• My 2022 writing in review

    My 2022 writing in review

    Contained in this post are the 22 stories at Full Moon Storytelling that I’m the most proud of, plus a few works I did for Sounder at Heart. Part year-in-review, part commitment to the future, my 2022 review serves as a personal reminder of my writing and a handy way to find stories when I’m pitching freelance work.

    The biggest news for Dave Clark in 2022 was his new job, new career even. I now do B2B marketing for risk intelligence service Factal. And yes, I started a D&D group with my coworkers. It’s set in the World of the Everflow, of course.

    My most personal story was an essay about that d20 in my pocket. It’s taken me a long time to understand some things about my time in the Army, this essay helped me take major steps. I also re-released Storytime as Moons Rise, a short fiction about a retired soldier.

    Advice for playing Dungeons & Dragons

    D&D continues to explode in popularity, and next year it will become even more popular as the movie D&D: Honor Among Thieves releases on March 31. More people will come up to current players and ask to play. Don’t make them learn dozens of house rules.

    I turned a mistake into a great series of encounters. Instead of balancing the use of their most powerful abilities my characters were able to go into a big fight with all their resources. You should try this once in a while. When you invert the standard encounter structure the PCs get to be the most of themselves against the biggest of the bads.

    Don’t get rid of personality in the next version of D&D, even if the rules try to ask you to do that. Traits, Bonds, Ideals and Flaws don’t need to be a sentence or two. Pick a few words that inspire how your character acts. Then reward those who act in that way.

    Simple homebrew

    Everybody loves dogs, what they don’t love is only having a mastiff as an option for their D&D doggo. That’s probably why “Nine types of dogs to add to Dungeons & Dragons” is quite popular.

    My main campaign in 2022 is about an urban uprising. My players developed allies on the streets; they control a district guard — but running a small skirmish would be difficult, because what would the players do? The breakthrough was to give the players militia actions that represented small conflicts between their allies and the enemies.

    Want to get ahead of One D&D’s “everyone has feats at first level” change? It’s easy to give every character a feat now without a huge power boost.

    In Strixhaven it would make sense for the house mascots to be able to be familiars. One of my players needed an Inkling. Here that is an Inkling as a Warlock familiar.

    Add glasses to D&D. History had them and so should your magical world.

    Bladesingers and Eldritch Knights should have more spells that appear in their weapon strikes.

    Rogues need finesse bludgeoning weapons. The lore of good rogues practically requires it.

    Backgrounds

    The most popular 5th edition D&D background I released this year was the Clerk. It turns out they were supposed to be here today.

    My time as a former professional coffee taster pops into Full Moon Storytelling in different ways. In 2022 that showed up as the Tea Master, an artisan of teas, tisanes and other leafy brews.

    David Brin’s The Postman is one of the best pieces of science fiction ever. That take on the importance of connection between remote communities inspired the Messenger. There’s similar inspiration to those who use technology to talk across distances, the Far Talkers.

    The Barber was released over the holiday break and is already one of the most popular backgrounds I’ve released. The most popular of all time is the Tinker.

    I’ve released ~20 backgrounds overall with dozens more to come.

    Reviews

    I fell in love with Renton a few years ago. Now the Seattle Sounders have fallen in love with it too. They’re moving to Longacres, helping the City of Dragons rise.

    Boundary Bay released a D&D inspired beer. You should track it down, it’s good.

    Next year there’s going to be more reviews. I still drink beers and coffees like I did when I was a pro. I also travel throughout Washington regularly. Why not share what I enjoy?

    Sounders

    My return to Sounder at Heart has been a joy. I’ve been to a couple of practices, helped break a huge story, but my biggest joy was interviewing a new fan. Talking to G Willow Wilson about her new love of soccer was an extraordinary reminder of the pleasure of community and the art of sports.

