Some students at West Chicago Community High School have shown interest in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), and many staff members have taken notice. Following the success of a National Honor Society personal leadership project centered around D&D, Riconosciuto and Krysinski discussed the idea of a more permanent club. Activities Director Dave Jennings did not find the idea of opening a club controversial and encouraged them to do so, helping the club officially get off the ground this year.
Although the idea first came up in 2024, it did not become a reality until this past fall.
“This year, when they held the teacher challenge, we talked again and were able to actually pull out a bunch of names and information from people that had come out and were interested, and basically started the club from there,” James Kleffner, sponsor of the D&D Club, said.
When one thinks of Dungeons & Dragons, charts, characters, and strategic moves come to mind. Many people assume the game itself is hard to play. In reality, D&D is relatively simple as long as one is willing to learn.
“I think it’s a lot easier than it looks because really the biggest thing is you don’t need to know all of the rules to play it and have a good time doing it,” Riconosciuto, an avid D&D player, said.
There are many ways to play, and one involves creating characters and their backgrounds, though this is not necessary; it just depends on how one wants to play the game. During meetings, the club runs sessions that could last up to three to four hours, often focusing on a single campaign or storyline during that time. According to those involved, the Dungeons & Dragons Club is a great way to get involved, try something new, or play with people with similar interests.
Riconosciuto acknowledged that those who want to “actually sit down and understand every rule of the game” will find it complicated, but said D&D does not have to be.
“As long as you have one person in the room who knows generally how it’s supposed to go, everyone can kind of follow along and the game functions properly,” Riconosciuto said.
While the game is not hard to learn, one reason many people decide to avoid it entirely has to do with religious reasons, the game’s complexity, or even just being seen as a “nerd”. The game of Dungeons & Dragons is meant to be fun, but in the past, it was often seen as playing with the devil. To some people, the game was not evil, but the story or storytelling suggested an evil influence.
“So I grew up in the 80s and everybody’s freaked out about it. Back then, they were like ‘It’s evil. If you play Dungeons and Dragons, your soul belongs to Satan.’ They called it the Satanic Panic of the 1980s about Dungeons & Dragons,” Jennings said.
Beyond those concerns, which have largely since faded, Dungeons & Dragons has often been seen as a game made for “nerds” due to elements like dice rolling and calculations for moves like “crits”. However, the game offers more than math and charts, allowing players to create detailed characters and stories while making decisions that shape the outcome of the game.
In recent years, D&D has gained popularity again, particularly online, due in part to and increased interest in gaming and storytelling communities.
West Chicago Community High School’s club regularly meets on Thursdays from 3:15–5 p.m. and Fridays from 3:15–6 p.m. in room 2523. Anyone can join the club; no prior experience is needed.
“The group’s really open about stuff, too. It’s mainly D&D, but the goal is to try and bring some other tabletops in there, and we do a couple of strategy games as well on different days,” Kleffner said.
