Tag: dungeon master

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Lifetimes of Fun

Sojourners Awake!

We made the decision to homeschool back in 2017, simultaneously the same year we started playing Dungeons and Dragons. Believe it or not, I had never really heard of the game except for a few whispers back in the 80s between the evils of Halloween and video games. Much to my surprise, Dungeons and Dragons, a tabletop roleplaying game providing a means to tell stories. Storytelling is something we have done since the dawn of time. Myths and legends, history and tales, all in oral form around the campfire, in lecture halls and eventually scribed upon parchments. Eventually, we filmed … Continue reading Lifetimes of Fun

dungeons and dragons, tabletop roleplaying games2 Comments

Five things I wished I had known as a new Game Master

Sojourners Awake!

Human resources said it one more time over the phone, “you are no longer employed with us.” I looked at my boss across from the table and of course, he already knew. Security walked me back to my office and I placed all of my belongings in a postal box. Then they walked me outside to my car. (Don’t worry, I’m not a criminal, this “walk out” is common practice when management gets the axe. Still, pretty embarrassing, and the severance is never enough for the amount of time it takes to find a new job. Full disclosure: I am … Continue reading Five things I wished I had known as a new Game Master

dungeons and dragons, family, game, homeschool, homeschooling, ideas, kids, tabletop roleplaying games1 Comment

An easy to use method for storytelling.

Sojourners Awake!

I believe that everyone of us is a storyteller. You don’t have to speak of elves and dwarves or aliens from a far realm to convey a human experience using your words to another fellow human. Every time you make an attempt to persuade someone, you are crafting a story. Every time you rationalize an event, you are telling yourself a story. In other words, you already tell stories, and if you want, you can become better with practice. I found this article while browsing for better ways to tell stories and discovered this method! I wondered how my Dungeons … Continue reading An easy to use method for storytelling.

dungeons and dragons, game, tabletop roleplaying games4 Comments

Running Deities in the roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons

Sojourners Awake!

The sojourners arrive at the monolith after harrowing travel through the wilds. Upon their arrival, a bright light shines from the stone and they hear a booming voice greet them, “you have sojourned far to find me, now that you are here, what do you want?” They have finally reached the lost shrine of Torm, the god of courage. How do you imagine deities working within Dungeons and Dragons? My style of running the game always involves telling a story. But even then, I want to benefit the players with boons and banes every time they choose to interact with … Continue reading Running Deities in the roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons

dungeons and dragons, tabletop roleplaying games1 Comment

Warlocks and Patrons

Sojourners Awake!

In Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, one of the playable classes is a warlock. As I understand, magic is available through many avenues in a fantasy world. Some wizards study their whole lives to memorize formulas, some cleric devout their lives to serving a deity. Warlocks, I imagine, cut a deal with a powerful being, who is not a god. These powerful beings, I think of as “black market” magic, whether it be a cheap knock off of the original brand, or a product laced with unholy ingredients designed to get the user hooked on a sale. Or this could … Continue reading Warlocks and Patrons

dungeons and dragons, tabletop roleplaying games7 Comments

A Sojourner’s Recipe for a Satisfying Adventure

Sojourners Awake!

After I whip up a good adventure by following a recipe, I like to hand out recipes for players to enjoy Dungeons and Dragons. You will find below a nice template to further thrive as a player while creating stories around the table with your friends and family. Here are a few ingredients you should add to your adventure sessions to fashion a satisfying session of Dungeons and Dragons! Title: It’s important to give your session a title, because this crystalizes the focus. For example, “The Breaking of the Fellowship” Find a great line to quote before you play to … Continue reading A Sojourner’s Recipe for a Satisfying Adventure

dungeons and dragons, family, game, growth, homeschool, ideas, kids, perspective, tabletop roleplaying gamesLeave a comment

Why do we tell stories?

Sojourners Awake!

Recently, I have been pondering the role of story in the game Dungeons and Dragons. When I first began to play, I realized quickly that this kind of game facilitates story telling at its finest. Images filled my thoughts of villagers gathered around an evening campfire as the elder recounts the tales of their existence, myths and legends retold, along with variations added as, generation after generation, the tribe grew. Eventually, books held the stories and myths were lost. The books kept the story told the same way every time with little to no variation save for edition updates. I … Continue reading Why do we tell stories?

dungeons and dragons, homeschool, homeschooling, tabletop roleplaying games6 Comments

How to Describe Scenes to Prompt Exploration in Dungeons and Dragons

Sojourners Awake!

If you want, skip to the bottom to see my bulleted instructions; otherwise, enjoy the read! I call my characters “sojourners” to remind myself they are journeying through the world we are creating together. Boxed text in the tradition Dungeons and Dragons modules serve a purpose. I believe one of the most underplayed pillars of the game is exploration and reading aloud a narrative script to your players can prompt wonderful moments of exploration that make your world all the more fulfilling. Like any NPC name, or monster stat, most of the Dungeons and Dragons experiences can be substituted for … Continue reading How to Describe Scenes to Prompt Exploration in Dungeons and Dragons

dungeons and dragons, family, game, growth, homeschool, homeschooling, kids, tabletop roleplaying games2 Comments

Recipe for a Sojourner’s Adventure

Sojourners Awake!

I have been leading story telling sessions for Dungeons and Dragons since 2017. I started by watching a fantastic session with Matthew Mercer by googling “live action dungeons and dragons.” I was struck with awe! This was exactly the kind of games I played as a young child. Somehow adult life crept in and I forgot how to tell stories. Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition really has introduced me back into the world of role playing and storytelling. Crafting adventurers for many groups of players, I have had lots of time to build a campaign and then review my work … Continue reading Recipe for a Sojourner’s Adventure