Oh, I 100% play DnD. I've been putting it off, recently. I generally play a High Elf Way of the Open Palm Monk. I think it's fun, depending on the DM. I know all the in's and out's. My favourite campaign was one where I one punch man-ed a dragon. Essentially it spit acid, and I managed to dodge, and swing at it with a sPeCiAl AxE and I managed to get its head cut off.

I tried D&D long ago for the first time and it was meh. The DM was a sadistic a-hole, the plot mundane, the party obviously less interested in playing together and more interested in showing off their prowess by starting fights every five minutes.

If you didn’t enjoy your first tabletop experience it could very well be the table, not the game.

Fast forward nearly six years and my new partner decided we were going to play not D&D but another system our friends had always wanted to try written by the team that helped put together the rules for Third Edition (Note: D&D has various editions, currently we’re on Fifth Edition I believe). This system, called 13th Age, focused more on storytelling and less on rules / rigidity. Each player in addition to the usual stats and abilities has to make up “backgrounds” which they assign points to and then have to storytell during the campaign in order to get the bonus to their roll. For example, I once played a bard who was 5 years sober and refused all drugs (i.e. health potions included), but thanks to their willpower I got +3 on my recovery rolls.

The absolute funnest part though is selecting your “One Unique Thing” - which is a thing that has absolutely no impact on your dice or your battle prowess. It’s just a weird quirk your character has that you have to constantly roleplay into the story. I’ve fought with an elf who had a lisp. I’ve fought with a half-orc barbarian who had a soft spot for fluffy enemies and wouldn’t attack anything with fur. I’ve fought with a ranger who was human but raised by vampires so they had weird fake-vampire traits. I’ve fought with a cleric who worshipped a god who gifted them a flask that was always nearly empty (don’t ask - they role played amazingly well). It’s random, but also hilarious.

After changing systems having a new crew completed the experience. Our new party enjoyed finding creative solutions to problems outside of looting & burning towns. My favorite campaign was likely the one where we were tasked with procuring dragon teeth...so after much discussion we determined the easiest way to do this would be to break into a retirement home for dragons and steal their old teeth. The DM paused at this point to confirm we really wanted to do this and we demanded that yes, absolutely we wanted to break into a dragon retirement home - obviously they’re wealthy and can afford hospice care in their old age.

Having an understanding DM also makes the game way more fun. The DM acknowledged our idea, ran with it, and an hour later we were trundling down a hill in a stolen cart filled with dental equipment and discarded fangs while being chased by drakken nursing staff.

Good times. Also for the record drakkens are not fluffy - a very key point for strategy planning. Vampires also know a thing or two about fang removal. Who knew.

I have played D&D since the late 70s and early 80s from the Basic set of Rules and then when our characters hit third level we went over to the Advanced D&D rules. Looking back on it, those were fun times because all we had were our imaginations and the story telling abilities of our Dungeon Master(DM). Back then I was a human rogue thief that was fueld by the books of Thieves World, edited by the great Robert Asprin.

I got into it through my older brother who basically got me into everything, he read fantasy and sience fiction and passed his books on to me to read so he could prep for his classes he was in so he did the same with his hobbies of which one was role playing games.

Anyway, I digress but Alec Lufkin (named after Alec Guinness) had worked his way through the Keep of the Borderlands (barely staying alive in those days) he was 4th level and we went on to run our own staories or try out new modules (adventures written for the DM to take their characters through) Now back then you could hack n slash through fighting or Role play your character for xp to advance. D&D sort of kind of got lost as it moved from TSR to Wizrads of the coast to Hasbro. I played 3rd edition and 3.5 but after 4th edition came out which was basically putting D&D into the world of World of Warcraft...it lost its flavor for me...

Until...5th edition came out in 2014, where they simplified the game and is way easier to play now and frankly allows everyone to role play a bit more which is what these games are for...Now I run games as well as play. When I run games I am in the Chums of Chance Guild of DMs where some of have called me "Giggles" because I giggle when I crit on a player. But when I play, I am now a walking 450lb Torle (HUge Snapping Turtle) named Oslo Shellweaver...6th level monk or a varient is a 11th level Barbarian.

The best games are when we are close to not making it out alive because we have to think on our feet and try to work our way out of a jam. Oslo recently found himself in a dungeon where he had to dive into a 10ft well and turn a wheel to open a drain for water to be let out of another room in the dungeon. In the room with the water, were Kelp Fields that when they attacked you had a chance of putting you into a condition of stunned - thats where you can see and are aware of things happening to you but you can not move in other words incapacitated. So in getting the drain to go down Oslo went into the attack of the Kelp Fiends only to be knocked prone and then to come within 2 death saves (this is where you are down to zero health points and he has to roll a dice to see if he saves or fails - every character gets 3 death saves - if he makes them (rolling a 10 or better on the three) he is stable and is just sitting there till he can get healed. If he fails, break out a new character and come up with a good backstory...cause you died-died! Do not pass go you can not be ressurected!

