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  • Lore Collage: Will Rich Delia re-join Daley & Goldstein in the D&D movie, 25 other links to read-watch-listen

    Lore Collage: Will Rich Delia re-join Daley & Goldstein in the D&D movie, 25 other links to read-watch-listen

    At this point the amount of Dungeons & Dragons movie news coming out might need it gets its own mini-collage every week. With the move from pre-production to actual filming you should expect a flood of actor announcements and leaks. There are no secrets in Hollywood.

    This week’s Lore Collage is heavy on inspiration and I would love to know what direction you are taking those little seeds.

    Official D&D Products Releases and Reviews

    Supposedly Chris Pine is playing a human named Edgin in the D&D movie. Expectations are that the casting director will be Rich Delia, who worked with directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein on Game Night. Delia’s genre credentials include The Curse of la Llorona, Shazam!, Brightburn, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Stargirl, as well as upcoming projects like Mortal Kombat, King Richard, Black Adam and The Flash.

    According to Newsweek, Heroes’ Feast was the best selling cookbook of 2020 (up to Dec 2) and the 3rd best selling How To/Advice book this year. Yes, you read that right, a D&D food book outsold an HGTV star and Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa

    Another blogger discovers that fluff is part of the game as well. There’s a consistent debate among those who are online right now, just check the comments.

    As Nerdarchy discusses, story took a huge step forward in Xanathar’s Guide, but in Tasha’s it came to the forefront. There’s no surprise that I agree.

    Morrus reviewed the top stories on ENWorld in 2020.

    There’s a lot more Eberron coming. For our purposes anything from Baker and his team is considered official.

    D&D During the Pandemic

    Baltimore County Public Libraries are hosting D&D.

    Dungeons, Dragons, and Mainstream News

    Volume One out in Wisconsin interviews a D&D player who became a dice creating artist. Soulbound Dice also make amazing jewelry inspired by dice.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Velouria (@soulbounddice)

    The Santa Fe Examiner’s annual 12 things to do in the winter suggests that you pick up pen, paper, and dice. Ignore the video games, and tell stories together.

    Slay virtual meetings like a Dungeon Master – Forbes.

    Inspiration for Your Next Adventure

    When the Bad Guys Win, this month’s blog carnival is all about villains and what to do when heroes lose.

    Next time you face off against a Giant Croc, understand that they were real. The Swamp King lived 3 million+ years ago and was 16 feet long.

    https://twitter.com/bthorne/status/1342618502658584577

    These sounds of the souk can enliven sessions set in MENACA and similar spaces.

    Your gameworld should have fast food. Walkup and cart-based food vendors were common prior to the modern era. Embrace that. In Pompeii hot food was lowered, bowl and all, into the stonework counters of their walkup restaurants.

    Ramps that ease access for the disabled are not a 20th century invention. Your worlds should include these too. Be more like the Greeks.

    Lox is the oldest English word that has kept both meaning and pronunciation. That let’s us know that the proto-English speakers came from a place where salmon was a regular dish.

    Your next underwater adventure better include a punchy octopus.

    https://twitter.com/OctoEduardo/status/1340076667696533511

    FanWraps D&D Inspired Shirts

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1333449094828703744

    Other Geek Stuff

    The Battle Between Success, Improvement, and Options in ttRPGs

    The latest art drop from Swordsfall is of an illicit market that is never in the same place twice. I see that image and want to start shopping.

    Jon Peterson’s latest big is a study on how Role-Playing Games became Role-Playing Games. His previous works in our realm are Art & Arcana and Heroes’ Feast.

    As Always, Maps

    https://twitter.com/fantasy_map/status/1342698435875643394

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    December 28, 2020
  • Darius Dondermonger – inspired by dragons and cheese.

    Darius Dondermonger – inspired by dragons and cheese.

    Character concepts come from all sorts of places. Sometimes they grow over years, tended like a rare flower they sprout and bloom after long care. Then there are those that burst forth from your mind to page (actual or digital) in a flurry.

    Darius Dondermonger came into being when two roads combined. The first road originated some time ago, when the D&D released the Drakewarden. Dragons are quite important in the World of the Everflow, so I knew I would revisit the Drakewarden. The second road came when grocery shopping. We needed cheese, lots of cheeses. Yes, we’re fans of charcuterie. These roads merged when reading about Dragon’s Milk Stout’s web-RPG release. As often happens, flavor started to inspire the story.

