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Dungeons & Dragons for Newbies: Explained

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Priscilla Kovach Student Contributor, Youngstown State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Youngstown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Priscilla Kovach

  Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that was created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). If you have never played Dungeons & Dragons before, it can be intimidating and confusing to learn how to play. But no need to worry, it is pretty easy to learn and pick up the rules and regulations of the game. Character Creation and World Building are also large parts of the game. It’s important to make sure that your DM (Dungeon Master) and the other members of your party are the right fit for you; to maximize your enjoyment of the game and have fun. It can be a fun bonding experience with your friends and acquaintances. There is also Oneshots and West March. It can be a big time commitment to join a league/campaign, so sometimes it can be better and easier for some people, like myself, to only participate in Oneshots. A Oneshot is a game of Dungeons & Dragons that is a one-time only game. It is not ongoing like regular D&D games are. In Tabletop Gaming Club at YSU, there is also Magic: The Gathering. Magic is its own game, it is a collectible card game. It also is considered to be a tabletop game, and it can be played as a digital collectible card game as well. 

Magic The Gathering; also known as Magic and MTG, was the first trading card game. Dungeons & Dragons has been featured in many Television shows and some movies. In Stranger Things, Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin often play D&D. They played the 1983 Expert Edition of the game. This group of characters played Dungeons & Dragons from 1979 or earlier. These friends played their “Elder Tree” campaign in 1979, and even Nancy joined in by dressing up as an elf. 

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Priscilla Kovach

Youngstown '26

I am an Art Student at Youngstown State University. I went back to YSU in Fall 2024. I am a Junior (in between Junior and Senior), but in the Art Program I’m a Freshman or Sophomore. I have an Associate’s Degree in Business Management from Eastern Gateway Community College. I am an actor in Community Theatre. I like to sing, act, and dance. I also enjoy Crochet, and hope to be more involved with Crochet Club this upcoming semester. I am involved in many clubs and organizations at YSU. I am involved with the Newman Center, as well as Crafternoons. I enjoy Book Club, Art Club, and Dance Club. I also like to play Dungeons and Dragons through Tabletop Gaming Club.

I like to help animals through volunteering in the past. I have done volunteer work at a dog kennel. I used to work part time at my mom’s Dermatopathology lab called BCD. I enjoy Pop Culture; such as TV shows, movies, and music. I like to go to concerts, I have went to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour twice, and Olivia Rodrigo Sour Tour and Olivia Rodrigo Guts Tour. I have went to other concerts years ago. I like Broadway musicals and plays, although I prefer musicals. I enjoy going to see Community Theatre and Local Theatre plays and musicals.

I have made some great friends at YSU. I have really gotten back into writing. I like to read, and write, and sometimes write Poetry in Poetry Club. I enjoy writing books and stories. My family has 4 dogs now. I also like cats and other animals. As I said before, I like Pop Culture; including Fandoms. I have gotten back into reading more! I like seeing new popular books. I sometimes do crafts other than crocheting, as well. I have done sewing years ago. I have gotten back into dancing, to some extent. I used to love Ballet and Tap. I do Ballroom Dancing in Dance Club at YSU, although I’m a beginner. I have danced in musicals quite a bit. I’m excited to write Articles! I wrote Newspaper Articles with my Grandpa who was a Sports Writer.