The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America hosted a Dungeons & Dragons fundraising event at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre in May that raised $30,000 for six city council candidates, the Los Angeles Times reported. The event blended tabletop role‑playing with local organizing, drawing hundreds of attendees who pledged donations to the campaigns.
The Hollywood fundraiser is one example of a growing national movement in which tabletop gaming communities are converting fan networks into fundraising infrastructure for political causes. In a report published Thursday, the Guardian described comedian and D&D streamer Brennan Lee Mulligan’s tabletop‑based advocacy as part of a wider trend of using role‑playing games for real‑world political action.