For many, the words “Dungeons & Dragons” conjure a fuzzy image, most likely of teenage boys in a dim basement hunched over a tabletop game. In Welcome to Dragon Talk, Shelly Mazzanoble, Greg Tito, and their surprising guests bring a different image into focus, offering: What if those boys were girls? Were famous actors? Were educators, therapists, and politicians? After nearly five decades, Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever and has drawn together a community that defies stereotypes.

In this collection, the hosts of Dragon Talk, the official D&D podcast, recount some of the most inspiring stories from their guests. All use the core tenets of the game in their everyday life. Actor Joe Manganiello defends D&D by baring his soul (and his ripped abs). A teacher in a disadvantaged district in Houston, creates a D&D club that motivates students to want to read and think analytically. Writer and streamer Tanya DePass shows how D&D–inspired communication skills break barriers and empower people of color. Readers will see how D&D has given this disparate and growing community the inspiration to flourish in their careers and spread some of that in-game magic in real life—and how you can too.