosting Dungeons & Dragons sessions for his mostly chaotic neutral team.
Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.
D&D and other RPG (role playing games) helped my son tremendously with social skills. Severe ADD, borderline autistic, anxiety. But he watched his dad play and eventually had 2 friends playing. Now he works in the service industry and does customer service & training. Oh,and he plays online these days
That's great support! I listened to a radio interview with the father of a boy with autism who had been non-verbal. The boy really liked a character in a children's movie. He was able to speak by playing that character.
Also, I worked with a woman who used role-playing with her children when they were younger. They didn't have disabilities around speaking, but they spoke more openly when she said, "Mum is gone, now I'm Anna/Lili/Mira." It took self-control to stay in the character of a friend their age if they revealed something that would raise hell with a parent. To avoid screaming "You want to do WHAT?!" she would try to influence them as their concerned friend.
These types if games involve creativity, critical thinking, conceptualizing, collaboration, and many other skills that are important in personal and work life. I am thrilled that schools in my area have been creating clubs like this.
Honestly, I feel like D&D teaches you how to work together better than most sports do.
You know, some kids are not good at, or interested in playing sports, period. I hate it when adults try to push kids into doing what the adult likes, instead of trying to nurture the kids interests. Kids should be allowed to explore, that's how we learn. The fact that someone who works in education doesn't know this is disturbing to me. Thank you OP. You're doing a great job!
D&D and other RPG (role playing games) helped my son tremendously with social skills. Severe ADD, borderline autistic, anxiety. But he watched his dad play and eventually had 2 friends playing. Now he works in the service industry and does customer service & training. Oh,and he plays online these days
That's great support! I listened to a radio interview with the father of a boy with autism who had been non-verbal. The boy really liked a character in a children's movie. He was able to speak by playing that character.
Also, I worked with a woman who used role-playing with her children when they were younger. They didn't have disabilities around speaking, but they spoke more openly when she said, "Mum is gone, now I'm Anna/Lili/Mira." It took self-control to stay in the character of a friend their age if they revealed something that would raise hell with a parent. To avoid screaming "You want to do WHAT?!" she would try to influence them as their concerned friend.
These types if games involve creativity, critical thinking, conceptualizing, collaboration, and many other skills that are important in personal and work life. I am thrilled that schools in my area have been creating clubs like this.
Honestly, I feel like D&D teaches you how to work together better than most sports do.
You know, some kids are not good at, or interested in playing sports, period. I hate it when adults try to push kids into doing what the adult likes, instead of trying to nurture the kids interests. Kids should be allowed to explore, that's how we learn. The fact that someone who works in education doesn't know this is disturbing to me. Thank you OP. You're doing a great job!
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