The Afterschool Club
That Follows Them Home

What is Dungeons & Dragons?

Dungeons & Dragons is a collaborative storytelling game played around a table with pencils, paper, and dice. No screens, no game consoles, no winner or loser. Players create characters — a brave knight, a cunning rogue, a wise wizard — and work together to navigate an adventure guided by the Dungeon Master (DM).

The DM describes the world, plays the characters the group encounters, and keeps the story moving. Players make choices, roll dice to see how things unfold, and together create a story that could not exist without everyone at the table.

Think of it as an improvised novel where every player is both the author and the main character.

What actually happens during a session?

A typical session begins with the DM setting the scene — a village in trouble, a mystery to solve, a dungeon to explore. Players make decisions as their characters: do we take the mountain pass or the forest road? Do we try to negotiate with the bandit, or sneak past?

When decisions have stakes — a sword fight, a daring leap, a persuasive speech to the king — dice are rolled to determine the outcome. Success, failure, and everything in between.

Sessions run for roughly two to three hours, with the story picking up where it left off the following week.

Is it appropriate for my child?

D&D can be played at many levels of intensity. At Fable Forge, sessions for young people are run in the same spirit as a 12A film.

Combat is part of the story — heroes do fight goblins, dark wizards, and fearsome creatures. But the tone is adventure, not horror. Think somewhere between The Avengers and The Lord of the Rings: battles are part of the story and stakes feel real, but nothing is graphic or gratuitous.

Ruairí sets the tone from the first session. Dark themes, graphic descriptions, and anything beyond age-appropriate adventure simply do not feature. The goal is always the same: an exciting story your child wants to continue next week.

Why it is brilliant for kids

D&D asks young people to do things that screens do not:

• Listen and pay attention — you need to know what is happening to make good decisions.
• Communicate and negotiate — most problems are solved by talking, not fighting.
• Read and write — character sheets, notes, and backstories appear naturally.
• Do basic maths — dice rolls, hit points, and calculations happen constantly.
• Think creatively — there is no set solution, only the one the group invents together.
• Work as a team — the adventure only goes well when everyone contributes.

None of this feels like learning. It just happens because the game requires it.