    The Chef Feat in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is quite useful for someone who latches onto flavors like this. That pushed towards a Variant Human so that the foods he creates can help heal and/or inspire his companions towards greatness.

    Darius Dondermonger kept growing. From a legacy family in a small village, Darius was to be the head of household and manage the ageing of grana (think Parmesean and similar cheeses). Some of these for decades. They use adjuncts at times. That is what sent him to the forests and hills of the area.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1341918231880032256

    He is also flawed. Not only does he prefer the hunt for herbs and the like to management, he also prefers the making of cheese to business. That’s part of why he rejects the full family name. The other part is that he does not feel he’s earned that name, for he has lost something special to them.

    Lastly, he took on Dunder, due to his companion’s, and later his own, connection to thunder & lightning.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Max Aquino (@maxaquinophoto)

    He is more than just a ranger, more than just a cheesemonger specializing in aged cheeses – Darius Dondermonger has a small dragon companion and has discovered that he is also part dragon. The family’s most exclusive grana comes from their age-old connection to drakes, wyverns, and all of dragonkind.

    That same blood compels Darius to travel away from town, for someone with his powers cannot just work the books of Amberhearth and Highwall’s greatest cheese makers. Someone with the blood of dragons must, must, pursue a grander destiny — and also find that which they’ve lost.

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    December 26, 2020
  • Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year

    Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year

    Back when I ran SounderAtHeart.com I wrote most, maybe all?, of the holiday messages. Usually they tended to focus on the purpose of the day. Now, with a slightly different audience, that continues.

    One of the lessons of 2020 is that the search for joy can be difficult. For the most part we are separated from the friends and family that make life so awesome. Our D&D tables are now virtual, losing some of that companionship that is at the core of the game. They’re also harder to schedule, because even though we are home more frequently, some people have bandwidth or computer limitations, others just need to not go from bad screen to good screen because it ruins the good screen.

    This is probably why lonely play and online conversation about the game is expanding. When I can’t find a table I do a lot more thinking about my setting, how to expand story via mechanics, and ideation about how my mundane life can grow into fantastic tales. [This is me thinking aloud, and quite possibly not a normal holiday letter]

    Christmas in 2020 is going to stretch for a few more weeks because of the way shipping is overwhelmed, both intentionally and not. This will be wonderful for all of us. It means little sprinkles of holiday cheer will appear over many more days.

    Rather than concentrate on how the shipping delays damage Christmas, please consider them an extension of joy and that we are all “Simply having a wonderful Christmastime” that lasts long enough to lessen the pains of 2020.

    I wish all who read my little corner of the internet a Merry Christmas, a Happy Yuletide, and a Joyous New Year.

    Sometimes our Christmas Tree is decorated with the Christmas cards people send.

    Below I’ve added the nearly-annual letter we send out to friends and family. If you’d like a letter in the future hit me up via email or Direct Message.


    Hello friends and family,

    When 2020 started we thought we’d spend more time seeing you. There were weddings, reunions, road trips, and more that were planned. Dave was supposed to return to work in baseball with Tacoma Rainiers while continuing his work with Tacoma Defiance. Kristin continued her real estate journey – prepared for a year of home market valuations and open houses.

    Then, well, everything that made 2020, twenty-twenty, happened.

    The biggest beneficiaries of this year have been Aslan, Remi, and Luca – they’re getting more walks, pets, care, and love than ever before.

    • Aslan
    • Remi
    • Luca

    Dave re-launched his personal website (FullMoonStorytelling.com) mostly focusing on short fiction and gaming, with a sprinkle of soccer appearing on occasion.

    In between helping clients buy/sell homes, Kristin has been reworking the space in our spare bedroom to make it more usable as a home office while also organizing various closets and cabinets in our home. Please keep her in mind for anyone you know who is looking to buy or sell in the greater Seattle area (or as a referring agent elsewhere.)

    Together, we’ve purged a bunch of clutter from our lives, discovered new recipes, and learned to appreciate the little things in life more than ever.

    Like you, we are looking forward to 2021 – a year of good health and good memories. One of the strongest lessons of this year is that we’re not going to wait to do things. When it’s practical and safe again, we’re going spend time with friends & family that have only been present digitally for too long.

    With Love & Hope

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    December 25, 2020
  • Lore Collage: More D&D movie news, Stranger Things cast plays D&D, gift ideas, and 28 other things to read and watch

    Lore Collage: More D&D movie news, Stranger Things cast plays D&D, gift ideas, and 28 other things to read and watch

    As we’re speeding towards the peak holiday season there is more news about the Dungeons and Dragons movie, a monster manual of dad jokes, a few gift ideas, things to inspire your own adventures and more. This week’s Lore Collage also includes the Stranger Things one-shot adventure run by Chris Perkins.