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/2d6djgRIXN2OzNvpG0IkKa?si=SK1D1OSRRG2WplABXx5QdA

    When American soccer lost Grant Wahl I discovered that his tiny words of encouragement to me were part of his constant support of the American soccer blogosphere/creator economy.

    No longer part of the marketing team or broadcast team for Tacoma Defiance I was able to watch the young men grow into something greater than they’d ever been before.

    The Sounders would only take one trophy in 2022, the biggest one ever captured by an MLS team. I was hyped. You will hear us in our immortality.

    My MLS season preview was very wrong.

    Seattle sports got it wrong. The biggest story of 2021 was Quinn winning the Olympics. Their victory was a vital advancement in human rights and the recognition that humanity is varied.

  • “Mom, where do dragonborn come from?”

    “Mom, where do dragonborn come from?”

    That’s a question I didn’t have an answer for. A player wanted to be a dragonborn, but they don’t exist in the world as I built it. That’s not always a great reason to not allow a race.

    When you build a limited world players either need to buy-in completely or you can work together to figure out how the character fits.

    When a player asked to be a warforged he came up with an incredible backstory. They were the only warforged, built by those that became gods. Wakened for unknown reasons (we knew it was because of the rediscovery of the powers that those who created them used) the warforged is an outsider who knows that the myths of the founding are reality, that idyllic times of the past can be recreated using the same tools that the past used.

    This also made sense because the player wasn’t familiar with the world as it is. Instead they created what it was and together the player and character learned the current reality.

    When I was approached about a player being a dragonborn I wasn’t ready. We worked the character in with no backstory, knowing that at some point it will come up again.

    Then DnDBeyond presented the following idea;

    The Rise of Dragonborn and Kobolds

    As the Dungeon Master, you can craft unique origins for draconic folk like dragonborn and kobolds. You could decide that the burst of magical energy released by a dragon’s death could lead to the spontaneous emergence of these people in nearby areas. Just as mysteriously as a dragon egg could appear, a dragonborn infant could be found napping among resting sheep. In such a case, would the party be responsible for ensuring the child’s safety? And what will they do or say if the child has been imbued with some of the dead dragon’s memories? Such an ill-fate could lead the child to grow up to resent the party and even become a villain themselves.

    What Happens When a Dragon Dies in D&D?

    Now, my brain started flowing.

    The dragonborn PC would be the ‘child’ of the first dragon the party had slain. They would be the embodiment of some part of the dead black dragon, with others born of the slaying being all of the evil parts. Some would even be able to bond and break bonds of animals. Black dragons hoarding bondings, making them incredibly hated in the World of the Everflow.

    The player took this up, learning about his characters birthing through play. The group has encountered a few other dragonborn, always black.

    This also gives the group something to think about — they’re about to fight up to three more dragons. What will that mean for the future dragonkin? Will they be mostly evil as the first dragonkin?

    Lessons for any DM

    • When a player approaches to play something unallowed in your world try to discover a lore path towards yes
    • Is it just the mechanics they want? Re-lore the banned item into something that makes sense
    • Use this opportunity to build a world together, rather than have it be only the DM’s world
    • Every thing you read is prep for your next session

  • Barbers and bloodletters – hedge healers belong in your D&D campaign

    Barbers and bloodletters – hedge healers belong in your D&D campaign

    Waterdeep, Tear, Dragaera City, Tajar, Zobeck — whatever the city in your world, there are barbers. The technology exists, and the art of Dungeons & Dragons provides a dazzling array of hair and beard styles that go well beyond those from the real world. But how would you play a barber or stylist in D&D?

    That’s easy, via backgrounds. They’re what you were before. Maybe some heroes, especially rogues and bards, would learn to use their common implements as weapons. But anyone could be a stylist or barber before.

    Get your shave and a haircut for two silver.

    Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

    Barber

    Whether in a big city or travelling between cities, you are an expert at maintaining hair whether on face or head. With your scissors or razor you create art with hair. Additionally you are capable of non-magical healing. Depending on your practice you may use leaches, your blades or some other form of blood letting.

