DRAGON, which stands for Davis Roleplaying Activities and Gaming Organizational Network, meets Friday nights from ~6-10pm on the top floor of Wellman Hall on Campus. The main meeting room is room 202, from which the various individual groups break off into their own rooms. The club hosts a variety of activities, lead by various club members. You can expect to find:

A variety of roleplaying games to join, from low fantasy to sci fi
Rooms available to host party games, board games, or other gaming activities
Collectible card games (CCGs)

In general, people tend to play collectible card games (CCG) and board games in the early hours (6pm to 8pm) while role-playing games go for the whole time (6pm to 10pm) As per Campus policy, Wellman closes at 10pm, so make sure to clean up and be out of the rooms before the janitorial crew kicks you out. Players, check with your GM on Discord or in person to find out what time your game is starting. If you're a new player with questions, check the bottom of this page for an FAQ! :)

Not all players at DRAGON are current UC Davis students; many are alumni or Davis residents. DRAGON is completely free to participate in and does not require signing up (although joining the Discord server is helpful to keep up-to-date). So, it's totally fine to drop by whenever you're down for a fun game. Bring your friends!

We maintain a Discord server: DRAGON at UCD

And a club email: [email protected]

Games

A fun game of "Descent:Into the Dungeon."Among CCGs, Magic: The Gathering is definitely the most commonly played. In addition to this, various players bring a multitude of different board games in every week, including games like Betrayal at House on the Hill, Castle Panic, and The Resistance, among many others. Bringing board games and card games to DRAGON is encouraged, and the members are always excited to try out new games.

Tabletop RPGs are really the core of DRAGON, and most people in the club participate in at least one. By virtue of pervasiveness, Dungeons and Dragons is the most common and most popular game to be played at DRAGON. But other Roleplaying Games have been played there as well, including Vampire: The Masquerade, BASH! Superheroes, FATE: Core, and Dread. There is also a "home-brewing" scene where players will bring in their custom homemade games and ask members of DRAGON to help test them.

Events

New Member's Night

Intended to help inexperienced or curious players understand how roleplaying games work, DRAGON holds a "New Member's Night" every year. Usually in late September or early October, no experience is necessary to attend. The event is usually based around "One-Shots", one-session games that are designed to be New-Player-Friendly and engaging. DRAGON always accepts visitors and new members all year.

More D&D!

Dungeons And Dragons!

Other Events

DRAGON has participated in other events in the past, such as the Gamer's Gift Charity Event in April 2017. They also advertise to new members by posting flyers and tabling by the MU or at campus events like the annual Involvement Fair and Picnic Day. If you're interested in tabling or lending your artistic talent to make some great flyers, contact the officers!

Club Leadership

DRAGON is lead by a High Council, composed of the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and public relations specialist. In addition to maintaining the Discord server, they organize events and reserve rooms for DRAGON. In quotes are their informal designations, and in parenthesis are their formal titles.

"The High Lord" (President) - Manages the club at large, assigns responsibilities to the rest of the court

A Common Sight amongst Gamers: Snacks!"Court Jester" (Vice President) - Assists the President in their duties; handles disciplinary action and club feedback

"Keeper of the Coin" (Treasurer) - Handles funds and fundraisers

"Court Magistrate" (Secretary) - Take notes during meetings, and document club going-on and meetings.

"Ponderer of the Orb" (Secretary) - Moderate the Discord and handle aggie life membership

"The Herald" (Public Relations) - Puts out advertisements, plans tabling and plans events.

"The Conjurer" (Public Relations) - Utilizes social media platforms for outreach, photographs events and assists in the design and creation of paraphenelia

Games' Schedule

Most games alternate weeks, with a session held either every "A" week or every "B" week. This is done to mitigate the time commitment of most games and ensure that there is a large variety of games going on at any given time. This schedule is regularly updated on the Discord.

If campus is still open but Wellman Hall is unavailable for whatever reason, DRAGON will often meet at Olson Hall instead. Check the Official Discord Server for details.

In addition to the above list, DRAGON also maintains a "Player Registry" and a "Games Registry" hosted on Google Docs, which are both public and editable to help players and Game Masters find new games.

New Member's Night, September 29th 2023

Additional Information

History

The club has been running longer than most student members have been alive and has changed names several times.

