Dungeons and Dragons is a game often associated with the worst types of nerdy. It is seen as nerdy, weird and played only by the biggest of losers.

“[People that play] are geeks that will live in their mother’s basement until they are 30 and sit behind books playing whatever card game is popular at the time with kids three times younger than them,” said John Philips, UNA student.

This seems to be the general consensus among non-players. However, what stereotypes and public opinion fail to mention is that Dungeons and Dragons has remained a part of pop culture and society for over 30 years and continues to hold a dedicated fan base.

Dungeons and Dragons was created in the ’70s before the video games of today existed. It can be played board-game style or role played. Each player creates his or her own character, documenting everything on paper. A “dungeon master” creates the quests and basis of each game. Actions depend on the situation of the story and can be infinite. Each player has special powers and abilities defined by the Dungeons and Dragons rule book. Basic rules can also be found online.

The rules may sound familiar, the pretty much are the basis of most role playing games today, like World of Warcraft. However, Dungeons and Dragons has one of the worst reputations of any game out there. One huge stereotype is that the only people that play it are old, but Leo Taylor is out to prove that false and is even working on getting a group together on campus.

“I have always liked different hobbies and I just kind of looked into the game. I had always heard bad things about it, that it was kind of nerdy, but I’ve always been a sucker for really complicated games, especially board games. I was kind of curious about it so I guess I just started,” said Taylor.

The game has a wide fan base that posts regularly on the official website. The website includes everything the budding “noob” would need for getting started, including game synopsis, character explanations and interactive forums from other veteran players.

Getting involved in a game like Dungeons and Dragons is easier said than done.

“There’s a group that actually meets on campus every Tuesday and Thursday but they’ve been doing it so long that it would be really hard for a new player to get involved just because of how advanced they are in their game,” said Taylor.

The game is very group-oriented and is best played when all the characters start together. This is why Taylor is trying to get a new group together on campus.

“I wanted to play with a group that was more laid back so I put fliers around campus. I’ve already had people texting me like ‘Hey, when can we play?'” said Taylor.

While one of the stigmas of the game is that no one under 30 plays it, but Taylor claims he has never played with anyone over 30. His groups usually consist of fellow students and friends. While older people play the game as well, the Dungeons and Dragons community is incredibly diverse.

The game is even updated on a regular basis in order to maintain a younger audience.

“It’s not a game that can be played by like pre-teen kids just because there are some harder mechanics. Video games are fun but you can get together and socialize and play together [with Dungeons and Dragons],” said Taylor.

For more information on joining Taylor’s group, call 797-7935 or contact him on Facebook.