    Official D&D Products Releases and Reviews

    The D&D movie already has its studio space over in Belfast. Titanic Studios was made famous in fantasy circles as one of the studios involved in Game of Thrones. Speculators are going to speculate – can it be as popular as Lord of the Rings?

    Here’s some guidance on how to play the Satyr from Odyssey of Theros.

    His last effort as a DMs Guild Adept combines Dad Jokes and the Monster Manual. The Print on Demand version is on my wish list already.

    FanWraps D&D Inspired Shirts and Other Gift Ideas

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1333449094828703744

    Kobold Press has Free Shipping from their warren to yours.

    David Flor has a fun little adventure about an Abyssal Snowman?!

    This sports inspired Swordsfall Logo is awesome.

    Check the Full Moon Storytelling for more last minute gift ideas. With the broken Postal Service this year everything is going to be late, so you won’t have to make excuses.

    D&D During the Pandemic

    Spartanburg County Public Libraries are hosting virtual D&D. For more info on libraries and other civic institutions hosting the game follow my twitter thread.

    As a fan of Friendly Local Gaming Stores, there’s joy in seeing local news cover an FLGS – in this case out in Lansing, MI.

    Inspiration for Your Next Adventure

    Dinosaurs with spines on their neck? The real world can help you create Beasts and Monstrosities. Your players won’t even know that they aren’t real.

    SlyFlourish has advice on how to run a minimal prep sessions, even tighter than his Lazy Dungeon Master series.

    Twenty awesome free adventures to help you spend the winter indoors.

    When creating your worldspace remember that in the real world, even in 400 CE, people were connected. A Roman woman in London wore Chinese silks.

    You can use a DC0 check to ungate information. This technique means there are no blocks on the adventure and that players with big bonuses still have advantages.

    https://glassgrimoire.com/2020/12/19/leo-in-icewind-dale/
    Some Icewind Dale art to inspire you.

    This is what a Dungeoneer’s Pack looks like.

    https://twitter.com/CreativeBates/status/1340294757864640512

    How do Gnomes make music?

    https://twitter.com/scott_kerr/status/1340399932893782019

    Wintery locations to host your wintery adventures.

    Dungeons, Dragons, and Mainstream News

    Parsing Joe Manganiello’s appearances means DragonLance? Joe can’t stop talking about D&D while promoting his not-D&D movie. At this point there’s probably no one doing more to mainstream our favorite game.

    Another local paper editorialist talks about D&D.

    Other Geek Stuff, not D&D

    Solve this dungeon RPG and get great beer.

    Firefly might be back, sadly as a reboot that targets a younger age group.

    As Always, Maps

    https://twitter.com/Lerb_Ash/status/1335002151815409665
    https://twitter.com/danialrashidi/status/1340439433145946112

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    December 21, 2020
  • DC 0 Checks

    DC 0 Checks

    While DMing I’ve used the concept of progressive checks for rolls over the listed DC, but the concept from Think DM takes it even further – start with a DC ZERO and add info the better your players roll. This adds more flexibility to the game, but does require more effort from Dungeon Masters.

    thinkdm's avatarThinkDM

    As a matter of adventure design (or when improvising as a DM), you shouldn’t lock mission-critical information behind a skill check. Because if the characters fail the check, the plot line is dead.

    But, the solution isn’t to get rid of skill checks.

    The solution is DC 0 checks.

    “Isn’t that basically just telling them the information?”

    Yes, but we don’t stop there.

    Progressive Skill Checks

    The idea is to move away from binary skill checks to a progressive resolution system. So, you still have a check to discover mission critical information. But, the DC to learn the stuff you need to know is set at zero.

    As you roll progressively higher, you learn additional information that isn’t necessary, but helpful. You probably could have found out that extra information eventually with your DC 0 clue, but rolling better lets you take shortcuts by applying more intuition or conducting a…

    View original post 335 more words

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    December 19, 2020
  • Queen and Konstruct: A Goblin’s Lyfe

    Queen and Konstruct: A Goblin’s Lyfe

    There are two important things in a goblin’s lyfe. I’m talking about all of us, the gobkon, the hobkon, the mulkon — all of us — our relationship to the Queen and our Guild. This is hard for you humans, with all your divergent nations and cities and faiths and disgusting menagerie animals to understand.

