Over the years mainstream media has shifted from acting as if Dungeons & Dragons was connected to Satan and murder, to acting as if players were just nerds in basements to be ignored, to being nerds in apartments to be mocked (Big Bang Theory), to superpowered nerds to save the world (Stranger Things), to now just people who like something that other people don’t like (Ghosts) without any judgment of the game.
Seeing this shift, which I’ve lived through every moment of, still amazes me. Yes, there were times when genre shows featured D&D. Stranger Things made sense. The game fit and was featured in the story.
Ghosts did something different. One of the main characters mocked the game, but the way D&D was featured wasn’t a mockery. Instead, Dungeons & Dragons was a way to further establish fellowship between the diverse cast of ghosts and the one living who shares their space and cannot see them. Also, the d20s helped solve the other plot of the episode. Lead writer Joe Wiseman addressed this on Dragon Talk recently.
Every time I encounter the featuring of D&D as normal continues to astound me. Once forced to hide my passion for the game or get the books knocked out of my lap as if real life was a crappy teen comedy, now D&D is popular and mainstream enough that it is on my resume, talked about during job interviews, played in public, and can raise money for charity as celebs play.
Much of the mainstreaming of the game is because many of us nerds that hid in our basements are now of the age that we are in positions of influence. While it is Zoomers and Millenials that are the fuel spreading the game, GenX leadership is normalizing it.
Writers rooms throughout Hollywood played as kids and are playing again, as are the actors, cinematographers, set designers, etc. Video game designers (and all of the support staff) played with pen and paper, then translated that to big screen.
D&D’s tropes are mentioned in genre fiction (Onward!) and regularly trend on social media. There’s not a day that goes by that an Alignment Chart meme doesn’t show up.
Now that we’re mainstream there’s always that worry among us olds that things will change in ways that we don’t understand. But at it’s core D&D has always espoused that a “diverse group is a strong group.” And all of the current changes lean into that trope that started with the Fighting-Man, Magic User, Thief, and Cleric that were also a Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and Elf.
Leaning into that means more players, more games, more chances to “roll for initiative.” That’s all I want.
Not everyone is an expert on D&D, but thanks to the pandemic, nearly everyone knows someone who has taken up the hobby within the past year. If you are looking for ideas, this collection should help you find the perfect gift for the new Dungeons & Dragons fan in your life. Or, it’s a great way to share ideas with your family and friends that need to support your hobby during the holidays.
The following collections of gifts are sorted by the style of D&D fan you are shopping for. None of the links, except one, has an affiliation with myself or Full Moon Storytelling. For the most part the links are not to Amazon, but to direct purchasing, or in some cases, King’s Books in Tacoma, an indie that needs support. For digital gaming only DnDBeyond is linked, but check what digital service your gamer uses to see how to best aid them in playing.
Don’t critically fail. Shop from this gift guide instead.
The Pandemic Casual
Over the past 9 months many people took up the game to help create social interactions via digital spaces in a time when doing so in real life would help spread the disease. They may only be using the free version of the Basic Rules. Give them an upgrade.
If they’re only playing a single campaign or so, they don’t need subscription on DnDBeyond. But it can be handy to grab the Player’s Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, or Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. These can expand your options as they level up or play their second and third character. If they use Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds go for those manuals on those systems.
When they convert from digital play get a nice set of dice that inspires them and a written notebook for that analog pen & paper experience – my favorite entry level is from Field Notes. At the higher end, the Adventurer’s Kit from Arcana Note is stunning.
The Digital Addict
Others are now addicts, gaming a half-dozen times a week or more. These people need more expansive tools, and art.
The Hero Tier on DnDBeyond is of great value if your giftee is constantly talking about their next character build rather than their current. The Sourcebook Bundle provides the maximum number of options in the 5th edition rule set.
There is no better time for a family to start playing D&D together. For those with little to no experience in playing analog role-playing games start with the D&D Essentials Kit (currently less than $10). For those just a bit too young to start playing, The Young Adventurer’s Collection from Jim Zub, Stacy King, and Andrew Wheeler will give them the experiences of the multiverse through original art and writing. There’s also Adventure Begins, a basic board-meets-roleplaying game.
The Collector
They probably have all the gaming stuff already. You need to find them with something related to the game that they don’t have. There are high end options galore, including Beedle & Grimm’s assortment of adventures.
Some role-players take a deep dive into their role. They create elaborate backstories, dress as their character, and only want to spin the tales from their singular deep build. You can aid them in this endeavor.
Head over to HeroForge to create a custom version of their character. They even offer full color now. Now, find the perfect pairing of fancy dice, like the all wood from Artisan Dice (or poo, or bone?).
They also likely need a prop or two. Maybe a sword, or sextant, or a spyglass. Match their passion with fun trinkets and maybe even a custom dice bag from Tea & Tails so they get in character as soon as they sit at the table.