    Barbers, under any name, are also strong conversationalists. When others are in your stool or chair they feel welcome, sharing the conversation of the neighborhood and their own life.

    Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Medicine
    Tool Proficiencies: Barber’s Tools, Healer’s Kit
    Languages: No additional languages
    Equipment: Barber’s kit, two Healer’s Kits, two vials of perfume, a stool, pouch with 5 gold.

    Feature: Bloodletting

    Whether via razors or leaches, using an action the Barber grants a willing creature the ability to expand a hit die to heal or recover from certain non-magical conditions (Charmed, Frightened, Incapacitated, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Unconscious). The creature takes on a level of exhaustion.

    Personality traits would be similar to the Folk Hero, the Acolyte and the Fisher.

    Barber’s Kit

    Cost: 25 gp | Weight: 2 lbs

    Proficiency with Barber’s Tools means that you are familiar with how to style hair — cutting it, braiding it, etc. You can color it with various dyes as well. The kit includes a couple razors, scissors, a silver mirror, lotions, dyes, hair ties and other small items to help the barber.

    Photo by Nikolaos Dimou on Pexels.com

    Design Goals

    Once upon a time I read, played and DMed in al-Qadim. The Arab/Turk/etc-ish setting included a barber, part healer and part friendly ear. That barber and their role in post-Renaissance England as “surgeons” fits many of the worlds of D&D.

    They aren’t common in literature and games that inspire our games. That’s okay. They should be. Visiting a barber should be part of the story, even in magical worlds. Mending and Prestidigitation don’t trim your locks or beards.

    Have a conversation, look better, maybe get a tiny bit of natural healing (no, it doesn’t work like this in real life). Also, I really like my stylist Chamaine.

    Custom Backgrounds for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons

  • D&D Gifts of Many Parts: A Holiday Shopping Guide

    D&D Gifts of Many Parts: A Holiday Shopping Guide

    There are a lot of great deals available on line. Which is fine if you must save money. But, I strongly recommend supporting your local games shop. My favorites are Destiny City Comics, Wizards Keep Games, Shane’s Cards, Tacoma Games, Mox Boarding House, Krampus Kave, Book and Game, and Digital Heroes.

    Supporting a local shop introduces you to great people, encourages them to host games and helps your city continue a culture of discovery and creation.

    Here’s some general overview of gifts before we head into my particular callouts as great purchases to amplify fun.

    Every suggested item is something I’ve purchased myself or from a company I have purchased from .

    Starting Up

    Stormwreck Isle (review at Strange Assembly) – The current Starter Set launched at Target, but is now available everywhere. It’s cleaner, simpler than the initial Starter Set (Lost Mines of Phandelver). If you have someone in your life who hasn’t played before but should this 10-20 dollar purchase is perfect.

    Stranger Things (review at Polygon) – Millions of people had their love of Dungeons & Dragons reawakened by Will in the Netflix series Stanger Things. There’s a box set available written as if the group wrote it. It can be hard to find, with eBay prices over $60.

    Player’s Handbook – Amazon has it so cheap you may as well give it to a friend who hasn’t said they’re interested in D&D.

    Adventures

    Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (review at Polygon) – Send your party to war in the world of Krynn. The adventure’s main opponent is a death knight that rides death dragons and lives in a flying citadel. As war rages around you, you will have to deal with the chaos of war to attempt to save a kingdom as dragon armies ready to conquer the world.

    Journeys through Radiant Citadel (review roundup at ENWorld) – What I love about Radiant Citadel is that it doesn’t tell stories that I am familiar with — these are new tales by mostly new talent, all BIPOC. The art is vibrant and fantastical; the stories well written.

    Subscriptions

    DnD Beyond – The entry level (hero) subscription is perfect for people who create characters for fun. I have nearly 100 characters created because creating characters helps teach me about myself and the world.

