This course does not require students to play Dungeons & Dragons. Students do not need to own any game materials, know any game rules, or have any prior experience with tabletop games. No gameplay occurs as part of this course.

This course does not require any proprietary D&D game content. All references to D&D draw from Wizards of the Coast's System Reference Document v5.2 (SRD 5.2), which Wizards has released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. We use the idea of building fantasy worlds, creating characters, and designing story arcs as a creative writing lens. No paywalled rulebooks (such as the Player's Handbook), campaign settings, or other proprietary Wizards of the Coast products are used or required for this curriculum, and students do not need to own any rulebook or character sheet to complete the course.

This is a standards-aligned English Language Arts course. All activities are grounded in state and national ELA standards for writing, reading, and language. Students practice the same skills found in any rigorous creative writing class: descriptive writing, analytical reading of published literature, peer feedback, revision, and reflection.

Concern: "D&D promotes witchcraft, the occult, or anti-Christian values."

We understand that some families have concerns rooted in the controversy surrounding Dungeons & Dragons that emerged in the 1980s. Those concerns were largely based on misunderstandings about the game that have since been widely addressed by educators, religious scholars, and child development experts.

Here is what is important to know about this course:

• No occult practices, rituals, or religious content of any kind appear in this curriculum. Students are not asked to engage with magic systems, cast spells, summon creatures, or participate in any activity that simulates occult or religious practices.
• The course focuses entirely on writing craft. When we reference D&D, we are talking about the storytelling structure: How do you describe a place so vividly that a reader can picture it? How do you create a character with depth and complexity? How do you build narrative tension? These are the same skills taught in any creative writing or literature class.
• Fantasy as a genre has a long, respected tradition in education. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, and Lloyd Alexander all wrote fantasy literature that is regularly taught in schools and celebrated within faith communities. This course draws on that same tradition of imaginative storytelling as a vehicle for developing writing skills.
• D&D itself has been used in therapeutic and educational settings for decades. Counselors, special education professionals, and social workers use tabletop role-playing to support social skill development, collaborative problem-solving, and creative expression. The American Library Association and numerous educational organizations recognize its value as a literacy and engagement tool.

If you have specific concerns about course content, we encourage you to review the curriculum materials directly with your student's teacher. We are committed to transparency and welcome the conversation.

Concern: "Will my student be exposed to violent or inappropriate content?"

All content in this course is age-appropriate for high school students. The course does not include graphic violence, sexual content, or content intended to disturb. When students write about conflict in their stories, they are practicing narrative craft, the same way they would when studying conflict in Romeo and Juliet, The Hunger Games, or To Kill a Mockingbird. Students maintain creative control over the tone and content of their own writing, and teachers provide guidance on maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Concern: "Does my student need to buy anything for this course?"

No. This course requires no special purchases, no game materials, no subscriptions, and no downloads. Students need only a web browser, internet access, and a word processor (such as Google Docs), which are standard for any online course.

Concern: "What about AI use in this course?"

This course includes thoughtful guidance about artificial intelligence tools. Students learn to evaluate AI-generated writing critically, understand its limitations, and develop their own authentic creative voice. Each assignment includes clear AI use policies. The course was designed with AI transparency in mind, and students are expected to produce original creative work.