Anyway, Osloe got a save and with 5 hp of his 45 he attacked the kelp fiends and barely killed them to help save the party (he didnt do it by himself, he just did his part).

When I was a kid, if it got out you played, you were absolutely dubbed a "nerd" but now, as I got older and we started playing again (since 2012 this time around) the thing I love to see the most, are the girls and women enjoying this game. You have to understand, when we played it was just guys but now, both genders enjoy it and it lives and breathes with both girls and boys are playing and I fucking love that! And the girls are more cut throat and absolutley more dangerous than the boys and I have to be extra prepared to make sure I keep them engaged by both the adventure and the adventure in the story.

Some of my writing here is inspired by those games that I have ran, (Heir to the throne was a Savage worlds game that I ran and TPK'ed 4 players (TPK=total party kill)

Now as I'm older, I love being a nerd, I love coming up with my own stories and I love preparing games for players to have fun in...adventures to build their problem solving skills and to push their imaginations...but I digress...

I got into DnD about two years ago. After discovering the whole thing was different than the railroad, single-storyline lameball I thought it was, I became obsessed. I've wanted to play ever since the first taste, but didn't even know where to start. I began listening to dnd stories from critcrab and dndstories and the such. After getting a taste of the magical adventures to be had, I wanted to learn more. I began listening to gameplay and listening to lore podcasts about creatures and monsters. I'm halfway through Critical Role's 1st campaign and with all of that experience, I was ready to delve into the game. Being accepted by one of my friend's discord groups, I began making a few characters. I'll list 'em below and a little bit about them.

Daniel- Yes that's it. Daniel the gnomish arcane trickster. He's a fun pun guy, who keeps trying to use his name in his jokes. Being only level four, Daniel seeks the countryside for small mercenary work to eventually rebuild his home village, which was destroyed by a band of short humanoids. His life was saved by a traveling trove of adventurers, so he adores anyone who is tall. (Like 6'5"+)

Captain Farghus Siezmore (Capsize)- A human rogue with a level in warlock. A lighthearted fellow, Capsize enjoys keeping things cheery, even when things look bleak. Suffering from trauma from a horrific incedent which started with getting his ship stuck in a frozen lake to eventually eating his entire crew to stave off starvation in search of a town. Realizing he got a small taste for human, he tries to get more tastes when nobody is around, despite it weighing heavy on his conscience. With an INT of only five, Capsize was found doing the wierdest things and asking the dumbest questions around town. After almost suffocating under a pile of snow he dug himself into and mugged by Durigar, Capsize made a pact with the Fiend. Not knowing what he was getting himself into, he just wanted to use the sparkly magic his friend Rorke was doing. Sadly, afterwards, Capsize's luck was not meant to be. While exploring a cave, Rorke and Capsize got seperated from the group and were attacked by a Grell. (Large brain-thing with a beak and tentacles) Capsize was brutally slaughtered before he even knew what was going on and thrown down a deep chasm into the underdark where his body shall lay and decay.

Freshnar Dundershmidt- A halfling cleric. A quick to speak guy whose personality is only outmatched by his terrible luck. Quick to heal, but also extort his allies, Freshnar is a true hand for hire. As a cleric from out of town, Freshnar came up to the Icewind Dale to visit his father. Upon arrival, he discovered a note upon his father's desk. Inside, was a small explanation, stating that his father had been fishing when a Knuckle-Head Trout (the most common fish in all the Ten-Towns) bit his entire finger off, taking the family ring. Determined to retrieve it, he planned to find it in the icy waters. Finding his father's body only hours after reading the note, Freshnar tries to get his inheritance to help him not only return home, but also help with the newfound grief. Although, without his father's ring, he couldn't prove who he was to any of the official guard. Seeking to claim his father's property, Freshnar plans to aquire money to hire a wizard to help find it.

Along with making these characters, I had homebrewed several creatures. Though they were mostly just descriptions, I tried to make a few fictional characters along with ones I made up.

Hogarth Hughes- A level 7 human gunslinger. Wandering around the woods most of the time with his signature gun, "Hog Hug," Hogarth seeks to find a ginormous warforge he refers to as the "Iron Giant." He can be found almost anywhere throughout the campaign, though his progress will be in line with the players, though he never grows level. Upon speaking, Hogarth will ask if the party have seen or have any parts of his warforge, so that he may repair him. When he is done, (whenever you want that to be) he will find the players again, either seeking revenge or offering alliagence depending on their last interaction.

Prince Charming- A level 12 human paladin. Walking through the feywilds, Charming has really taken accustom to it's routines, such as fairy tails replaying themselves. Having his mind broken around this ideal, Charming will often try to save any damsel in distress he comes across. The damsel can be anyone the prince deems is in need of saving, often leading to sudden betrayal during battles as the prince doesn't allow anyone to be in the way of his mistress. He wields a flame claymore +1.