    Warlock – Kobold Press is a third-party publisher that puts out unrivaled content mostly focused on swords & sorcery mixed with high fantasy. Their Warlock magazine-style subscription has the feelings of pre-2e D&D with rules perfect for modern play. I have several of their books, Tome of Beasts is an excellent collection of monsters.

    Arcadia – From MCDM, the creators of Kingdoms and Warfare and several other supplements, Arcadia is a full-color, fantastical to D&D-superheroes type of content. Many of their authors have freelanced for official D&D.

    T-shirts – I may just be including this because my body changed a bit during the years of stress related to the global pandemic. I need new shirts and frequently wear graphic T-s underneath flannel. Head to Heroes & Villains if you just want to give someone a one-off that’s stunning.

    Maps

    I cannot map. So I support these creators.

    Deven Rue creates amazing frame-able maps that equally belong on office walls and gaming table.s

    Dyson Logos focuses on dungeons. Most of their maps are available for free because of the strong Patreon support. Add to that support if you plan on using the art. Like Deven, Dyson has appeared in official products.

    For outdoor battle maps I love 2-minute Tabletop. They also create assets for a creator to blend and make their own maps.

    Watabou is where I head when I need a map fast and trust a procedural generator.

    Lifestyle

    Psuedodragon – I may get this one for myself. Who doesn’t want a smol draggo hanging out with you in the office? It’s about the size of a large textbook.

    Eldrador Creatures – These minis that aren’t official; they are perfect for fantasy play. You will need to stat them up. That’s one of the joys of playing D&D.

    My favorite fancy dice are from Artisan Dice. Their woods and stones are unique. For cases and Hope Shields I go to Wyrmwood. There are two places I suggest for people with personal 3D printers — Hero Forge for characters and mz4250 for creatures.

    As big of a coffee nerd as I am a D&D nerd, I’ve found one roaster that combines their passion for both to put out the highest quality — Found Familiar. Regular Gnoll is what I get when I want something with cream.

    Friday Afternoon Tea creates dozens of geek-inspired blends. Bard’s Blend is my most frequent purchase.

    What if you’re shopping for me?

    If you’re me you’ll enjoy everything listed above, as well as things on my wishlist.

  • Highlights from Geekwire’s interview with Wizards of the Coast President Cynthia Williams

    Highlights from Geekwire’s interview with Wizards of the Coast President Cynthia Williams

    Local tech website Geekwire has access to Wizards of the Coast, because they too are local. So sometimes, Geekwire dips into the world of tabletop gaming, the business. Much of the conversation between Cynthia Williams, Wizards of the Coast President, and Thomas Wilde is dedicated to big picture stuff. Now, I’m fascinated by that, but many of my readers just want to play Dungeons & Dragons.

    Williams has some thoughts that are important for players and potential players of the game that aren’t interested in business news.

    Yes, the word race is gone. But its replacement isn’t confirmed.

    I think it’s important to remember that One D&D (a new publishing initiative) is at the point of playtest. I don’t think that we have finalized that the word will be “species.” It’s a word being tested.

    Where D&D in the 80s was much more about escapism and simulation, modern D&D is about story and diversity, the amplification of teamwork.

    Our games teach that diversity is a strength. D&D in particular will teach you that together, you can overcome tasks, challenges, or an adventure that you wouldn’t have been able to on your own.

    …

    I love the stories of people playing Dungeons & Dragons and being able to express who they are in that game, which leads them to being able to express who they are in their real life. We’re very much cultivating that level of diversity as we’re inviting players in.

    There’s a push about the upcoming movie and mention of the next big video game release after Baldur’s Gate, too. Wizards owns six video game studios now.

    It’s interesting to see that Magic grew to a billion dollar brand even as it has issues with the fanbase. There’s also more evidence that the D&D side is hoping to hit that number, but through a different path that isn’t about microtransactions or a flood of book releases — instead D&D has a movie, a TV show and multiple video games to get to that number.

    Read the whole thing

A thin shape of a house with script Kristin Clark inset

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