Young Dragonslayers: A Resource for Child and Teen D&D Players

At a recent gamer meet-up, a friend I rarely see remarked, ‘I used to post flyers with “Looking for Group” all the time. Now, I’m always posting online, searching for a DM who can run games for my three kids!

If you’ve been searching for a way to introduce your child or teen to the world of TTRPGs, you may want to check out Young Dragonslayers. This small company runs online, weekly D&D campaigns specifically for middle and high school players, hosted by professional adult facilitators.

From their website:

“Young Dragonslayers™ is an online social club for geek-minded kids and teens. Our players use the creativity and structure of Dungeons and Dragons to forge meaningful friendships through online gaming.”

I first heard about Young Dragonslayers from its founder Katie Lear, a children’s therapist who was inspired to start the company after experiencing the social and emotional benefits of online D&D during the pandemic.

Each child interested in joining the program is interviewed in advance to learn about their interests and play style, in the hopes that roleplay-loving children can find likeminded players, and combat enthusiasts can indulge in a more chaotic play style without upsetting more sensitive peers.

I love how each kid can get into games that they want to play in. I’m pretty sure my friend’s kids would all want to be in different games. The might be siblings, but they definitely each game differently.

While this does make for a more complicated and time-consuming enrollment process than simply clicking a link to join a campaign, it also ensures a higher level of safety for underage players.

If your child would prefer to play in real life, the company also offers annual summer camps for local players in North Carolina, as well as an online “Learn to DM” course for aspiring teen dungeon masters.

You can check out their work and join the waiting list for upcoming campaigns here.