For some of your friends, the rulebooks are only part of the game. They aren’t interested in Faerûn, Krynn, Athas, Eberron, Oerth, or other pre-created realms. They are the Dungeon Master. They create their own places for heroic tales. They need other tools.
For guidance in world creation, there is nothing better than the Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding. For those that need more monsters, the Tome of Beasts 2 expands the monsters in the world. As someone who gets a thrill from creating new villages and cities, Spectacular Settlements from Nord Games is amazing. Finally, the Monsters Know What They Are Doing, no DM should assume those beasties and what-not are dumb.
It comes with just a single question. What if? What if I started a new blog? What if we talked about fantasy fiction? What if the stories told coincided with a role-playing game? What if I set myself back two decades and cracked open Dungeons & Dragons again?
Every storyteller needs their tools – a good mug, a notebook (or netbook), a satchel for tokens and memories and a block of cheese maybe some sausage, and a trusty sword.
What if the themes were strong adult subject matter that made for gritty tales of life, death and heroism? What if magic was real? And the gods could talk, but then they stopped?
What if the continents were small, the peoples plentiful and not all human? What if humans didn’t believe in magic because it had disappeared in the only continent they know? How about making it so they are defined more by their cultures than by their phenotype?
Have they stopped believing in themselves, in their gods? Do they see good and evil? How?
Is there slavery? Why? Is there nobility? Can someone be both?
These questions and the cascade of answers start to form more questions. It’s a nearly infinite series of responses. World building, particularly the creation of a world that breathes, is hard. Crafting a world-space that can withstand episodic gaming is harder.
Take chunks at a time. That’s what Full Moon Storytelling will be. Small chunks of content for use in a campaign setting, built around a custom set of rules adapted from 5th edition D&D, but with accompanying tales. If the setting says “The Necromancer is just someone trying to be good” there will be a story that explains how that happened.
As The Worthing Saga took a novella and broke out portions into branch stories, Full Moon Storytelling takes a campaign setting, rule set and crafts micro-fiction, short stories, plotless narrations and episodic adventures within the World of the Everflow.
Maybe that’s where we start, not with a character, but with a story about a fountain that flows from a cliff and diverts along two paths – the Font of Two Paths, the Two-Headed Spring, Pool of Life, Lake of Wonder. The Everflow influences the western peninsula of Kin, is clearly unnatural and …
This is Full Moon Storytelling. It’s a way to share writing, writing process and to think aloud, while words spring forth from tiny digits. Things will happen live, in front of you. Process will be as important as output. Creation is play. Come, join me at this fire under a full moon with clear sky as we look up through trees staring towards the open world of wonder, knowing that behind those trees at your back is whatever reality you can imagine.
After many, many months of the covid-19 pandemic more people are playing D&D than ever. Much of this is online. Long-time players and D&D rookies both are discovering the challenges of gaming via video.
Ginny Di put together a strong 12-minute video that hits on the common challenges and solutions that come up at virtual tables. Even if your virtual table play is going well this is a good reminder. If you haven’t played virtually before the package is an excellent starting point.
When I watched this it reminded me of one my habits as Awf — I can dominate the channel rather than share the spot light. When I play as Thoumas, the group interplay is different. We split the party frequently, something that is harder to handle on a VTT, in my experience. Coordination requires a bit more care.
Her best piece of advice, at least for my groups (hi guys), is to use the text chat for out-of-character stuff. That clears space for the DM to manage the game. My second favorite is to schedule a little bit of the time pre & post game to communicate about non-gaming things. Be friendly and social with each other, because being social during the pandemic is hard enough.
A review of my writing portfolio of 2020 demonstrates just how the covid-19 pandemic impacted the styles and techniques I used in marketing, a re-emergence of gaming writing, and a consistent undercurrent of story-themes throughout the diverse subjects covered. Listicles, metaphor, match recaps, rules, reviews, and so many other techniques burst from my creative mind into pixel and print in 2020.
Now a free agent, searching for work, the following examples can be backed with practical measurements to show their ability to increase the attention and sales of product if you are interested in adding my skill set to your portfolio. Or you can just click and read awesome stuff about D&D, Tacoma, Renton, Defiance, Sounders and more.
Here are my 20 favorite items from 2020.
Dungeons & Dragons
First and foremost Full Moon Storytelling was a way for me to share thoughts about how and why I play D&D. From its founding through early 2020 the most common writing were session notes so that the rest of my group would have a place where they could review what happened between our time together. Needing a place to write, anything, Full Moon Storytelling became a place to share my story-first concepts, refine ideas for the World of the Everflow, and put out rough drafts of what may eventually be products on DMsGuild.
