Where Material and Immaterial Combine: D&D at Oklahoma Christian

Dungeons and Dragons has long been viewed as a ‘nerd’ hobby, something only mathematical whizzes, geeks and socially-inept individuals engage in. But surprisingly, a great deal of Oklahoma Christian’s campus have an interest in Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGS). 

“I was first introduced to TTRPGs about 3 years ago, starting off with Dungeons and Dragons as a way to build some connections and try something new. My friend and now roommate, Roman Schiavo, who was also our Dungeon Master, guided me alongside some others in a beginner-friendly module we followed to familiarize ourselves with the game,” Senior D’Chika Onwusa said. 

In a report compiled by Dicecove.com, which uses statistics published by Dungeons and Dragons’ parent company Wizards of the Coast, around 50 million people have played Dungeons and Dragons to date, and around 40% of those people are younger than 25. 

In Dungeons and Dragons, players design characters and various personas to help them achieve a goal or task within a fantasy world, where results are measured through dice rolls and narrated by a Dungeon Master (DM). Onwusa spoke on how he likes to design his characters.

“As a male, I always lean to female characters. Something about playing the opposite gender is fun for me since I like to express more of my feminine traits than I do masculine. I tend to play somewhat reserved characters too, since I am naturally reserved myself, but I try to bolster some personality traits to make them stand out and interesting to roleplay as,” Onwusa said.

While Dungeons and Dragons may be a good introduction to the hobby, it may not be the best TTRPG for new players according to senior Roman Schiavo. 

“I think Dungeons and Dragons greatest strength is in recognition. TTRPGs are a massive unknown for a lot of people, and people don’t know how it works or how to approach them,” Schiavo said. “Dungeons and Dragons approachability and fame makes TTRPGs easy to understand as a concept for a lot of people, but Dungeon and Dragons 5th edition rules are not the best for sustainable, beginner campaigns. Systems like Easy D6, Five Torches Deep or Cairn feature more simple rules with less complexity.”

TTRPGs also provide hangouts for players to connect with individuals who have similar creative interests. Senior John Every explained how the game functions as a unique social gathering activity.

“TTRPGs are a fun way to hang out with friends. It’s a sort of welcomed, group escapism. Some people love trying to make a character that is strong, whereas others focus a lot more on social interactions,” Senior John Every said. “Seeing your friends at full creative force is really cool. It feels nice to be part of something.” 

Ultimately, TTRPGs provide a safe haven from the emotional stress of university, everyday life and workplace struggles. Every described how this game has created a community at Oklahoma Christian.

“It feels like you aren’t yourself for a minute,” Every said. “Doing cool things in a fantasy world is much cooler than talking and thinking about homework. It has definitely made me feel more at home at Oklahoma Christian, even though it’s not a broad community I am a part of.”