It started as the Davis Gaming Club in 1992, then changed to D.R.A.G.O.N. (Davis Recreation And Gaming Organizational Network) in 1993 and settled into a comfortable niche in Wellman Hall on Friday nights in early 1994. This gaming club has continued to this very day.

FAQ

Who is allowed to join DRAGON?

Anyone! You do not have to be a current UC Davis student to join DRAGON. Many of our members are UC Davis alumni or are just people from the surrounding area who love playing games. If you are younger than college age or if you are a parent who has a kid interested in our club, please message the officers.

I've never played a roleplaying game before, but I think it would be fun to try. Can I sit in on a game and watch?

I get this question a lot. My answer is, just make a character and play! The game is WAY more fun when you play it yourself, even if -- especially if? -- you have no idea what you're doing. But if you really really want to sit in the corner and watch, there's no harm in asking a GM (Game Master).

I want to join a game. How do I do that?

If you want to play a board game or a CCG such as Magic: The Gathering, just show up to the main room (usually 226) around 6pm. Members bring board games, and some even bring extra Magic decks. Of course, feel free to bring your own.

If you are a new player looking for a roleplaying game, you can look at the "Games Registry". However, I think you should still show up to the main room around 6pm and check the board or ask around to find out which games have openings; the Registry, while helpful, is not always completely up-to-date.

I don't have dice or anything. Can I still play?

Of course! If you're a new or inexperienced player, it's a great idea to show up to DRAGON a bit early and ask for help. Players usually have blank character sheets available (or, print out the sheets for the game you know you want to play in advance) and will help you fill them in. We usually have digital and hard copies of game manuals floating around. Players are also willing to share their dice if you don't have any. Basically, you can come with nothing and be fine. Oh, maybe bring a pencil though... for some reason there are never enough pencils... also snacks.

I played in a game but I didn't really like it. What do I do?

If you realize that you don't like roleplaying for whatever reason, there is zero obligation to keep playing. People drop in and out of games all the time, so don't feel guilty if you want to stop playing. However, I recommend trying a different game. Every GM has their own play style; some emphasize combat or strategy while others love roleplaying scenarios, and some are serious and dramatic while others are sarcastic and silly (that's me). It's important for a roleplaying group to mesh well for maximum fun to be had, and not everyone meshes! So be patient and let yourself find the best group for you. Remember, you can always bring in friends!

Can I become a GM?

Yes! DRAGON loves new GMs. We have a lot of players and like to have enough games running to accommodate them. If you want to start a new game -- either pre-made or homemade -- just go to the "Games Registry" and post your game info, then post on the Facebook page to let people know a new game is starting. You can invite friends or contact people on the "Player Registry" as well.

I want to be a GM, but I've never done it before. How can I learn to GM?

I recommend reading the rules of the game you want to run first. You don't need to know every single detail -- for many roleplaying games, there are too many rules for any normal person to ever memorize -- but how the game is generally played. Maybe play in a game a few times under an experienced GM to get a feel for it. Then, consider running a simple pre-made one-shot. You'll make mistakes, but that's okay! You'll get much more comfortable with practice.

I want to be a GM, but I can't commit to a weekly or bi-weekly game. Can I still GM occasionally?

Run one-shots! If you're in the mood to GM, just post the name and type of game you're going to run, plus your start time, on the Facebook page. There are usually a few people floating around who are down for a one-shot.

I want to play, but I can't commit to a weekly or bi-weekly game. Can I still play occasionally?

Yes! I recommend looking for people running one-shots. Or, join an existing game for one session; GMs are often fine with players dropping in on a game, but make sure to ask :). Being able to commit bi-weekly (to an A week or B week game) is preferable to keep up with the story and really feel like a part of the group, but of course not everyone can do that.

I want to join DRAGON, but I'm busy Friday nights. What do I do?

Luckily for you, many people feel the same way. As such, many GM's run games on the weekend or during the week. Games are also run online. The discord server is a great way to get in contact with these groups.

Does DRAGON have a LARP group?

There is a LARP group that meets every other week in Wellman, and many of the members are also in DRAGON. It's not really an official part of DRAGON though. They are rather elusive, but coming to DRAGON is a good way to find them ;)