Just before the June 2026 primary election, six Los Angeles city council candidates gathered on stage at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre not for a debate, but to play a short Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign. Guided by comedian Brennan Lee Mulligan, a longtime Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and dungeon master known for the D&D-themed YouTube series Critical Role and Dropout’s Dimension 20, the candidates battled corporate villains and an evil dragon.

Hundreds of fans in the audience pledged donations up to $150 each to grant the candidates "auto crits," a game mechanic for maximum damage, symbolically helping defeat the dragon. The event raised $30,000 for the city’s primary election, with five of the candidates either winning re-election or advancing to the November general election.

Organizers emphasize that this blending of politics and tabletop gaming is intentional and effective. Mulligan explained, “Most people want to be tapped and told how to help. Then, lo and behold, there’s this new way to participate, bringing the platform I have to bear.”

Emily Friedman, an English professor at Auburn University who teaches D&D and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), noted the strong community response: “There are different archipelagos of the fandom, but what unifies each and every one of them is that they are very responsive to calls to action from the people who are there watching and feeling that they’re in community with. They feel like this is a space that is welcoming them.”

The event also reflected broader political concerns. Andoni Elias-Nava, the primary organizer and DSA-LA member, said, “One of the appeals of a game like Dungeons and Dragons or tabletop role playing is to disconnect and use real imagination. The left is facing these AI attacks from the corporate elite, the billionaires – they are just all in on these deceptive tactics, making it feel like a D&D game.”

In 2023, Wizards of the Coast, D&D’s parent company, banned the use of AI to develop and create art in the game, contrasting with the widespread use of AI in video game development.

Linnie Schell, Twice Rolled’s director of creative development and production, highlighted the emotional impact: “It walks people through the emotional steps of ‘I have done this hard heroic thing at a table surrounded by friends, and that’s something I can do in other places.’ It’s all just getting people to take that first step to help.”

Mulligan added, “The big illusion would be to pretend that fantasy doesn’t reflect our values or doesn’t describe a relationship between people and their surroundings – it does,” noting that the Star Wars film franchise was inspired by the Vietnam War.

Sources