D&D Clubs for Teens: Meet New Friends, Play Anywhere

Have a teenager who is interested in D&D but isn’t sure where to start? Because our groups meet online, they’re accessible to kids all over the country. All you’ll need is an internet connection to get started. No commute to sessions (and a variety of afternoon and evening start times) makes it a little easier to squeeze weekly game sessions into a packed schedule of extracurriculars, homework, and general life stuff.

So often, we hear from teens that nobody in their neighborhood or school seems to like what they like. We all know how important friends are in middle and high school. If your interests are even a little outside the mainstream, it can feel pretty lonely. The truth is that there are tons of teens who are dying to play D&D, geek out about their fandoms, and support each other’s interests. They just need a place to connect.

Dungeons and Dragons Helps High Schoolers Connect

Dungeons & Dragons is a Tabletop Roleplaying Game, or TTRPG. This means that all players design a character for themselves, which they’ll take on a quest to solve a mystery or defeat an enemy (or complete some other cool goal the group decides upon). Players get to decide where their characters go and what they do, and their choices are almost unlimited.

Like a choose-your-own adventure story, every decision has consequences and presents new problems to solve as a group. The “tabletop” part of TTRPG comes from the idea that traditionally, the game is played by friends sitting around a table together.

Our “tabletop” is located online. There are several websites designed specifically for playing D&D, and our groups use one of these sites as well as Zoom in our gaming sessions. Players are able to see and hear each other in real time, plus look at maps, move tokens, investigate clues, and even roll virtual dice on a shared screen. Each game is moderated by at least one experienced adult facilitator, to make sure teens have freedom to play without things totally going off the rails.

Most teens are familiar with roleplaying and RPGs from video games, and there are definitely some similarities. D&D players collect loot, level up their characters, and fight Big Bads. What makes D&D different is the human experience: you’re playing with people face-to-face, and getting to know the person behind the character. Players spend a lot of time talking about their characters and what to do next. It’s almost impossible not to be come friends with the people you’re playing with.

We Meet Online, Where Teens Feel Comfortable

Playing Dungeons & Dragons often means stepping outside of your comfort zone. You’re creating a fantasy world. Things can get a little goofy. There may be character voices involved—although they’re not required! It can be a lot to ask a new player to try out all these things for the first time in a room of strangers. One of the great things about online D&D is that it allows teens to meet in a space where they already feel at ease.

Because teenagers are already so comfortable with online gaming, playing D&D this way comes pretty easily to them. And it can be a little less intimidating to try out a new activity online, from the comfort of your own room. We’ve found that screens don’t seem to limit the connections players can make with each other in games. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true. Having a little bit of remove from their fellow players sometimes helps teens to open up.

Our hope is that teenagers take the skills they’re learning in their D&D clubs and apply them to life outside the game. Whether they end up running their own groups for local friends, visiting a local game store, or even campaigning to start a club at school, there are lots of opportunities to bring the game into the non-virtual world.

Join a D&D Club Designed for High Schoolers

Our teen groups are designed with high school students in mind (check out our groups for kids if you’re looking for D&D for younger players). Most of our players range in age from 13 to 16. We do our best to match players with others close to their own age, and also consider interests and playing style when forming a group. Not all teens are alike, so if you think your mature tween or playful older teen would be a good fit for a teen group, please let us know!

These after-school clubs are designed for players of all experience levels, so no worries if your teen hasn’t played much D&D before. We do find that high schoolers are often ready for more challenging play, so you can expect more intricate plot lines and trickier puzzles to solve in those groups. Most of the time, you’ll find the storylines hover around a PG-13 rating. Usually, that means there’s plenty of room to explore darker or more complex subjects while still ensuring everyone feels comfortable.

If your child isn’t fortunate enough to have a D&D club at their high school, our online clubs might be a great option. Our afternoon and evening games meet weekly for 90 minutes to replicate the feel of an extracurricular activity. While they won’t be sharing the game with friends from school, it can be a fun experience to meet kids with common interests from all over the country.

Ready to play?

The Hidden Benefits of Dungeons and Dragons for Teens

Our D&D clubs aren’t therapy (although D&D therapy is absolutely a thing). However, there are some cool opportunities for social and emotional learning baked right into the game. There’s a lot of overlap between the skills practiced in D&D and the skills teens are developing outside of game play. Through roleplay and conversations with their fellow players, teens who play D&D have a chance to practice:

• Assertive communication

• Reading nonverbal cues

• Conflict resolution

• Identity exploration

• Creative problem-solving

• Self-esteem development

What’s cool about these skills is that once they’re learned, they tend to transfer over to day-to-day life. So players aren’t just learning how to communicate effectively as a wizard, they’re learning how to communicate effectively, period. Skill-building isn’t the primary focus of our groups, but it’s nice to play a game that offers both fun and substance.

Affirming, Inclusive D&D for Teens of All Genders

Our groups are a safe space for all teens. We strive to be inclusive and affirming for our LGBTQ+ players. Each of our groups creates their own ground rules together to ensure everyone feels welcomed and respected. We share pronouns, provide accommodations when we can, and celebrate each other’s differences. Not all of our teen players may be used to approaching social situations this way, and that’s okay too! We’re all learning together.

What’s most important is that everyone knows that when they join the game, they’re in a place where they will be welcomed and celebrated, no matter who they are, full stop. We’ve found that our teen players take their responsibility to each other really seriously. Whoever decided that teen friendships are prone to drama clearly never played D&D.

Our game masters enjoy creating fantasy worlds that are as varied and interesting as the players who explore them. Your teen can expect to encounter settings and characters that are diverse and inclusive. Have questions or want to learn more? Feel free to drop us a line.

Incorporate Your Fandoms and Choose Your Own Adventure

Dungeons & Dragons is a game that encourages imaginative storytelling, creative problem-solving, and teamwork. It’s a great way for teens to tap into their playful side, while still being sophisticated enough to present a fun challenge. Teens have a lot of say over what happens during gameplay, and there’s a lot of freedom to infuse the game with their own interests.

Is your teen looking for a high fantasy, Lord of the Rings style adventure? Maybe a Hunger Games-esque dystopian future setting is more their speed. We’ve had games based on dark versions of Grimm’s fairytales and sent characters off to explore the Metaverse. We love seeing our teen players take the lead and explore ideas that interest them.

Basically, your child doesn’t need to be particularly passionate about dungeons or dragons in order to enjoy D&D. A passion for any kind of story—whether in comic, TV, book, or play form—is all that’s required.

What Does My Teen Need to Get Started in D&D?

Honestly? Not a whole lot. Because our games run online, gaming gear like dice sets or notebooks are optional. The only thing your teen will really need is a solid internet connection, a computer with a mic and webcam, and someplace quiet and private to play. There’s an endless amount of cool D&D paraphernalia out there to shop for, so if that’s your teen’s thing, go nuts. But it’s also just fine to show up to group with good WiFi and a willingness to learn.

Before joining one of our ongoing groups, we often recommend that teens try out an intro class. It’s a nice way to try out the game if your teen has never played before, and gives everyone a chance to get to know each other. That way, your teen knows what they are getting into in advance, and can start their group with a working knowledge of the basics of D&D game play. It also gives us a better sense of your child’s personality, so we can find a group that fits their style.

We’re always here to chat if you have more questions about our games, how to prepare, and whether or not we’re a good fit for your teenage player. Happy adventuring, and we hope to see your teen soon!