‘Really chaotic and really fun:’ Lethbridge Public Library puts the call out for Dungeon Master

It’s not your usual average volunteer position.

And it’s not targeted at your average volunteer.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun work to be a volunteer Dungeon Master with this program,” said Paige McGeorge, Teen Librarian at the Lethbridge Public Library. She is responsible of all the teen services available through the Lethbridge Public Library.

One of them is the Dungeons and Dragons for Teens Program.

It started about three years ago as an in-person program at the Crossings branch. The library was hearing that Dungeons and Dragons was becoming more popular, especially at middle schools in Lethbridge.

“While (the schools) were running some Friday afternoon programs for their kids, there wasn’t the capacity for all the teens who wanted to take part,” said McGeorge.

Dungeons and Dragons is a table top role-playing game. A Dungeon Master lays out the narrative while the players create their own characters and populate the world.

Steve Mathew is one of Lethbridge Public Library’s original Dungeon Masters. He started volunteering when the program started about three years ago.

“Through (the pandemic) I’ve been volunteering, through the birth of my first son I’ve been volunteering, because this has always been a fun place to spend two hours with a great group of kids.”

Now, the library is looking for an addition to their Dungeon Master roster.

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“It can be really chaotic and really fun,” said McGeorge.

So, what makes a good Dungeon Master?

“The perfect DM for our program is somebody who is quick on their feet, knows how to roll with the punches, both literal and in the narrative,” said McGeorge.

“They can’t be scared of teenagers. They have to be good, because it’s a teen program and it’s D & D, with a fair bit of chaos and uncertainty.”

Mathew believes having an open mind and willingness to have fun would also serve a volunteer Dungeon Master well.

The program was popular before the pandemic. Every week, there would be 25-30 teens who would drop in, eager to play.

Now, they play online using Discord and Roll 20. This limits the program to 10 teens who pre-register every week.

“Those 10 teens show up every single Wednesday at 6 p.m. eager to play, connect with their friends, and see what the DM has in store for them that week,” said McGeorge.

It’s a statement that Mathew says is echoed by the teens every week when they show up. When he asks them how their week was, what they respond with is what Mathew says is one of the best things a volunteer can hear.

“Somebody spent two hours with you a week ago, had so much fun that for the rest of the week the only thing they’ve been looking forward to is doing that again for two hours.”

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But his favourite part of the program, and Dungeons and Dragons as a whole, is watching how quickly a bond can form between a group of strangers.

“It allows a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old to communicate and come up with these fun, wacky, off the wall ideas and interact with each other in a way that they wouldn’t normally have the space to do so.”

Those wacky ideas are often used to avoid combat.

“One time they convinced a party of goblins to have a dance party with them instead.”

The library segments the games so they typically run about three or four months.

A new program will be starting in April. Registration starts at the end of March. For more information, visit the Lethbridge Public Library website.