My review of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything burst into a small moment of virality in a private Facebook group. People embraced that while it was a mechanical expansion, Tasha’s was more an expansion of story opportunities than anything else.
Your mundane life can and should populate your D&D games. As a former professional coffee roaster/taster and beer sales person flavor is a core element of how I tell stories. It should also be an element of the stories you tell within Dungeons & Dragons. Flavor can also be mechanical. Tasha’s adds the Chef Feat (reflavor that for brewers, tea blenders, vintners, etc), but you can also add mechanics like Coffee Gear, an artisans tool that is appropriate for most campaigns.
Not all legends are about success. Not all stories end in greatness. None include only victories. Embrace the struggles and failures, because those define your character as much as race/class/background.
Every story – no matter the medium – can inspire a new character. When watching Jingle Jangle and Christmas Chronicle 2 the Artificer class opened up to me in ways that go beyond Eberron. Your next D&D character is a Rock Gnome Artificer-Toy Maker.
Tacoma Defiance and Other Soccer
2020 started with me employed by Tacoma Defiance and Tacoma Rainiers as a content writer, marketer, and broadcaster. It ends with me freelancing about soccer again, something I started in 2008 and that continues to this day.
My return to Sounder at Heart was to write about the most powerful personality in Tacoma Defiance history – Jesse Daley. The Aussie transferred back to Brisbane Roar, his youth club. His former captain, his best friend, and his coaches all spoke lovingly about what The Defiant brought to Defiance.
Without Daley who would step forward to become the soul of the team? It was a complicated answer. Alec Diaz was the goal scorer. Sam Rogers, when playing, was a stalwart. It was Ray Serrano who embraced the challenges of pandemic play to become more than he ever was before – The Defiant of 2020.
Some players transcend their play on the field. They embrace sports as a communications device for social justice, for equality, and for filling the gaps that society creates. Cheney Stadium’s first soccer captain retired after the 2020 season. This is the story of David Estrada.
Player profiles should be about more than just the skills they bring to the team. They are also snapshots into who the person is. Meet Taylor Mueller, Captain Tacoma Defiance, and Puget Sound native – go Dawgs.
Writing in metaphor for thousands of words can be a challenge. Coming up with 34 unique ways to talk about Tacoma Defiance’s intended 2020 journey was a challenge. This story and entire marketing concept eventually combined the written word, illustration, design, and video. It was a full force project.
The journey and return home metaphor was to extend throughout the season, that meant blowing out a couple lines from the season long story into a full independent manifestation for every match.
There are times when a readership or fanbase don’t need all the details. This quick list of performances let the readers know Tacoma’s influence on the team that would eventually go on to compete in its 4th MLS Cup.
Tacoma and Renton Culture
One of the things working with Tacoma Defiance, Tacoma Rainiers, and Reign FC/OL Reign taught me was writing about culture – the people and things that people love about a place. There were interviews with civil rights leaders, appearances at day camps, beer tastings, and an overall embrace that the people of a place are an important of sports. That continued in 2020, even during the pandemic. These are my six favorite stories of 2020.
The Renton History Museum launched an exhibit on sports in the small city during the pandemic. The tour inspired me, a Renton native, to learn more about Henry Moses and the dominance of Renton’s women’s basketball program in the 1920s.
When the first shutdown happened small businesses suffered. People didn’t know what was open and search engines were often out-of-date, this shopping guide was updated daily from mid-March until late-May. It drove 1000s of people to businesses around the South Sound.
Early during the covid-19 pandemic people struggled to find ways to connect, particularly those that connected via sports when there were no sports. We found ways to bond and socialize, even if just through signs in windows.
Even non-cooks started cooking during the pandemic. In order to capture that I interviewed staff at Rainiers/Defiance about their discoveries. Working with Erin, our graphic designer, we crafted recipe cards.
Captain Katrina Anderson is the only woman piloting a tug in Puget Sound. This story was supposed to have a short video accompanying it, but the pandemic ruined that plan.
Ethan HD is unapologetically a Black nerd. The Tacoma-born geek bought a comic book shop in late 2019, but he defies the stereotypes – he’s also a pro wrestler who will stomp you.
Fiction
By creanita
design und ausführung by nina saner
(CC BY-SA 2.0)
During the pandemic my efforts towards fiction continue to increase. Several of my older stories here on Full Moon Storytelling have been updated, with my favorite being Queen and Konstruct – a goblin’s lyfe. This tale helps set the scene as to what the goblinoids of my world are and how smog-punk is different from Eberron’s magipunk and the various versions of steampunk that exist.
Hire Dave Clark
You can hire me to help tell your stories that help market product, to channel a unique voice about your team, or to fill your needs in fiction or poetry. Submission will include towards SEO, SEM, social media, and newsletter advice.
