An elf darts between the trees, loosing a torrent of arrows at an unsuspecting orc. A dwarf charges into the clearing, axe held high. A wizard whispers an incantation to herself — tendrils of fire arc from the finger tips of her right hand. Dungeons & Dragons is a roleplaying game based on chance and collaborative storytelling, set in a fantasy world of elves, giants, gnomes, and — well — dungeons and dragons. Playing as fantastical characters, a group of friends works together to solve problems, avoid traps and battle the forces of evil.

In this five-week class we will learn the basics of the game, create characters, practice roleplaying and begin an adventure together. We’ll look at the mechanics of gameplay, how and when we use dice, and some of the finer points of teamwork and collaborative storytelling. It’s all done over Zoom, where I’ll share a few visuals like adventure maps and character sheets. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to roll up a character and set off on your very own campaign. 

No experience necessary! This class is structured for someone with zero experience playing D&D, but would be appropriate for anyone who’s maybe played once or twice and is looking for a better foundation in the game. The objective of this class is to give you an understanding of the game and the confidence to play with your friends.

The pace and content of the class will vary slightly in response to students’ foreknowledge, progress, and participation, but our curriculum will look something like this:

Day 1: How does this work? 
An overview of the game and its basic rules.
What it means to tell a story together.
How to use dice and stats.
Who does what — Game Master (aka Dungeon Master) and Player Character dynamics.
Adventuring together with pre-made characters.

Day 2: Adventuring and combat.
Using pre-made characters we’ll stumble through an easy adventure together.
We’ll learn how to use ability scores, when and why to roll dice, and the general pace of the game.
We’ll also introduce combat mechanics.

Day 3: Character creation 1
As a group we’ll build a character together and discuss the many races and classes of D&D, draft a background and alignment, and roll ability scores. By the end of the day, everyone will have a pretty good idea how to build their own character. For homework, everyone will begin their characters.

Day 4 Character creation 2
Students will finish their own characters. We’ll do it as a guided exercise with plenty of questions and conversation. With available time we can run a practice encounter to try out our creations.

Day 5 Intro adventure! 
I’ll guide a mini-game as students play the characters they built the previous week. We’ll take plenty of time for questions and clarifications to reinforce everything we’ve learned.