    Goblin
    By creanita design und ausführung by nina saner (CC BY-SA 2.0)

    I’m a printer, part of the Ratxet Guild. My engines run on the power of muls (best!) or whoever else I can hire. The clockwerks give that comforting noise as sheaf and stamp press against each other leaving words behind.

    We’re into gears, mostly. But also some other interesting clockwerks. Frankly, we do better with springs than the Union does. Sure, they’ve the Queens’ Stamp – so we cannot sell to others. In our builds we don’t buy from the Union anymore.

    My first engine was a climbing device. Lean it up against a feral tar-tree and you’ll be able to get to the top on a platform to work that tree with nary your own effort. It was a tough build, because I needed it to be strong enough for a hob. Without a brother there were no hobs to help me. Sis rode atop my shoulders during the entire testing phase.

    At Test it showed a new mechanic for the tar-tree. A Baroness blessed the family via flag and decree. Mother’s standing improved, and the full family took on that glory.

    Now, sister is part of the Airxip Syndicate. They’re relatively new. Taking our bike-props and bladders from the Sisterhood, and the Federation’s tar stacks, the Syndicate built those awesome airxips. I don’t understand her werk. There’s something about steampipes. She’s done well for mother. Her flags came from a Countess, one for her and one for mother. Blerxa left on the First Flight with me.

    I’m Phatha Phioxa Baroness-flagged of the Guild. Sis is Blerxa Phioxa First-Countess Flagged and Many Unfurled of the Syndicate.

    We are what we build and how much the Ladies, may they serve the Queen, reward us for our werks.

    A few more daughters like us and mother could be a Lady. If Blerxa and I hadn’t left for the untamed lands of the Kin Blerx may have earned mother the knighting on her own.

    Our werks are trapped from knowing since we are far from Queen, so I expect mother to have a few more gobkon. Maybe I’ll find out if I go back, not until after I figure out how to use the power of horses in my next werk. They smell, but they are even stronger than mulgobs.

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    December 17, 2020
  • Accepting Failure in D&D

    Accepting Failure in D&D

    Whether it’s a critical failure (the dreaded 1 in combat) or forgetting your own abilities leading to tactical error every character will have to deal with defeat at some point, likely often if you aren’t into optimization. These losses are an opportunity.

    Not all tales of heroes are about victory. Within pain and failure is the contrast to success.

    Recently, in the final battle within Lost Mine of Phandelver the party was completely overwhelmed. We knew of 14 opponents, to include the adventure’s final boss. There are 7 of us. Awf is overconfident by nature. As a Hill Dwarf Bladesinger he wades into the frontlines accepting damage as part of raison d’être.

    The problem with that became rapidly apparent as he attempted a rear guard action. Eventually four different bugbears were piling on the broadshouldered dwarf. No one was surprised when he fell unconscious and took a death save from another attack.

    Norran, our Half-elf Assassin, slid through the traffic of combat to administer the only healing potion available in that part of combat. With the party split things looked dire for the rear guard group. Bring Awf back up gives Norran and Ambrose, Half-orc Beastmaster, and Awf a bit of hope, when things seem hopeless.

    Our session ended in mid combat – and that’s when I remembered that Awf has a Staff of Defense.

    AFTER taking numerous blows that dropped him. Through poor play as a player, I forgot about Awf’s 8 charges of Shield that he could use as reactions to limit the battering his body took.

    It’s a dumb error.

    Except, upon review it is exactly the type of error that Awf Hornjaw et Loragwyn would make in combat. It’s part of who he is and how he operates. My error was in fact playing to type.

    Personality Traits
    I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
    I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

    From Awf’s Background

    And this is where embracing the failure becomes an epic tale. In next week’s session Awf’s overconfidence will disappear. Every single turn a Shield spell will be used to protect either himself or his companions that he placed in danger. Rising from his stupor he learned.

    Being in danger is part of the joy of role-playing combats. There will be times that the danger is overwhelming.

    Now, due to failure Awf will have a fireside tale that isn’t just about the failure, but also about the success. The mistake of the player will become the character’s epic song.

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    December 16, 2020
  • Lore Collage: D&D Movie News, More Libraries Playing, and 25 Other Things to Know

    Lore Collage: D&D Movie News, More Libraries Playing, and 25 Other Things to Know

    The holidays are fully in session. Your D&D and other RPG adventures may be getting rescheduled. Awf’s most certainly are. If you are looking for gifts, here’s a guide built for the D&D fan in your life. There’s major news regarding the D&D movie, more advice related to Tasha’s Cauldron of everything and dozens of other stories, images, and videos that deserve your attention.

