The twenty-sided dice rolls along the table, clattering from number to number with no determined destiny in mind. A crowd of people surround it; they’re all looking and hoping for the dice to land on a number that will excite them- some people hope for a high number, hoping to see the player who rolled it succeed in their goals; some hope for the dice to roll a low number, hoping to see what kind of humorous response the game’s Dungeon Master will produce to celebrate the roller’s failure. This, at its core, is Dungeons and Dragons, a game unparalleled for its ability to decide dragon slaying and bandit fights with a dice roll and a dash of creativity.
Dungeons and Dragons, first published in 1974, celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year. The game has had a worldwide influence and has become a classic of tabletop gaming. The game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast, estimated that over fifty million people had played the game throughout its lifetime.
Dungeons and Dragons is a landmark game, not only in its popularity, but because of its ability to appeal to players. Sidney Luckey, who was a club head of Braintree High School’s Dungeons and Dragons club in the 2023-2024 school year, believes the game, and its presence at Braintree High School, provided players with opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
“The ability to step into another character’s shoes, and live out this fantasy of saving the world. It’s similar to performing in theater, in that sense,” said Sidney. “I feel like it helped the players step out of their comfort zone.It brought people together and allowed them to exercise their imaginations. For most in the club it was a safe space to experiment with the idea of performing in front of an audience, or an aid in learning how to develop a rich story that can be changed on the fly. From writing to acting to improv, this was a very complex hobby.”
But the dice has fallen silent at Braintree High School. Once the site of a flourishing Dungeons and Dragons club, the club, as of the 2024-2025 school year, no longer runs. Former club heads Ivan Petrov and Jay Wright, who also headed the club in the 2023-2024 school year, stated that popularity among the student body played a large factor in this decision.
“DND was special because it is a place where people can just be really weird and still be accepted,” said Jay. “There are many students that have a passion for the game and attend every week, but there are also many who only attend on occasion. It is hard to run a campaign without consistent players, which is a big reason the club has not been held this year,” said Jay.
“I’m sad it hasn’t happening solely because I don’t have anywhere else to play it,” said one Braintree High School junior. “I liked going, it was fun even if some of the people were eccentric… It was fun to mess around and just have a good time. Takes your mind off any stress.”
“It saddens me to think that this hobby of mine is no longer being held up in the school,” said Sidney. “I feel like it was a great place for lots of people to come together and enjoy this collective hallucination of sorts. Now it’s just another empty slot on the afterschool schedule.”
“I’m not really that sad since I wasn’t committed and I get why it’s not happening,” said a Braintree High School senior. “It’s a club where you need everybody to attend so it’s difficult to schedule that.”
“When asking about starting the club again, many remaining members were unwilling to continue, because of scheduling or wanting to spend their time differently,” said Ivan.
“I would like to attend DnD club but my schedule is a bit too busy for it,” said the senior. “If it wasn’t I would probably go.”
But the turnout of participants isn’t the only issue the club is facing. The club’s advisor, Mrs. Sarantakis, left the school district after the 2023-2024 school year.
“Sarantakis was a very strong part of the club,” said Jay. “It wouldn’t be the same if we had it without her, in my opinion. She had a real interest in what we did and stayed after for long periods with us, and it would be hard to do without her!”
“Miss Sarantakis was a mediator and a overseer of sorts,” says Sidney. Dungeons and Dragons is a very passionate game for many people. So it might be difficult for some to fit others into their own narratives. That’s why it’s important to have a third-party who can sort of re-anchor them into reality.”
With no chaperone and a player base in flux, the Dungeons and Dragons club is no longer playing at the school in the year of the game’s fiftieth anniversary. Jay and Ivan are not without hope for the future of the club, however. While it would require a resurgence of members to allow for the club to get off the ground again, Jay believes it is possible for the club to return.
“It is an extremely interactive club and is very centered on the members! Every single person is a key component to the campaign we create, and I think that allows for strong bonds between players.”
