You may be wondering, “Why is everybody talking about D&D? Isn’t that just some game nerds play to have their own nerdy fun?” Well, whoever told you that obviously hasn’t played the hit game Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a fun game about creativity, fighting monsters, and attempting to discover the unknown. Maybe you’re still not convinced, so here are some things that make it amazing: every campaign is different, it involves imagination, and best of all, you can make some really great friends.

Firstly, every campaign is different. “What’s a campaign?” you may ask. It’s what all of the meets (which are when the people in the party get together to play) combined are called. Basically, it’s the entire game. A campaign can last anywhere from five weeks to five years; it depends on the number of people and how often you meet up. It involves a party, which is the people in your D&D world (the people you play with), dice, and a DM (Dungeon Master), who directs the party and creates the scenarios. To play, you have to listen to the DM and roll the dice when he or she instructs you to. There are seven different types of dice: one with 20 sides (a d20), one with 12 sides (d12), one with 10 sides (d10), one with 8 sides (d8), one with 6 sides (d6), and one with 4 sides (d4).

You also have to heavily rely on your imagination. For instance, a DM might describe a scene to you, and you and your entire party have to picture that image in your head. This helps with understanding what’s going on and envisioning what you want to do next. In the campaign that I’m currently in, we are at the bottom of a well with an air pocket big enough to fit all of us (there are four of us, plus Gary, the NPC gargoyle the party decided to take with us). We also received some backstory for all of our characters, such as the people each party member is affiliated with, either positively or negatively.

Finally, you can make some really good friends—potentially lifelong ones. The people in my party (plus the DM!) have accepted me even though I’m quite annoying and talk a lot. They also like my character, Kailani Draven, who is an infernal tiefling (and a bard), and she’s a lot like me. She’s very loud and outgoing, always looking to help people. She does hate half-orcs, though (she never got her friendship drink!). We have a lot of fun going to meetings together, solving puzzles, and vanquishing monsters.

In conclusion, D&D is an outstanding game about having fun, using your imagination, and making new friends. You fight monsters, joke around, and hope you don’t die. Have fun, and good luck!