    D&D Movie News

    Chris Pine is starring in the latest attempt at a Dungeons & Dragons movie. Filming is supposed to start in Q1 of 2021, which is actually really soon unless 2020 decides to last 72 more months. Deadline has all the details.

    Official D&D Products Releases and Reviews

    The latest issue of Dragon+ dropped, and the cover art is three kobolds in a trench coat. As always there are free maps and a best of the DMs Guild that require your attention.

    Wizards of the Coast has a new Kids Studio. They hired their design lead. – Geekwire

    There’s little surprise, but DnDBeyond’s sales figures are booming during the pandemic. – ComicBook.com.

    Optimize your spellcaster using the Gunner Feat from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. – Think DM

    FanWraps D&D Inspired Shirts

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1333449094828703744

    D&D During the Pandemic

    Georgia Highlands College students are playing D&D. – Six-Mile Post.

    Thurston County, WA has virtual D&D at the Olympia Center – Thurston Talk.

    Clark County, WA has virtual D&D hosted by their library system – The Columbian.

    Klamath County, OR has virtual D&D hosted by their library system – Herald and News.

    The O’Neal Library, Alabama, is hosting virtual D&D. – Village Living Online.

    I regularly update library D&D schedules in this twitter thread.

    Inspiration for Your Next Adventure

    THAC0 can help newer players understand the game, no really – Think DM

    Head to the Southlands in Kobold Press’s latest update of their huge world to 5e.

    Dungeons, Dragons, and Mainstream News

    Joe’s doing the rounds. He also brought up D&D when he was on Ryan Seacrest to talk about his new film, “Archenemy.”

    Scooby Doo is going full D&D, which is appropriate if you know anything about Matthew Lillard.

    Looks like Stranger Things and D&D are going to be more than a season 1 appearance, a season 3 meme, a comic book, a starter set (OK they’re already mixing it up quite a bit).

    https://twitter.com/NXOnNetflix/status/1338544294349524992

    Other Geek Stuff, not Necessarily D&D

    Non-violent characters deserve to level up too.

    Read about pre-20th century foods to get inspired about what your party eats and drinks.

    There’s always room for new monsters, because even in the 21st century we’re still discovering whales.

    Swordsfall released an RPG. Continue to support them. They’re one of six indie games that CBR recommends you play.

    Gnomestew started a series on Israeli RPG theory.

    Get youth playing with rpgKids and the Adventure Pack I by Newbie DM.

    As Always, Maps

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Daniel’s Maps (@danielsmaps)

    The Ruins of Boar Isle Tower

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    December 14, 2020
  • Thunder Monkeys and Other Remarkable Beasts for Your D&D Campaign

    Thunder Monkeys and Other Remarkable Beasts for Your D&D Campaign

    How magic interacts with the world is often a defining space in Dungeons & Dragons. In the Forgotten Realms magic, whether arcane or divine, exists as 5th edition defines it. In Eberron magic is instead something that is common, fueling the themes of steampunk and noir with orcs and elves. Dark Sun goes the opposite direction. Magic there is not just limited. Magic continues the ecological disaster that mars the world.

    In the World of the Everflow magic burst forth onto the world in two awakenings. The first, explored mostly through short fiction and table narration gave the Kin (People of Love) a single cantrip, all of them. The second awakening brought the ability to cast spells to certain Kin and saw the return of the Ken (People of Knowledge) and Kon (People of Technology) to the shores of the Six Kingdoms.

    As my worldspace, and the associated tales continuing to develop, the thought popped into my head “What happened to the animals during the Awakening?” Throughout known time the Kin were always bonded with companions (initial rules). With the bond between beast and person so strong, did some beasts get small magics?

    The answer is yes.

    And so the Thunder Monkey became a reality in the World of the Everflow.

    Photo by Arindam Raha on Pexels.com

    The mechanics are fairly simple. The Thunder Monkey can cast Thunderclap once per short rest. They can also use the first bullet point from Thaumaturgy at will. All other stats are like the basic version of a baboon with minor tweaks that you feel are appropriate. This spectacular beast is rare within the Six Kingdoms, mostly found in Douad, a Mediterranean feeling space.

    A character, player or non-player, with a Thunder Monkey becomes more notable and memorable.

