ENGL1500: Dungeons & Dragons and Storytelling

ENGL 1500 Dungeons & Dragons and Storytelling is a new 1-credit course that will be offered in Fall 2026, taught by Lecturer Russ Winn. This course focuses on themes within writing such as audience awareness, rhetorical choice-making, and collaborative authoring through the lens of the popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. This course is built to strengthen these writing habits while also giving the students an opportunity to practice co-creating narrative arcs, negotiating stakes, and iterating scenes in real time. 

Drawing on different aspects of folklore — myths, motifs, quest patterns, and oral-formulaic techniques — this course can help students adapt traditional materials into contemporary stories and worldbuilding assets. 

Russ reflects, “I’ve long been interested in how storytelling shapes identity and community, and D&D is one of the most dynamic storytelling laboratories we have. It’s collaborative, improvisational, ethical, strategic, and deeply human. I’ve played D&D for over 30 years, and I think I bring a lot of experience and enthusiasm to the class.”

For students that are interested in taking this course, you can expect a mix of discussion, analysis, creative writing, and gameplay. Throughout the semester, students will be reading short texts on narrative theory and myth, analyzing how stories create meaning, and exploring how character arcs develop over time. Students will also be participating by designing characters, building worlds, reflecting on decision-making and consequences, and examining how collaborative storytelling differs from traditional author-centered storytelling. 

For those interested but unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons, this course will be a great environment to learn about the game. Russ confirms, “No prior experience with D&D is required and beginners are absolutely welcome.”

While the course does have a focus on D&D, ultimately, this is designed for anyone interested in storytelling in any form. As it is a collaborative game, there will be many opportunities to build social skills as well. 

“Writers, gamers, pre-law students, engineers, or future teachers are all welcome,” Russ explains. “The skills we practice should transfer far beyond the table, and at the very least you’ll make some friends.”