Along with these few, I've made an encounter to match as well.

Erkyk'n The Everlasting- A level 10 Goblin wizard who strived to make his small troop as powerful as possible. Erkyk'n has been trading with a Hag from the Abnormal Kingdom that goes by the name Sylvin. Giving babies, goblin or not, Erkyk'n recieves a temporary immortality potion, which he does not realize is made of the skin of the children he offers. Being alive for so long, Erkyk'n is privy to a wierd magic. Known as "Stone Elevator", whenever Erkyk'n tosses rocks on another surface that is also rock, the stones will extend fourty feet in whatever angle they were thrown, making barriers and attacks quick and effective. Living in a small cave, Erkyk'n ordered his group to build pillars that were about three feet tall, which were just small stumps compared to their large cave-like abode. With the stumps, all the goblins may take the hide action to dash between them and shoot any intruders with their shortbows, as most of them are taller than three feet. At the start of any encounter, Erkyk'n with throw down a thick fog, obscuring his goblins and his trusty tactican (A level 7 goblin ranger) will cast Pass Without Trace on all of his comrades, making gorrilla warfare much easier. Erkyk'n will only be disueded by threat of death or if the players can offer him an immortality potion that is perminent.

Grub Naga- A large, pale grub-like naga that resides in a temple in the Abnormal Kingdom. Being a very benign creature, Grub Naga will allow visitors to sleep upon her extremely soft body, cooing them to sleep with her equally soft voice. As Nagas often are, Grub is a keeper of vast knowledge, willing to share with anyone who simply asks her a question in exchange for an answer to a question she asks. These questions can range from the normal 'How are you' to very personal questions, often making the person admit information to his party or others around that they might not have wanted them to know about. Her only condition for rest upon her body is that the adventurers clean themselves before they approach. If they do not, she will do one of three things; 1: cast prestidigitation on any refusers, 2: cast suggest or dominate person, forcing them to do it themselves or 3: her mouth will unhinge and she will breifly engulf the person's body with her mouth, allowing her insides to clean the person. While not harboring any smells, the experience is very gross. Grub will also cast suggest at random points to people around her, telling them dumb things such as 'One of your party's voice annoys you' and watch the chaos unfold. She often wears faces of beautiful women, ones you might find on dolls or in brothels.

Now, to the Abnormal Kingdom.

The Abnormal Kingdom is run by a hag disguised as a beautiful queen. Her actual name is Great Granny Gurtrude, but she goes by Queen Myre. She will often point players away from learning much about her, often telling them to go by the Giant's Blacksmithery or Coven Cove. The Giant's Blacksmithery is a blacksmith shop run by twelve giants. The giants are named as follows: Needy, Beady, Teeny, Meanie, Feedy, Heedy, Beanie, Leanie, Keeny, Clingy, Bringy and Dave. Each of their characteristics or personalities revolve around their names. Often asking several things of the players, the giants will often repay with strong cosmetic armor or repurposed gold and jewelry. In Coven Cove, players will come across a bustling city of hags, trading and talking to one another. Each home has a transportation circle that allows them to travel across the globe, visiting villages and kingdoms for their own profit. This coven of hags is one of the most powerful in all of the lands and not even ancient red dragons dare to attack them.

Enough said, now onto the Creatures.

The Kreeper- A marble canine-like creature. A larger, hairless animal made entirely out of marble, the Kreeper is missing the top half of what would be the dog's head. Still having eyes right along the split, it will scoop at enemies with the bottom row of it's sharp teeth, bucking like a bull. The Kreeper emerges from cave art that looks like it whenever someone views the picture. Being immune to all things a earth elemental is, the Kreeper is annoyingly quick and cunning, often being able to get the drop on it's prey. With an adv to initiative, this creature is sure to strike hard and fast for low level players.

The Doverdutch- A race of small centaur-like goblin canines. Often having the lower half as the canine. These small creatures are often very crafty and as resourceful as they come. Their villages are often well hidden and fairly sparse in population. This race litterally eminates silence around them, making spellcasters almost non-existant. Their towns sell weapons that double as ranged ones. Speak goblin and giant.

The Hallingra- Race of six-headed humanoids with no ears on any of their heads. Can read minds and are experts at laying traps. Hard to find and stand at most four feet in height. The only way to find these creatures is an unessessary number of traps in an area. Normally docile, the Hallingra can communicate telepathically in a language the person recieving cannon naturally understand. (Example: Player is gnomish, Hallingra will speak giant, even if the gnome knows giant.)

The Catermillion- An extremely large milipede-like creature. Crashes through the feywilds on it's numerous legs. Owns several scars on it's sides from the trees attacking it. The buildup of callouses have made the Catermillion resistant to most physical attacks. Resides within Crystal mountains and feeds upon small villages.

That's all I got though. I'm eager to maybe flesh these ideas out and maybe run a campaign of my own, feel free to use any of 'em if you like. (Tell me about what happened pls)