    Combining mundane beasts with other cantrips can lead to other fun combinations.

    • Lightning Lure Bugs are giant wasps without a stinger, but instead the ability to cast Lightning Lure and Dancing Lights making them useful in a conflict or able to help light the darkness.
    • Flapping Foxes are fennec foxes that cast Gust with the breeze originating from their big ears.
    • Pointers are tracking dogs able to cast True Strike as they direct their companion where the target is.
    • Slinging Spiners are porcupines that cast Sword Burst flinging more spines than their body carries.
    • Fixin’ Friends are spiders that cast Mending, using their silk to fix what is broken.
    • Tidings Birds are pigeons with the ability to cast Encode Thoughts, carrying messages throughout the town.
    • Savage Mousers are housecats with the ability to cast Primal Savagery, their normal painful non-damaging bites now capable of felling a threat.

    These remarkable companions are practically limitless. The damage dealing cantrips (probably Guidance and True Strike as well) at just 1 per short rest will not create any sort of imbalance on any world. Others can be more frequent, likely at 2 or 3 ties a short rest, so that they are used but do not overshadow the players.

    Every cantrip and every beast is an opportunity to expand the stories you are telling through the use of magic. This expands the 1,000 times a thousands tales available at the table.

    What will be the first remarkable beast your character meets?

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  • Turn flavors into the story you wish to tell

    Turn flavors into the story you wish to tell

    In wine, beer, coffee, etc there’s the concept of the perfect pairing. At its simplest, the concept is to find foods that complement that specific flavor notes of the beverage. More completely you can find ways to do this through similar and disparate notes – sometimes hitting opposites on the flavor wheel gives the taster an experience that highlights both the food and the beverage.

    Pairing beverages with gaming in something I just do. When playing Awf I always have a beverage. Sometimes that beverage is inspired by his personality – drinking an earl grey lavender toddy out of a masonry mug to highlight his duel cultures of dwarf and bladesinger. Other times the beverage connects to the adventure that Droop’s Brigade is going – Skookum Caverns, a barrel aged strong ale, as we enter Wave Echo Cave.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1315839234020798465

    The use of flavor here helps inspire the story being told during that gaming session. The flavors evoke a mental space where Awf’s unique history of annoying elves enough that they taught him bladesong, despite his being a stubby dwarf, is brought to the forefront. Or, the dangers and darkness of a cave are brought to the front of mind through can art and the potency of a strong ale.

    Flavor does wonderful things. Pairings aren’t just about maximizing the flavor experience. The connection between taste-smell and memory is powerful. People buy Kona coffee because it awakens memory, much more than due to its quality. A margarita on a cold winter day can put your headspace back to a nice beach vacation. Hot cocoa in front of a fire, even while home alone by yourself, will send you dreaming back to a Christmas visit to a small town.

    As roleplayers, in Dungeons & Dragons or any other game, we can use the magic of flavor to help us. The foods and beverages of your game night are important. Make those small choices that aid gaming, just like you would a token, art, or cosplay.

    Rather than confine yourself into using flavor as a way to connect your current character, you can also use flavor to inspire new characters.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335066277476372481
    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335080716913106945
    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335440812889391104
    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335280984602726400
    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335302097407860736

    Each of those characters started with the simple prompt related to a beverage and the object out of which it is consumed. From there decisions were made not just regarding the race, class, and background, but also to inform the skills, attributes, spells, and weapons chosen.

    Rum connected to sailors, pirates, merchants, or water genasi. Carbonation was an indication of something light, refreshing. Salt a connection to authority. The mistaken belief that halflings are just old children popped into the head with the root beer.

    What those various prompts did was start internet searches into the techniques used to create certain beverages, into their history, into their cultural significance. Chasing those touchpoints and activating them through D&D and by including others in the process, my character portfolio expanded. These are now new NPCs, or maybe even PCs, that would never exist.

    Food and drink can inform your characters just as art, books, movies, shows, music and media can. Great cooks say that their meals tell stories. Adapt that into your PC and NPCs.

    Empower flavor to empower the stories you tell.

    A replica viking longboat loaded up in charcuterie. From the 4-foot tall mast hangs shaved prosciutto. The base of the boat has cured meats, pickled vegetables, and various cheeses.

    What type of character builds a replica longboat and uses it as a charcuterie table? How does that inform who they are?

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Full Moon Storytelling

Full Moon Storytelling

Dungeons and Dragons thoughts, micro-fiction, and episodic D&D adventures within the World of the Everflow.

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