Dungeons, Dragons, and Decisions

     At the time of writing this, I am finishing up the first session of a year-long campaign. My first DM campaign (Sept 2024 to May 2025) has definitely re-taught me how to tell stories and the true chaos that unfolds when others enter this space with me. It was an absolute blast and got me back in touch with a universe that I hadn't touched in almost a decade.

    With all that, I learned a few things.

    One, Dungeons and Dragons is a clunky system for me to handle. And absolutely a system that I need to work with more than I did in my first campaign. With that in mind, I feel as if the pre-written campaigns are a little dry. Maybe it is the fact that they are meant to be guardrails for generic groups. They seem to be the boring yet filling rice and beans that groups are meant to flavor on their own. Mind you, I am basing this off of what I've seen and heard from different D&D related podcasts and livestreams. Then again, these sections of the Internet seem to be losing the rough edge that makes in-person D&D very compelling. Unfiltered actions, reactions, and storytelling are my bread and butter. I've only seen one group online keep that edge.

    Two, D&D is definitely made to be an in-person experience. Having watched several VOIP or online-only D&D campaigns and dipped my toe in a Tabletop RPG to start, the Internet as a whole was not built to really optimize D&D. The lack is in the shifts of energy that anyone can feel in person when playing a D&D campaign.

    Third, I will definitely need to read up on how the game is meant to be played. Probably read up on some more monsters. Because I feel like I'm missing out on some vital components for running this campaign.

    With that all said, I'm looking forward to this new campaign. I have a wonderful group. A very colorful cast of characters that genuinely have a blast with my stories. And I hope that I can provide a good adventure that they like again. With a few other twists and turns, I hope it becomes its own special story. 

    We'll see how it goes.